Songs used (in order):

Everywhere - Niall Horan

Knots - Speak Low

Falling in Love in a Coffee Shop - Landon Pigg

Kiss Me - Ed Sheeran

Feel free to listen to the songs when they are used in the story (signified by italic text) but it isn't necessary. The songs are all amazing though!!

P.s. this is barely edited because i really wanted to post this before 2022 started. enjoy, try to ignore any  silly typos, and happy new year :)
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Point of view: Limited third person

Type: Mortal AU

Main Ship: Percabeth

Word Count: 11,571

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Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase are two peas in a pod. They met when they were both seven years old at a summer camp that their parents had sent them off to for a week during August. The pair had a rough start as Annabeth thought that Percy was way too immature for her, but she eventually saw past that minor flaw and the two became great friends.

Once the week was over, the kids were worried that they would either never see the other again or that they would have to wait a whole year for summer camp to see the other again. However, those fears vanished on the first day of school, when Percy saw that Annabeth was in the same class as him. From that day on, the two best friends were inseparable.

Percy and Annabeth grew up together. Everything they went through, they did together. When Annabeth was bullied for her bookworm tendencies, Percy was there to reassure her. When Percy was abused verbally and physically by his wretched step-father Gabe, Annabeth was there to comfort him. They did everything together. Annabeth helped Percy with his homework. Percy killed any spiders that scared Annabeth (which was all of them). They talked every day, either spending time at one or the other's house, seeing each other in classes, or texting when they had to be apart.

Percy was twelve was he first developed feelings for his best friend. At first, he was confused. He brought up the strange feelings to his number one confidant - his mom. Sally, being the best mother in the world, helped him sort through the confusing mess of emotions he was dealing with. Eventually, Percy came to terms with the fact that he had a crush on his best friend. This terrified him. He didn't want to ruin their friendship, but he couldn't help the way his heart beat faster when she was a little too close, or the way his palms started to sweat when she sent him her cute little smile.

By the time Percy was fourteen, he was drowning in his feelings for Annabeth. Every day his blonde bestie was getting more beautiful, and every day he found himself falling harder for her. He wouldn't call it love, but this wasn't a petty little crush. What he was feeling for Annabeth was serious, and it scared him.

That Christmas, his new step-dad Paul bought him a guitar. Music had always been one of the more tolerable classes he had to take in school, so Percy was pleased with the gift. He found a few beginner tutorials on the internet and slowly but surely learned how to play the instrument. Playing the guitar became a part of his everyday routine: wake up, groan about going to school, survive the school day by staring at his way-too-pretty best friend whenever possible, hang out with said best friend after school, play guitar while procrastinating homework, go to bed happy as can be. See also: wake up the next day and groan even more because he realized he never did his homework and his step-dad English teacher is going to embarrass him in front of the whole class.

Sometimes, Percy would play a few chords on guitar while Annabeth was around, but that was pretty rare. He kept his musical hobby to himself for the most part, but he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was embarrassment. Maybe it was the need for some sort of privacy, something that was just his. Who knew? Not Percy, that's for sure.

While Percy often played songs on the guitar written by other people and occasionally strummed a random progression of chords that he came up with on the spot, in the year and a half that he had owned a guitar, he had never written something himself. That all changed one random Friday after school. Percy and Annabeth were nearing the end of their freshmen year and were drowning stress from assignments and the upcoming finals week. So, the pair decided to head over to Annabeth's house to do some homework, study, and then de-stress by watching movies, eating junk food, and just spending time with each other.

While the pair was walking to Annabeth's house from their high school, Percy couldn't help but be distracted as he kept glancing at his gorgeous best friend.

"So I was thinking that first, we could work on our math homework because that's your least favorite. Then we could work on that English project and maybe get a head start on the bio lab we have to do before taking a break and then moving on to - Perseus!"

Percy jerked out of his thoughts. "What?" he called.

She gave him a glare. "Were you even listening to me?"

He started to nod, but when Annabeth intensified her glare, he sighed and shook his head. How could he lie when those steel grey eyes were staring straight into his soul? "Sorry, I was distracted."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I noticed. What are you thinking about, Seaweed Brain?"

"Oh, nothing, I was just zoning out. What were you saying?"

She gave him a funny look before returning her intimidating gaze to the sidewalk in front of her as she repeated her game plan for the afternoon. This time, Percy managed to pay attention to the words she was saying and not just the perfect pink lips that the words were coming from.

Once they arrived at the Chase house, the two went straight to Annabeth's room and started with their math homework - because who was Percy to argue with his Wise Girl on her probably perfect plan? Percy managed to stay on task the majority of the time, only getting sidetracked every so often when Annabeth did something impossible to ignore, like when she brushed her hand against his or leaned too far into his personal space bubble.

Eventually, Annabeth was satisfied with the amount of work that they had gotten done and decided that they could finally move on to the fun, stress-relieving part of the evening. She told Percy to pick a movie while she dug around the kitchen to find some snacks. As she stepped out of the bedroom, Percy stood from his chair at the desk and stretched out his back and shoulder muscles, which were aching from sitting for so long. He flopped onto Annabeths grey and white patterned bedspread and found the TV remote on her nightstand. He turned on the television and opened the Netflix app.

As he scrolled through the movie categories on the app, his mind was filled with thoughts of his best friend. He had known Annabeth for almost nine years now and had liked her for about four of those years. He wondered if he would ever get the guts to tell her how he felt about her, and instantly his stomach filled with nervous butterflies. He was just too scared, too big of a coward. Being friends with Annabeth was perfect - it was the best part of his life. If he told Annabeth that he liked her and she didn't feel the same way, everything would be ruined.

Percy sighed and continued to search for a movie. Annabeth then returned to her room with a bowl of popcorn, a box of Cheezits, a bag of candy, two diet Cokes, and a smile on her face. When she saw Percy's expression, her eyebrows furrowed. "What's the matter?" she asked him, climbing onto the bed beside him.

He shook his head. "Nothing, I just can't find anything I want to watch. Netflix sucks."

Annabeth laughed. "There's tons of good stuff on Netflix - we've just watched most of it. Try HBO Max or Disney+ or something instead."

The pair eventually settled on a fan favorite - Big Hero 6 - and got comfy under the covers together. Annabeth had her head resting on Percy's right shoulder and her legs were crossed at the ankles on top of his legs. The explosion of food was splayed across their laps, and Percy was constantly shoving snacks into his mouth to soothe his nerves. The physical touch was a win-lose situation for him. Yes, he loved being near Annabeth, and cuddling with her was a dream, but it also made him anxious and sent his poor little heart into overdrive. Hopefully, she couldn't hear the rapid heartbeat from where she was resting against him. Could she hear his pulse? Was he breathing too fast? Did he put deodorant on this morning?

Percy lifted his left arm and rested his forearm on top of his head, subtly smelling his underarm. Thankfully, he had remembered deodorant that morning and one of his worries was soothed. Clearing his mind, he took a deep breath and tried his best to focus on the movie.

Once he stopped overthinking so much, Percy was able to enjoy the amazing movie as well as the amazing company on his right side. He memorized the feel of her skin against his, the smell of her blonde curls, the way she laughed at the character's corny jokes and the way she squeezed his arm when there was danger.

When that movie finished, Annabeth sat up and stretched out her muscles before reaching for her phone. Percy instantly missed her being cuddled up next to him, taking a sip of soda to hide his frown.

"Helen wants to know if you're staying for dinner. You're spending the night, right?"

He nodded. "Yup, you're stuck with me all night."

She rolled her eyes with a smile. "How will I survive?" she teased, typing a text out to her step-mom. "Okay, she said she'll be home in about forty minutes and dinner will be ready a bit after that. We have time for another short movie or we could watch a few episodes from a show or something."

"You can choose whatever you want. I don't really mind."

She hummed affirmatively and grabbed the remote. She scrolled through Disney+ for a few minutes before choosing to start the series Boy Meets World. Once she hit play, she settled back into Percy's side, somehow snuggled in even closer than before. Percy wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and fiddled with the ends of her blonde hair, gently pulling the curls and letting them bounce around.

About halfway through the second episode, Percy's eyes closed and his hand stilled. He fell asleep to the sound of cheesy 90s laugh tracks and the scent of lemony hair.

Thirty minutes later, a gentle voice calling his name woke him from his peaceful sleep. Without opening his eyes, he rubbed the heel of his hand into his eye and groaned.

Annabeth chuckled. "Morning, sleepyhead. It's almost dinnertime. I figured you'd want to wake up a little before having to deal with my demonic brothers."

"I love your brothers," Percy mumbled, his voice deep and coated with sleepiness.

"I love them too, but they're just so obnoxious." She sighed. "Was I too boring for you or what, Seaweed Brain?"

He shook his head. "No, I was just tired. Long week, long day. Plus, we did a lot of homework and studying. You broke my brain, Wise Girl."

She smiled at him, making his heart feel warm and fluttery. "At least it's all done for the weekend. We can just relax for a couple of days," she assured him.

Percy grinned. "Thank God."

Annabeth sat up and ruffled his messy black hair. "Come on, Helen will freak if we make them wait too long to eat. Let's go."

They both climbed out of bed and Percy followed her to the kitchen table, where her younger twin brothers were eagerly waiting for their food. Helen was stirring something at the stove. Annabeth's dad, Frederick, was nowhere to be found - he was probably in his home office or still at work.

Helen must've heard their footsteps because she glanced at them over her shoulder. "Hey, lovebirds. Hungry? I cooked chicken."

Percy couldn't help but blush at the nickname. Both Annabeth's family and his own were adamant in teasing the best friends about their closeness. His blonde friend always laughed the jokes and names off, but they hit Percy a little too close to home - probably because he wished they were true.

"I'm starving, Mrs. Chase. Can't wait," Percy managed to mumble out.

She sent him a kind smile. "How many times do I have to tell you, Percy," she chastised, "you can call me Helen. You've known me for almost a decade."

"Sorry, Mrs. C."

Annabeth nudged him in the ribs teasingly. "He just woke up," she explained. "His brain isn't on yet."

Helen laughed lightly and turned off the stove burner. "Luckily, dinner's all finished up. Grab a plate, kids."

A few moments later, the five of them were seated at the table, happily eating tasty chicken with homemade gravy, along with some cooked carrots and peas on the side.

"Where's Dad?" Annabeth asked.

Helen pierced a carrot on her fork. "Still at work, he should be home within an hour or so."

Annabeth frowned. "It's already almost six. He's been working late all week," she said, dejected.

"I think that he's been busy with work. They let a couple of people go, so the office has been drowning in work for a while. He's just got a lot going on."

"So he's too busy for us?" Annabeth muttered.

Percy put his hand on her knee and squeezed it gently, giving her a soft smile. She looked up at him with appreciation coating her sad eyes.

Across the table, Bobby, one of the twins, fake gagged. "Yuck, Annie and Percy are making goo-goo eyes again."

Percy's face burned red and Annabeth rolled her eyes. "As if," the blonde spat out. "Percy is my best friend."

Matthew, the other twin, giggled. "Annie and Percy, sittin' in a tree!"

"K - I - S - S - I - N - G!" Bobby sang.

"Boys, boys," Helen chastised, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Leave your sister and her boyfriend alone."

"Helen!" Annabeth hissed. Meanwhile, Percy had completed his transformation into a human tomato.

Helen and the boys continued to laugh at their jokes while Annabeth gave Percy an apologetic look. "Sorry," she mouthed.

"I- it's fine," he stuttered back, forcing a smile. "Just a lot first thing in the morning, you know?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "It's six o'clock in the evening, Seaweed Brain."

He scoffed and knocked his shoulder into hers. "You know what I meant, Wise Girl."

Helen stifled her laughter and grasped the table with both hands, leaning forward. "Okay, I understand how all the jokes can be annoying sometimes, but when you two act like that, how are we supposed to react? It's adorable!"

"Nuh-uh," Matthew whined. "It's gross!"

"Yeah!" his twin brother agreed.

Annabeth crossed her arms over her chest. "Percy and I are just friends. We've been friends forever, so of course we are super close."

"Yeah," Percy said, nodding and tossing his arm across her shoulders. "Annie and I are as close as best friends can be."

She pouted up and him and pinched the side of his stomach. "Don't call me that."

He chuckled and whispered an apology. Helen smiled to herself, taking a sip of her water.

As soon as Percy was done eating, Annabeth practically dragged him out of his seat and into her bedroom. "Thanks for dinner, Helen!" he called out before Annabeth slammed her door shut.

Percy couldn't help but laugh at the sight of his disgruntled best friend. She stood at the foot of her bed, her arms tightly cross against her chest, her eyebrows furrowed, and her bottom lip pouting in that adorable way. "Call me crazy, but you seem annoyed."

She scoffed. "Yeah, I am. They never call it quits with the jokes. At first, it was funny, but come on. You're a boy and I'm a girl?" She gasped exaggeratedly, holding her hands up for dramatic effect before rolling those grey eyes. "We're allowed to just be friends."

Percy gave her a half-smile. "Yeah, I know. It's...it's a lot." He sighed, torn between wanting to take his best friend's side and between feeling self-pity about being thrown into the friend zone for the umpteenth time that night.

Suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind, and he ran towards Annabeth. He scooped her up onto his shoulder as if she were a sack of flour and paraded her around the bedroom.

"Perce!" she squealed, pounding her fists against his back. "Put me down!"

He let out an echoing chuckle and faked dropping her by loosening his grip on the back of her knees before quickly catching her.

She shrieked. "Perseus! Put me on the bed, or else."

Percy continued to laugh before walking over to the queen-sized bed and flipping Annabeth onto it. Before she could attack him, he climbed onto her lap and instantly started to tickle her sides.

Annabeth started to giggle and squeak, wriggling around in an attempt to escape. However, Percy had her thighs trapped between his knees. His weight along with her lack of breath from laughing made her too weak to escape. Eventually, he gave her mercy and rolled off of her.

Instantly, Annabeth straddled his hips and began to ruthlessly tickle him in retaliation. Her freezing fingers dug mercilessly into his ribs, his underarms, the crook of his neck - anywhere they could reach. Percy laughed until he was out of breath, knowing that he could push her off of him but letting her have her fun. Minutes passed before Annabeth paused her attack, leaving Percy light-headed with laughter.

She leaned down so that their noses were almost touching. "Say you're sorry," she threatened.

Internally, Percy was freaking out. If either of them moved an inch, they would be kissing. Plus, Annabeth was sitting on his lap and leaning over his chest with her arms holding her weight on either side of his head. Saying he was nervous would be the understatement of the century. Regardless, he put on his cockiest smirk and said, "Sorry for what?"

Her jaw dropped, flabbergasted. "'For what?' For dragging me around my room like a ragdoll, crushing me with your entire body, and tickling me to death, that's what!"

"Um, excuse me, you did the same thing to me, Wise Girl. You dragged me into your room, tickled me for an eternity, and what are you doing right now? Crushing me. Checkmate, loser."

She rolled her eyes and flicked the tip of his nose. "You don't even know how to play chess."

Percy laughed loudly, causing Annabeth to erupt into giggles herself. Eventually, she rolled off of him and nestled into his left side. He tossed his arm over her shoulders and squeezed her tightly into his side. While Annabeth opened up Disney+ again to return to their show, Percy chuckled softly.

"You're right, I don't even know how to play chess," he told Annabeth with a stupid grin on his face.

She rolled her eyes. "I would offer to teach you, but you would probably fall asleep," she teased, pressing play on the fourth episode in the series.

"Rude," Percy whined, "but fair."

Annabeth laughed, setting down the remote and resting her head on his shoulder. They stayed there for hours, watching a silly kids' show and making commentary every so often, but mostly Percy was just savoring Annabeth's company and the feel of her body against his. No matter how many times they cuddled while watching a movie or going to bed, he would never get used to it. He really, really liked this girl - so much that it hurt. Once again, he felt the urge to tell her, but one glance down at her sleepy form cuddled into his side stifled that urge. He would never tell her because he couldn't risk losing this. He would just have to settle for whining to his mom every so often and scream-singing sad love songs by his favorite bands. Annabeth was a treasure, and he would stay just friends with her for an eternity before he ever let her get away.

"Why are you staring at me?" Annabeth's adorable sleepy voice questioned as her grey eyes peered up into his green ones.

He blinked. "Uh, I was just wondering if you were asleep or not. Turns out not yet."

She hummed. "Not yet. I'm really tired though. What time is it?"

"A little after nine. It can be bedtime if you want."

Annabeth nodded. "I'm going to go put on some comfier clothes," she stated, closing her eyes and nestling further into Percy's side.

He chuckled. "Are you?" he teased. "Looks like you're going to bed right now."

"You're really comfy," she admitted. "And warm. And you smell nice."

Percy's cheeks burned red at the unintentional compliments. "So, it's my fault you're being lazy?"

"Exactly."

He rolled his eyes and pulled down the blankets so that Annabeth would sit up and get ready for bed. "Come on, you're wearing jeans. You don't want to fall asleep in those. Plus, you need to brush your teeth, or else you'll be a stinky gremlin in the morning."

Annabeth groaned but climbed out of bed and rifled through her drawers, finding a baggy tee-shirt that Percy recognized as one of his own as well as a pair of pajama shorts. She stalked over to her bathroom and closed the door. Percy was wearing jeans and a band tee, so he just took off his jeans and sat down on the bed wearing his boxers and tee-shirt.

When he heard the faucet turn on and the sound of Annabeth brushing her teeth, he got up and gently knocked on the door. The door opened up and he quickly grabbed his toothbrush from the container on the sink - his was blue, hers was green. They brushed their teeth in tandem, Percy bumping his hip into hers every so often just to see her roll her eyes and smile at him.

After they were finished, they shuffled back to Annabeth's bed and climbed in. Percy found a silly movie to watch while they fell asleep as Annabeth cuddled into his left side. She eventually got comfortable with her head on his chest, her hand on his sternum, and her left leg sprawled across his lap.

Less than twenty minutes passed and Annabeth was sound asleep. Percy, however, was wide awake, due to his half-hour power nap earlier and the nervous energy coursing through his veins. It was a strange thing, cuddling with Annabeth. He was so happy, so content to have the girl that he was crushing on in his arms. It also made him nervous and hyper-aware of his every movement, but he could live with that. But it also reminded him of everything that he wanted, everything that he could potentially have if he ever confessed his feelings to his best friend. Because, no matter how many times he told himself he had everything he wanted, he still craved more. He wanted to hold Annabeth's hand just because, not only when he was getting dragged around the house. He wanted to hug Annabeth just because, not only when he wanted to comfort her. And he wanted to kiss Annabeth. He really, really wanted to kiss Annabeth.

Percy sighed, attempting to release his confusing emotions through a breath. They lingered anyway. He looked around the dark bedroom to give his aching eyes a break from the TV screen. In the shadows, he noticed Annabeth's electric piano in the corner of the room. She had gotten it for a birthday a few years back and played it every so often as a hobby. He saw the sheet music resting on the stand attached to the piano, and suddenly an idea sparked into his mind. Percy wouldn't tell Annabeth about his feelings, but he could write them down to get them out of his head.

He slowly removed Annabeth's body from his own - a difficult task seeing as she had transformed into an octopus and was attached to him in a death grip. When he finally succeeded in escaping, Annabeth grunted.

"Where are you going?" she whined unintelligibly.

"I'm just going pee, go back to sleep," he murmured, brushing her hair out of her face.

She scrunched up her nose. "M'kay," she said, already falling back asleep.

Percy smiled softly, looking down at her for a moment before continuing his mission. He sat down at Annabeth's desk and grabbed his notebook which had been discarded earlier when they finished studying. Grabbing a pen, he started to write his feelings. He started with broken sentences and slowly they formed a few lyrics. Eventually, he had a few verses and a chorus.

You walk into the room I go quiet

I catch your eyes and don't blink an eyelid

Feels like the world locked us on an island

An island without waves

I try and try to forget you

But your mother thinks that I'm the best for you

Try and try to erase you

But, you won't disappear

Feels like every time I turn a corner

You're standing right there

Over my shoulder, you're everywhere

I swear it's hard to think

It's hard to breathe when you're in the air

I try to run, but you're everywhere I go

When I think I'm all alone

And my heart's under control

Why is loving you not fair?

You're everywhere

Percy sat back and reread his work. He wrote a song. Well, the makings of one. Once he had his guitar, he'd come up with a few chords to back the lyrics with, come up with another verse or two, and he would actually have written a song.

Not only was he feeling pretty proud of himself, but he was also feeling less overwhelmed. Getting his thoughts and emotions out of his head and onto the paper was incredibly helpful. He grabbed the papers that he had scribbled on and tucked them into a folder, which he put into his backpack. Then, he crawled under the covers and quickly fell asleep with a peacefully empty mind.

Over the next couple of weeks, Percy was songwriting during all of his free time. Whenever he wasn't studying, eating, or sleeping, he was strumming on his guitar, trying to find the perfect chord progression to back his chorus. Of course, he never intended for anyone to hear his song, it didn't really matter how the music sounded, but it was some sort of challenge that he had set for himself. He really wanted to finish his first song.

After three weeks of frustrating trial and error, he was satisfied. His song was completed. He knew that his new commitment to his noisy hobby had made his parents curious, so he decided to call his mother to his bedroom and play his song for her.

By the time Percy strummed the final note, Sally was wearing a million-dollar smile. "Wow," she breathed. "You made that, Percy?"

He smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. I know it's not the best, and I'm really not that great of a singer, and -"

She jumped off of his bed and tackled him in a motherly bear hug. "I am so proud of you, sweetie. That was fantastic!"

Percy bashfully blushed. "Thanks, Mom," he told her. "I appreciate it."

"It's about Annabeth, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he said. "I needed to get it out of my head, so I just wrote it all down. From that, it turned into this."

"Are you going to sing it to her?"

If Percy were drinking something, he would have done a spit-take. "No way! Mom, are you crazy?"

Sally rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Crazier things have happened. Why are you so against it?"

"That is so embarrassing. That is so uncool, Mom. Besides, I thought we went over this - I'm not telling Annabeth how I feel about her. It's just too risky."

His mother smiled sadly and rested her hand on his shoulder. "If you say so, Perce. I hope you keep making songs, sweetie, because you have a real talent for it."

And he did. Summer flew by and sophomore year brought on loads of stress. Over the summer months, Annabeth progressively turned into a goddess, and everyone noticed when she came back to school. Percy wanted to tell all of the guys that asked him for her number that they should have noticed how beautiful she was before if they claimed to love her so much, but he just spat out her seven digits and made fun of them with Annabeth later. She never pursued any of them, but he couldn't help but wonder if she ever had feelings for any of the numerous boys chasing after her.

Aside from that, his workload was much heavier than it had been freshman year. His classes were definitely a lot harder, and Annabeth could only help so much. He also found himself stressing out about life in general, like the fact that he was graduating in just a few years and that he had no idea what he wanted to do when he grew up.

So, instead of doing his algebra II homework like he should have been, Percy found himself picking up the song notebook his mom had bought for his birthday the month before. He jotted down his thoughts while humming a somber tune, then turned the words to lyrics and the murmurs to music.

As he was adding the finishing touches to his song, the door to his bedroom swung open. Percy instinctually slammed his notebook closed and craned his neck to identify the intruder. It was no other than the inspiration for his songs, the blonde beauty Annabeth Chase.

"H-hey, Wise Girl. Sorry, I didn't realize it was already four o'clock."

She squinted at him. "I texted you," she pointed out, "but it's fine. Sally let me in the apartment and I let myself in your room."

"Sorry," Percy repeated.

"Don't sweat it," Annabeth assured, walking over to where he was sitting at his desk. "What are you working on that's so secretive?"

"Nothing," he blurted out.

"Then why did you hide it so quickly?"

"You just scared me, that's all."

Annabeth smirked and reached for the notebook, opening it to the freshly filled pages. Percy clenched his fists and accepted his fate - this was the moment that he died. He watched her expression carefully as she read the lyrics, mouthing the words as she went. When she was finished, she looked into his eyes with a strange expression on her face. Was that confusion? Shock?

"You write songs?" she asked, dumbfounded.

Percy nodded slowly. "Kind of. It's new to me still, that's why I was so embarrassed."

She smiled softly. "This isn't embarrassing at all, this is beautiful. Will you sing it for me?"

His face burned red. "No thanks, I don't want to burst your eardrums."

She laughed. "I'm sure you're a great singer, Perce," she assured. "Fine, you play guitar and I'll sing the words."

Percy tried to argue, but Annabeth grabbed his guitar from its stand in the corner and forced it into his arms. "Please?" she asked.

He sighed and began to play his song.

I've got knots in my hair and knots in my stomach

Both thanks to you but for very different reasons

I pretend not to care or act like I'm above it

But it's hard to face the truth when you know all my demons

You're too far, and I'm far too jealous

You're too far, and I'm far too jealous

History repeats itself, just like an old friend

Who tells the same stories since we were kids

And I purposely chase the hearts I know I'll never win

But I've been down this road before, don't wanna go back again

It's like pulling teeth to get inside of your head

Because you've invested time not to say what's on your mind

Now I'm pulling out every strand and you can see

Every single vein on the back of my hand

As I wait for you to tell me you love me

As I wait for you to tell me you love me

To tell me that

History repeats itself, just like an old friend

Who tells the same stories since we were kids

And I reserve the right to change the ending this time

I reserve the right to change the ending

After Annabeth finished the last word, the two sat in silence for a moment. "That's incredible, Perce. You were gonna hide this from me?" she teased.

"I wasn't necessarily going to hide it," Percy drawled. "I just wasn't planning on intentionally showing it to you."

"Why not?"

"Like I said, it's embarrassing."

She shrugged. "I don't think so. It's about someone, right? Who's it for?"

Percy opened and closed his mouth. This could be it. He could tell her and she would either run screaming or maybe things would turn out amazing and they would live happily ever after. Or... "It's not about anybody," he lied. "I just wrote words. Maybe it's some internal personification of something, I don't know."

She squinted at him for a moment. "Maybe it's about your daddy issues," she said, half teasing but partially serious.

Percy laughed, letting out all of the nervous tension from his body that had built up over the last few minutes. "Maybe," he agreed. "Are you happy now that you know my dirty little secret?"

Annabeth nodded. "Very. I think this is amazing, Perce, I'm serious. Have you written anything else?"

He hesitated. "Bit and pieces," he admitted. "I've only written one other full song, but we'll save that for another day. We have things to do, Wise Girl."

"Who are you and what have you done with my Seaweed Brain. The Percy I know never wants to do his homework."

He rolled his eyes and dug out his textbook. "Come on, the sooner we finish this, the sooner we get Mom's blue cookies."

One Monday, Annabeth managed to drag Percy out of bed a whole hour early and into a cute vintage coffee shop around the corner from their high school. At first, he was grumpy from the lack of sleep, but her shining eyes as she raved about the reviews on the café brightened his mood.

"Look, I can see the sign over there! I can't wait, Perce!" she exclaimed, grabbing onto his arm excitedly.

He smiled down at her. "I'm glad you're excited. Come on, let's hurry up. My legs are getting tired."

Annabeth rolled her grey eyes as they sped up, explaining that he walks this far to school anyways, so he should be used to it. He argued that he never leaves his apartment before seven o'clock and that walking in the sixes is much more exhausting. She, of course, calls him a seaweed brain.

They finally arrived at the coveted coffee shop and order their drinks. Annabeth ordered some fancy latte while Percy got the sweetest caffeinated drink on the menu, some sort of frappa-lappa-beano. Once they got their drinks, they found a table near a window and sit down across from one another.

"You know, I've been thinking about your songwriting, Perce. You only know how to play the guitar, right? I have that piano in my room, and I'm pretty good at playing if I do say so myself. Maybe I could help you learn so that you could add another instrument to your songs."

After Percy had a few sips of his beverage, he perks up enough to fully understand what his best friend was rambling about. "You want to teach me piano?" he double-checked.

Annabeth sheepishly smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Want to?"

He grinned and nodded. The thought of incorporating something Annabeth taught him into a song expressing his feelings towards her felt thrilling for some reason. "I would love that, Annabeth. Can we start tonight?"

They worked out their plans for after school and finished up their drinks before heading to school for a strenuous six hours of so-called education. After, Percy met up with Annabeth, exhausted but excited to start learning a new instrument.

When they arrived at her house, Percy wanted to get right to music playing, but his best friend insisted that they get at least some of their homework done first. About an hour later, they were sitting at the bench in front of the electric piano. Percy couldn't tell if his nerves were from the anticipation of trying a new instrument or from the way his left thigh was pressed against Annabeth's right one. Probably both.

Annabeth began by teaching Percy where middle C was, and showing him where to place the rest of his fingers from there. He learned which keys were which and progressed from a very basic version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to an intermediate version of the ditty. 

As Percy's skill progressed, so did his happy mood. He loved music and he loved Annabeth, so why wouldn't he be happy.

Suddenly, he froze. Did he love Annabeth? Was he really feeling that way? Sure, he'd liked her romantically for years, but being in love at sixteen seemed crazy to him.

"You okay?" Annabeth asked him gently.

He looked over at her, looking into her precious grey eyes for a moment before giving a quick nod. "Yeah, I'm alright. I just remembered that we have more homework to do after this and that we can't just play piano until midnight."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "It's not that much more work, Seaweed Brain. Besides, we can't play that late anyway, unless you plan on spending the night."

He screwed his lips to the corner of his mouth. "I don't think I can tonight. We can have a sleepover this week though."

She smiled. "Perfect. How about you play the song through one more time and then we finish up that homework before you try to play something more advanced."

Percy happily played the cheery jingle once again, excited about his newly learned skill. Sure, he wasn't a professional, but he could play a song on the piano!

He and Annabeth worked through their homework together rather quickly and then went out to the kitchen for a small dinner. Once Annabeth was finished, Percy grabbed her hand and raced back to sit at the piano in her bedroom, excited to play more music.

Annabeth laughed at Percy's excited antics. "Ready to try moving your hands along the piano?" she asked.

He nodded, placing his hands in the basic position at middle C. Annabeth sat beside him and informed him of what he needed to do. After a few attempts gone wrong at moving his hands up and down the board, he began to get frustrated. Annabeth stood and hovered behind him, placing her hands on top of his. She pressed down on each of his fingers like they were piano keys, causing him to press the key and a note to ring out. She then guided his hands along the keyboard, slowly but surely having him play the song.

She was the puppetmaster and he was the puppet. Everything that she did affected him. Not only was she literally causing him to play the piano, but the feel of her skin against his and the brush of her curls against his neck and the scent of her body wash in his nose filled him with an unnamed warmth.

Annabeth guided him through the complex song one more time before insisting that he try again on his own. The rhythm was choppy and a few of the notes were wrong, but he played the song all the way through. He looked over at Annabeth to see her reaction, which was pure pride. She grinned at him excitedly and held both of her hands up for high fives.

Percy laughed and clapped his hands against hers. "That was really fun," he told her. "It's confusing, but I like it a lot."

Annabeth smiled happily. "I'm glad. Once you get even better, you can add piano to some of your songs. And, because this is an electric piano, it can do all sorts of instruments. You can experiment with almost anything once you figure this out."

"That's really cool. Can you play something for me?"

"Like what?"

He shrugged. "Any song you want."

She rifled through some of her sheet music and found a song that she liked. Percy was hypnotized by her playing the piano. Her fingers caressed the keys in such a purposeful way, almost as if they were dancing across the white and black tiles. Her face was filled with emotion as she played, her eyes trained on the sheet music with her lips tilted into a smile and her brows lifted in bliss.

When Annabeth finished playing, Percy had to drag his eyes away from her mesmerizing form. "That was amazing, Annabeth. You get mad at me for never playing guitar for you when you've got that hiding up your sleeve."

She scoffed. "That's nothing compared to what you do. I play the notes that some dead guy wrote years ago. You perform the chords that you put together yourself. It's incredible, Perce."

He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. "Thanks, Wise Girl."

Soon, it was time for Percy to go home. As he made the short trek from Annabeth's house to his apartment, he thought long and hard about his feelings for his best friend. He thought about her beautiful, soft blonde hair, her dainty hands, her stunning steel eyes, her perfect lips. He thought about her smile, her laugh, her voice. He thought about her personality that drew him in and made him never want to leave. And then he knew.

Percy loved Annabeth.

His heart began to beat faster at the revelation. Surprisingly, he wasn't scared by the concept. He was a little nervous, a little excited, but mostly, he was inspired. He ran up the stairs to his apartment and opened the front door with his keys. He saw his mom sitting on the couch with a book and gave her a drive-by kiss on the cheek before rushing to his bedroom and grabbing his songbook and a pen.

Emotions flowed from his heart through his pen like a river. He was writing lyrics and testing chord progressions for hours until he was interrupted by his mother. She gently knocked on the door, informing him that he needed to wind down because they all needed to sleep.

He reluctantly closed his songbook and put his guitar away so that he wouldn't be tempted to continue his song. He quickly brushed his teeth and changed into his pajamas before climbing into bed. When he slept, he dreamed of tempting blonde curls and fascinating grey eyes.

Percy spent the next day at school completely focused on his song. His teachers tried to regain his attention several times, but he was a lost cause. He couldn't do anything until he finished this new song. It wasn't necessarily the most complex song or even musically exciting, but it meant something so powerful and important. The song immortalized the moment he realized that he was in love with his best friend, and he was enthralled by that idea.

Percy had planned to rush home and finish up his song after school, but Annabeth stopped him just outside of the main entrance. "What's up with you?" she greeted very kindly.

"Hey, Annabeth. It's so lovely to see you," he responded with a sarcastic drawl.

She rolled her stony grey eyes. "Hi, Percy. What's up with you?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, hoping she wasn't picking up on what he thought she was.

"You were acting weird all day. You were even more tuned out than usual. Is everything okay?"

Percy smiled. "I'm alright, I just didn't get much sleep last night."

She furrowed her brows. "Why's that?"

He readjusted his backpack strap on his shoulder. "I was up late working on a song," he revealed, "and I really want to go finish it before I lose inspiration." That last bit was partially a fib - Percy would never run out of material to write about the girl he loved - but he hoped it would make her feel merciful and let him run home.

Annabeth nodded understandingly. "Alright, don't let me stop you. But, promise you'll play it for me as soon as it's finished, okay?" She held her pinky out in front of her.

Percy smiled and looped his little finger around hers. "Promise. I got to go, but I'll talk to you later."

"Alright, bye, Perce."

And he was off. He speed-walked down the sidewalk to his apartment, humming potential tunes for the small bridge in his song. When he arrived home, the apartment was vacant, so he was able to freely play chords again and again without fear of annoying his parents.

Finally, Percy decided that he was finished with this song. It was the third song he had completed and it was his favorite so far. It was joyful yet melancholy. It was hopeful yet content. It was peaceful yet meaningful. He loved it.

As Percy set his pen down on his desk, his phone rang, notifying him that Annabeth was FaceTiming him. He ran his hands through his hair before pressing the green accept button. "What's up?" he said.

"Just checking in. I wanted to make sure you weren't dead in your songwriting cave. How's the song coming along?"

"I just finished, actually." Percy smiled at the way the wind whipped her hair against her rosy red cheeks, registering that she was outside. "Why are you outside? Are you walking somewhere?"

She grinned and nodded. "I ordered a pizza from that amazing place down the street from your apartment. If you're all finished up, I can bring it over and we can hang out for a bit. Is that okay?"

"That sounds perfect. I'll see you in a few minutes."

A couple of minutes later, Percy heard a knock on the front door. He sat up from his comfy spot in bed and went to answer the door, where Annabeth was waiting with a large box of pizza in her hands.

"Pizza delivery!" she chirped.

Percy smiled. "How much do I owe you?" he asked, joining in on the silly bit.

Annabeth pretended to ponder for a moment. "Pizza's on the house, but if you want to give me a tip I would love to hear that new song of yours," she said in a sing-song voice.

He rolled his eyes. "Maybe after you've softened me up with pounds of greasy bread, sauce, and cheese I'll be willing." In all honesty, he didn't intend to show this song to anyone, especially the girl that it was about. It was too...personal, too meaningful to share with the world.

Annabeth groaned. "Fine, I'll just bother you later. Do you want to eat in your room or out here?"

"My mom has been on my case about eating in my room. Apparently, I'm too clumsy and keep spilling on my bed."

"Out here it is, then," Annabeth decided. She plopped down on the couch and set the pizza box on the coffee table, opening up the cardboard container. The scent of the neighborhood's best pizza wafted into the air, drawing Percy over to the couch to grab a slice and dig in.

"This is amazing," Annabeth mumbled through a mouthful of pizza.

Percy nodded in agreement, savoring the delicious food as much as possible. "Yeah, thanks for picking it up. I know it was just an excuse to come see me because you miss me so much," he teased.

She rolled her eyes, but he thought he spotted a hint of pink on her cheeks. "As if. I wanted pizza, and this is the best place around. If my best friend happens to live down the street, why wouldn't I come and visit?"

He playfully knocked his shoulder into hers. "If you say so, Wise Girl."

"Shut it, Seaweed Brain. If anything, I just came over to harass you about that song. You said it was finished, right?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, but I don't know if I'm ready to play it for you - or anyone - yet."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Why not?"

Percy hesitated. "It means a lot to me," he decided, "and I want to perform it when I'm ready."

"Can I at least read the lyrics?" she asked, looking into his eyes with those unbelievable grey ones that she possessed.

He sighed. He could never say no to her, not when she was looking at him like that. "Go grab my songbook on my desk and come here with it."

She gave him a million-dollar smile and set her pizza slice down on the box, hopping up from her spot on the couch and practically sprinting down the hallway. Percy took the brief opportunity to collect himself. The lyrics in this newest song were hardly subtle. There would be no denying that Percy had feelings for someone. Annabeth was bound to figure it out sooner or later.

She returned to the living room with Percy's navy leather songbook in one hand and his guitar case in the other. At Percy's questioning gaze, she gave a sheepish smile. "In case you change your mind," she explained, sitting down on the couch beside him, way closer than before.

Percy ran his hand through his messy black hair and took the songbook from her hand, ignoring the tingly feeling in his fingers from brushing against her soft hand. He quickly found the song and handed the book to his best friend. He then grabbed his guitar, strummed a few times, and began to play the opening chords to his newest song. Instead of letting Annabeth read out the lyrics, however, he began to sing them.

I think that possibly

Maybe I'm falling for you

Yes, there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you

I've seen the paths that your eyes wander down

I want to come too

I think that possibly

Maybe I'm falling for you

No one understands me quite like you do

Through all of the shadowy corners of me

I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much

All of the while I never knew

I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much

All of the while I never knew

I think that possibly

Maybe I'm falling for you

Yes, there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you

I've seen the waters that make your eyes shine

Now I'm shining too

Because oh because

I've fallen quite hard over you

If I didn't know you I'd rather not know

If I couldn't have you I'd rather be alone

I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much

All of the while I never knew

I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much

All of the while I never knew

All of the while

All of the while it was you

Once Percy is finished, he came back to reality and noticed Annabeth's intense gaze locked onto him. He shied away, attempting to hide from the inevitable.

"You lied to me," she said simply.

He bit his lower lip. "I'm sorry. I- I was embarrassed and I wanted to keep it to myself."

"You lied to me," she repeated, "twice. For one, you said that you couldn't sing, yet that was incredible. And two, you said you didn't like anybody, and that the songs were just made-up lyrics. No way am I believing that."

Percy's cheeks flushed red and he nervously rubbed the nape of his neck. "You think I'm a good singer?" he asked sheepishly.

Annabeth rolled her stormy grey eyes and gently smacked his bicep. "Yes, Seaweed Brain, you're a great singer. Anyway, who's the girl."

"There is no girl," Percy stated.

"Then who's the guy, Perce? That song is about someone, and you can't hide it from me anymore. You call me Wise Girl for a reason, remember?"

He groaned. "Fine, there is a girl. But I don't want to tell you who it is. At least, not yet. Maybe...maybe someday, but I'm not ready now."

Annabeth smiles softly at him. "That's alright. Just so you know, though, you don't have to be embarrassed about things when it comes to me. I'm not going to shame you for the things you like, may it be songwriting or some girl. I'm here for you all the way, Perce."

Percy may have tried to restrain himself, but it didn't work. He wrapped his arms around his best friend in the tightest hug known to mankind. How did he possibly get so lucky?

Annabeth hugged him back, snaking her arms around his back and rubbing soothing circles with the palm of her hand. "Does she go to our school?" she whispered in his ear.

Percy recoiled and rolled his green eyes. "Don't push it," he warned her, a teasing lilt in his voice.

She grinned. "Oh, I'm definitely on the right track. Do I have any classes with her? Are we both in any of the same classes with her? Is she in our homeroom? Is she even in our grade? She better not be a freshman, Perseus, that's top-tier creepy. Is she-"

Percy stopped her rambling by shoving a slice of their discarded pizza in her mouth. She made an indignant sound but took the hint and continued to eat her food instead of harassing her best friend any longer.

The two finished their slightly cold but still tasty pizza before Annabeth had to return home for the night. Percy returned to his room, ready to scroll his life away on social media until sleep overcame him.

On his third rotation through his numerous social media apps, a gentle knock sounded on his door.

"Come in," he called.

The door slowly opened, revealing his mom holding a plate of something. "Hey, Perce. I got home late and whipped up a batch of cookies. Want some?"

He nodded and sat up, setting down his phone. "Do you even have to ask?"

Sally laughed and went to go sit on the end of his bed. "I should know better by now," she joked, passing him the plate of three blue chocolate chip cookies.

Percy took a bite from one of the cookies, reveling at the perfect flavor and texture of his mom's homemade cookies. They were even still warm. "These are amazing as always. Thanks, Mom."

She smiled. "Of course, sweetie."

As he devoured two of his cookies, Sally sat there patiently, observing her only child. Picking up his third and final cookie, Percy caved. "What's up?" he asked her. "Is something wrong, or...?"

She shook her head. "Nothing is wrong," she assured. "I've just been thinking."

"About?"

"About you," she admitted, "and Annabeth, and your feelings for Annabeth."

Percy felt his cheeks heat up. "W-what about it?"

"Do you really like her?"

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Mom, I've been obsessed with her for four years. Of course I really like her. I think...I think that I love her, actually."

She smiled at him. "That's great, Percy. Now, you've always told me that you value your friendship with Annabeth more than any potential romantic relationship that you could ever have with her. Do you still feel that way?"

Percy hesitated. "I don't know," he said honestly. "I love being friends with Annabeth. Everything is perfect with her. But I also love Annabeth, and I want so much more with her, you know?"

Sally nodded. "Oh, I know. Don't you think that it's worth a shot, then? You deserve to be truly happy, not just content, Percy. Plus, if your friendship is as strong as you say it is, don't you think that it could handle a little awkwardness?"

He thought for a moment. "I guess you're right. So, you think it's time I confess?"

"If you're ready, then definitely. If you don't tell her sooner, you may come to regret all of the lost time and happiness that you gave up. Don't force yourself, sweetie, but think about it some more. Give the idea a chance, alright?"

Percy nodded, finishing up his dessert. "Thanks for the advice, Mom. I appreciate it a lot."

Sally smiled, getting up and pressing a kiss to the top of Percy's head. "Of course, sweetheart. What are moms for if not to give their hopeless sons love advice?" She grabbed his plate and wink playfully at him. "Get some rest and think about what I said, 'kay?"

"M'kay. Goodnight, Mom, I love you."

"I love you more, Percy. Goodnight."

He would have liked to have fallen asleep right away, but his mind was preoccupied. His mom was right. He had been friends with Annabeth for so long, building an incredibly strong friendship that could surely handle a little uncomfortableness. So what if he confessed and Annabeth didn't feel the same way? He deserved to get his feelings off of his chest, and Annabeth deserved to know how he truly felt about her. If she didn't feel the same way, they would find a way to get through it, because Percy refused to lose her.

So, he came to a conclusion. The best way that he could translate his emotions without making a fool out of himself was through songwriting, so he would write her a song. He would stop being vague and write to her, like a love letter set to music. When she heard it, there would by no denying that Percy had feelings for her.

Percy fell asleep with a smile on his lip and a flutter in his heart.

The rest of the week at school, Percy was in a surprisingly good mood. He did his best to pay attention in all of his classes, but also made sure to write down anything random that inspired him or that he wanted to add to his confession song. Annabeth definitely picked up on his happy-go-lucky mood and his strange new antics, but let them slide. Maybe she figured he was happy about his mystery girl. She wouldn't be wrong.

Percy spent all of his Saturday crafting the perfect love song. This was the first song that he was writing for someone else, which added a lot of pressure. However, because the song was about his emotions, all he had to do was be honest.

Eventually, he was satisfied with his work. He texted Annabeth, inviting her over, and she quickly replied that she would be over soon. Percy's heart beat quickly with a mixture of nerves and excitement.

When Annabeth arrived at his apartment, he took her straight to his bedroom.

"Woah," she laughed, "someone's excited about something."

He pressed on her shoulders, signaling for her to sit in his desk chair. He grabbed his guitar from where it was left on his carpet and sat on his bed with it in his lap. He quietly strummed the instrument, making sure it was tuned correctly, even though he had just played on it minutes ago.

"I wrote you a song," he finally told her.

Annabeth's mouth formed a perfect O. "Really? You wrote me a song?"

He nodded, a nervous but happy smile on his lips. "Yeah. Can I sing it for you?"

She nodded. "Of course," she breathed.

"Just...make sure you pay attention to the words," he said, "and remember what you told me the other day - about not shaming me for anything, ever. Okay?"

Annabeth smiled. "Okay."

Percy sucked in a deep breath and took a leap of faith.

Settle down with me

Cover me up

Cuddle me in

Lie down with me, yeah

And hold me in your arms

And your heart's against my chest

Your lips pressed to my neck

I'm falling for your eyes

But they don't know me yet

And with a feeling I'll forget

I'm in love now

Kiss me like you wanna be loved

You wanna be loved

You wanna be loved

This feels like falling in love

Falling in love

Falling in love

He continued to sing the rest of his song, getting lost in the lyrics that poured straight from his heart. He tried not to look at Annabeth too often while he sang - she tended to make him nervous - but every so often he glanced at her because he couldn't help himself. He saw her face progress from confusion to shock to...was that happiness?

Eventually, his song was done being sang and his confession lingered in the air. Annabeth's grey eyes were shimmering with tears. Hopefully they weren't tears of sadness.

Percy cleared his throat. "Annabeth, I love you. I've had feelings for you since we were twelve years old. For a long time, I kept them to myself to preserve our friendship, because I love being friends with you. But, I really want more than that. I want to be your boyfriend, to give you hugs and kiss you and hold your hand whenever I want. God, I really want to kiss you."

Annabeth grinned, tears pouring down her face. "You love me?" she repeated questioningly.

He nodded, leaning forward. "I really, really love you."

A laugh bubbled out of her chest. "No way," she told him. "I always thought that you didn't like me that way because the jokes everyone makes about us being together always made you so uncomfortable."

He scratched the back of his neck. "They made me uncomfortable because I wanted them to be true and you always just laughed them off," he admitted.

She pushed her hair behind her ears. "I can't believe it. You love me. You love me!"

"Do you love me?"

Annabeth grinned, her entire face shining with elation. She stood up from the chair she was sitting in and walked purposefully over to Percy on his bed. She gently placed her hands on his cheeks and leaned down, pressing her lips against his.

She was kissing him. Annabeth Chase was kissing Percy Jackson.

He immediately kissed her back, slowly rubbing and cupping her lips with his own, attempting to translate just how much he loved her into one simple act of affection. After a moment or two, Annabeth pulled away from the passionate kiss. She placed one more firm kiss against his lips before whispering, "I love you, Percy."

His heart bubbled with joy. The girl that he had been pining after for over four years loved him. Annabeth loved him.

"Can you say it again?" he asked, partially joking but also seriously wanting to hear the words spoken once more.

Annabeth smiled. "I love you," she told him, kissing him on the forehead.

"Again?"

"I love you," she giggled, kissing the tip of his nose.

"One more time?"

"I love you." A kiss on his left cheek. "I love you." His right cheek. "I love you." His lips.

Percy smiled and kissed her back, this one much more playful than their first. They kissed for a while, breathing in one another before Annabeth pulled away and pushed Percy down so that he was laying on his bed. She laid beside him, cuddling into his side and draping her arm over his chest. For a long time, they just cuddled together, taking in one another's company.

Annabeth eventually broke the silence. "You're my boyfriend now, right?"

Percy laughed. "I think my fantastic song and that many kisses qualify me as your boyfriend, yes."

She hummed happily. "Good. I was getting tired of telling people you're just my best friend."

He pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "I was getting tired of hearing it. Every day another nail was driven into my coffin. Cause of death: the friendzone."

She cackled. "Shut up, you were just as bad."

"Probably." He grinned. "So, how long have you liked me?"

"Years," Annabeth admitted. "I noticed how cute you were when we were probably ten or eleven, and I finally realized I had feelings for you by the time we were about fourteen. You said you knew when you were twelve?"

He nodded. "I admitted my fate when I was twelve, but I was way too obsessed with my just-a-friend for a couple of years before that. Ever since then, I've been falling for you more and more every day."

Annabeth grinned. "God, you're so cute. I love you."

"I love you."

When Percy was eighteen when he heard his song on the radio for the first time. He was driving Annabeth and himself home from a late-night date at the dinner when the familiar chords of his confession song began to play on the radio speakers.

He shot Annabeth a look. "Is your Bluetooth connected to my car?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "No." After a moment, she gasped. "Percy, this is the public radio. Your song is playing on the radio."

He almost slammed on the breaks - a bad idea in downtown Manhattan. "My song is playing on the radio?"

"Your song is playing on the radio!"

Percy laughed out loud, disbelief and happiness bubbling out of him. Ever since he had first started playing guitar, being on the radio was a far away dream for him. Now, here he was, listening to his own song being played on the radio.

"This is crazy," he breathed out. "My song - our song - is on the radio."

Annabeth grinned at him. "I'm so proud of you, Percy."

When Percy was twenty years old, he took Annabeth out to dinner. They went to a fancy but still delicious Italian restaurant not to far from their apartment. Halfway through dessert, he stood from his seat.

"Annabeth Chase, I have known you for more than thirteen years of my life. I have loved you for about eight of those years. I will continue loving you for the rest of my life, and I want to spend the rest of my years with you." He sank to his knee and opened up the ring box he'd been carrying in his pocket. "Will you be a permanent part of my life, officially? Will you marry me, Annabeth?"

She stood with a gasp, her hands covering her mouth as tears poured down her face. "Yes, Seaweed Brain, yes! I would love to marry you. Yes, yes, yes!'

Percy grinned and stood up, wrapping her up in a tight hug and pressing a loving kiss to her lips. He pulled away and slid the ring onto her designated finger. It was a pretty ring - a silver band and a cluster of clear diamonds around a small emerald gem. As soon as it was in place, Annabeth pulled him into another kiss, this one longer than the last.

"I love you," he breathed.

"I love you more, Percy."

At twenty-three, Percy and Annabeth had their first dance as husband and wife to Percy's confession song. Their wedding cake was blue.

When they were twenty-five, Annabeth started acting funny. She cried often and started eating mushrooms, neither of which she did before. When Percy asked her if everything was alright, her answer was not what he expected."

"Everything is fine, I'm just pregnant."

Of course, Percy was shocked. Then, he was elated. Annabeth was pregnant. He and the love of his life were going to have a child! He wrapped her up in a careful but loving hug, happy tears raining from his sea-green eyes. He eventually set her down and sank to his knees, placing his hands on her stomach and pressing kisses to it.

Annabeth giggled."What on earth are you doing, Seaweed Brain?" she asked teasingly.

He looked up at her from the floor. "My baby is in there, she wants to be a part of the celebration too."

She scrunched up her face. "I think it's a boy," she told him.

Percy shook his head. "No way. That's a mini-Annabeth in there, I can tell."

She quirked up an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? I'm fairly confident we have a mini-Percy in the works."

He frowned. "I want a tiny Annabeth though," he whined.

She laughed, running her fingers through his hair. "Maybe it is a girl," she said, "or we can always try again."

Percy immediately stood up and lifted Annabeth into his arms, cradling her with one hand behind her knees and one on her lower back. She laughed hysterically as he brought her to the bedroom and placed her on their bed, crawling onto her and sloppily kissing up her neck.

"I didn't mean right now, Seaweed Brain," she teased.

"I know," he grinned. "I'm really happy. I can't wait for our little family to grow."

"Me too, Percy. I love you."

"I love you, Annabeth."