I'm not even gonna lie to you guys this isn't my best work and I'm not really that proud of it...I'll probably end up heavily editing the ending soon because it feels rushed to me. Idrk...let me know what you think :/
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Point of view: Limited third person

Type: Mortal AU

Main Ship: Percabeth

Word Count: 7263

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Any stranger who looked at Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase's friendship from an outside perspective would be very confused. Well, even their few friends were confused about the two's relationship. Percy and Annabeth could go from screaming at each other about the most futile thing to cackling over some inside joke. 

The two had literally known each other since birth - well, Percy's birth; he was born precisely 38 days after Annabeth and she'd never let him forget it. Percy's mom and Annabeth's dad went to the same high school and were also close friends. When college came, the two grew apart and moved away from their hometown. Several years later Frederick Chase moved in next door to Sally Jackson and they were neighbors ever since.

So Percy and Annabeth grew up together. They said their first words together, they took their first steps together, they had their first day of school together. From day one, it was just the two of them (and their loving families of course) against the world.

Still, their history didn't prevent the pair from fighting. From petty arguments about pizza toppings to harsh berating about annoying personality traits, Percy and Annabeth had experienced it all. Never the less, they always made up.

This fact was at the front of Percy's mind as he listened to Annabeth spitball insults targetted toward their mutual friend at him.

"She's so fake," Annabeth stated. "She acts like she's the nicest, most humble girl in front of adults and people at school, but then the second her dad calls her, she's back to thinking she's the queen of England. Which one's the real Rachel, huh, Perce? There's literally no way to tell."

He nodded and rubbed his chin, relaxing into the plush couch in his living room as he watched his best friend pace in front of him. "I understand where you're coming from. Did she do anything in particular or is it just her...essence?" Percy phrased carefully.

Annabeth stopped her pacing and threw her hands up indignantly. "It's everything about her! I mean, there is something that she did, but that was just the final straw. She's been getting on my nerves for a very long time and I think it's about time I cut her off."

"What did she do?" Percy asked, sitting up and resting his arms on his knees.

With a sigh, Annabeth shook her head and sat to his right. "It's nothing important. I just needed to rant and now I'm fine."

He shook his head. "No, no, no, you should tell me. What did she do, Annabeth?"

She groaned. "Well, her, Thalia, Piper, and I were having a girls' night sleepover. We were just talking and watching movies and the topic of boyfriends came up. Thals mentioned that things with Luke were going well, Piper blabbed about how close she was to asking Jason out, and I stayed quiet. Rachel, on the other hand, brought up you. She was talking about how green your eyes were, how nice your smile was, how your muscles clench every time you pick something up - it was repulsive!"

Percy scoffed. "Gee, thanks, Wise Girl."

Annabeth crossed her arms. "I tried to get the topic off of you - and guys in general - because I was uncomfortable. Rachel wouldn't quit fantasizing about you, so I told her in the nicest way possible that I was your best friend and I knew you only thought of her as a close friend, not a love interest. She got so defensive and told me we were only friends because our parents are close and that you would never choose to associate with me."

"You know that isn't true." Percy slung an arm across his friend's shoulders and pulled her into his side. "I love hanging out with you."

She smiled tightly up at him, shifting to get more comfortable. "I know. I didn't even respond to that, anyway, but she wouldn't stop, even when Thalia and Piper started to get involved. Then she got up, said our friendship wasn't as genuine as you and hers, and then she left."

With a frown, Percy leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to Annabeth's temple. "I'm sorry. She had no right to try to invalidate our friendship," he murmured.

She sighed. "I probably shouldn't be as frustrated as I am, but she really made me upset."

"And that's perfectly okay."

The pair of best friends sat on that couch for a very long time, one doing her best to relax into the comforting warmth of her companion's body and personality, and one contemplating the idea that not all friendships last.

After a few hours, once the entirety of Finding Nemo and over half of Finding Dory had played, Annabeth's head fell from Percy's shoulder to his lap. He looked down, slightly startled at her abrupt change of position. Realizing that she was asleep, he smiled and brushed her long blonde curls off of her face.

Toying with one strand, Percy watched the rest of the movie - the sequel to his and Annabeth's favorite childhood cartoon - while thinking about how grateful he was for his best friend. As soon as the end credits rolled, he shut off the television and tucked his arms underneath Annabeth's body.

Cradling her, he walked down the hallway and into his bedroom. He lifted up his comforter and gently placed her on the right side of his full-sized bed. Luckily, she had already changed out of her white button-up and pleated skirt and into a pair of Percy's sweatpants and his hoodie. 

Percy was still wearing his school uniform, so he quickly found an old pair of sweats and climbed out of his khaki joggers and his own white button-up top. Once he was dressed for bed, he slipped under his sheets beside his best friend.

He stifled a chuckle as he remembered the first time he and Annabeth had had an impromptu sleepover. As kids, they often camped out in tents in the back yard or sleeping bags in their living rooms. Three years ago, when they were fourteen, Annabeth passed out on the couch during a movie night where she was supposed to return home afterward. Unfortunately, the Jackson's household consisted of only two bedrooms, no spare.

Seeing as his mother raised him to be a gentleman, Percy carried Annabeth to his room and tucked her into bed with the plan to sleep on the couch. However, his blonde friend woke up as he was exiting the room and convinced him to stay. He was stiff as a board as he laid beside her, keeping a foot of space between them at all times.

Now, at age seventeen, the two friends were practically spooning in the exact same bed. Percy was glad they had grown more comfortable with intimate physical contact, because cuddling his best friend was probably his favorite thing in the world - excluding said best friend, of course.

"Night, Wise Girl, " Percy whispered into her neck, wrapping his arm around her slim waist.

~~~~~

A few days later, Percy found himself at his locker after a long day of school. Luckily, it was a Friday, meaning he had a full weekend to regenerate from the exhausting week. 

Seeing a familiar blonde mane in his peripheral vision, he glanced over his shoulder. Percy scanned Annabeth from head to toe, admiring her long blonde curls, fitted white button-up, and short black pleated skirt. As always, he was very appreciative of the school's dress code for one reason and one reason only.

"Hey," Percy greeted, a smile taking over his features.

Annabeth leaned against the locker adjacent his. "Hi."

He grabbed a textbook and slipped it into his bag before shutting the burgandy metal door. "What's up?" he asked.

"Nothing," she responded quickly and emotionlessly. 

Quirking an eyebrow, Percy crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the lockers. "Something's most definitely up," he decided.

Annabeth rolled her stoic grey eyes which were alight with an emotion that the boy couldn't quite put his finger on. "I'm just a little wound up, I guess. Rachel and I share last period and she is so hard to ignore."

With a chuckle, Percy laid his right arm across Annabeth's shoulders and directed her down the hallway. As the two best friends walked passed their peers, he could feel the gaze of most of them.

"You and her have that in common," Percy muttered down to his companion.

Annabeth scoffed. "Can it, Seaweed Brain."

"Make me."

She looked up into his green eyes, her facial expression shifting from harsh to affectionate when she recognized the mischief in his tone. "Take me home, you idiot."

Percy laughed and continued to saunter out of the school. The two of them climbed into his car and he drove expertly through the crowded Manhattan streets.

After a few minutes, Percy parked in his driveway. "You coming over?" he asked as they gatheres their belongings.

Annabeth shook her head. "No, I'm going to go do my homework and take a nap."

"You can do those things at my house," he attempted to persuade.

She sighed. "Thanks, Percy, but I need some time alone. See you later."

"Alright, later, Wise Girl."

They parted ways, Annabeth veering right and into her home while Percy hiked up his driveway and into his own. Deciding to be as productive as possible, he headed to his bedroom to do his homework, grabbing a granola bar as he passed the kitchen.

Tackling the easiest work first, Percy grabbed his marine biology binder and started his assignment. After that was done, he read his assigned pages for English (a painstakingly long process), studied for his Latin test, and completed his world history homework. At last, the only thing to do was his algebra homework. 

Math had always been Percy's least favorite subject. His dyslexia made reading hard, so English was a close second, but mashing numbers and letters together in one topic was torture to his imperfect mind. Annabeth, on the other hand, loved the challenge math presented her and conquered it. She was usually able to help Percy work through the problems as well.

He shot her a quick text, saying he was starting his algebra homework and might need to FaceTime for some help soon. Setting his phone down, he groaned and picked up his pencil.

About fifteen minutes later, Percy had worked through all the problems he understood how to do, leaving around five uncompleted. He turned on his phone and frowned at the fact that he had no new text messages. He typed up another message to Annabeth, saying he'd done all he could and needed help.

After another five minutes passed and he still had no response, Percy decided to be done with his homework for the night. After all, he had two more days to finish it up. He stood from his desk and tucked all his work back into his bag. Then, walking over to his closet, he unbuttoned his white shirt and climbed out of his stiff khakis - he had already worn his comfy khaki joggers three times that week and his mom forced him to put them in the wash. After putting on a pair of grey sweatpants and a plain tee-shirt, he went on a mission for food.

Luckily, it was almost six o'clock, which was when Sally Jackson always served dinner. As Percy walked into the kitchen, he saw his mom pulling a pan out of the oven.

"What's on the menu?" he called.

Sally looked at him over her shoulder with a kind smile. "Lasagna tonight, is that okay?"

Percy grinned and hopped up on the counter out of her way. "More than okay. You know I love lasagna."

She sent him a look. "I know Annabeth loves lasagna, and whenever she's over you act like it's the best thing in the world, but in reality, you only ever asked for it because she wanted it."

"Mom, you're crazy," he said dryly, resting his palm on the smooth countertop. "I used to not like lasagna and I've grown to like it."

"Because Annabeth likes it."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Partially, maybe."

Sally laughed. "You're so stubborn, just like your father." A fleeting look of sadness came over her features, but she covered it with a smile. "Is Annabeth going to join us for dinner?"

Percy shrugged. "I don't think so. I haven't talked to her since I drove her home."

"Tell her I made lasagna," his mom suggested.

He chuckled a little, complying and sending his best friend a text. "I'm not sure even that will make her come. She seemed a little off today."

With a frown, his mom plated two servings of the lasagna and gestured for him to join her at the table. "Did she tell you what was bothering her?" Sally asked as she cut up the pasta.

Percy shook his head. "Not really, just that she wanted some alone time. I guess she got in an argument with Rachel earlier in the week and she's still giving Annabeth a hard time."

"She can handle herself," his mom stated, "but be there for her when she needs you. Annabeth is a strong girl, though, and I'm sure she'll be alright."

The two Jacksons finished up their meal with little conversation. Percy was doing his best to not worry about his best friend, but it was difficult. After the meal was finished, he helped his mom wash the dishes before retiring to his bedroom. 

He checked his phone and saw no new messages once again. He tried to finish his algebra homework again, but thirty minutes later he found himself staring off into space with no new progress achieved.

With a sigh, Percy dropped his pencil and stood up. He shuffled down the hall and to the bathroom. He turned on the shower and hopped into the steamy hot water. Whenever he had a stressful day, he liked to wash his worries away in the shower. He did his best to let his thoughts of Annabeth and algebra flush down the drain.

After his shower, he climbed into fresh sweatpants and collapsed onto his bed. His eyes feeling droopy, Percy scanned all three of his unread messages to his best friend before hastily typing out another.

Hey Annabeth I know your probably feeling really stressed and I hope I'm not adding to that stress. Hope everything is okay. Sleep well Wise Girl <3

~~~~~

Percy hated alarm clocks. As his phone blared loudly and annoyingly, he was jolted from his peaceful sleep. His hand fumbled around the nightstand, searching for the source of the noise. His hand wrapped around his phone and he squinted at the bright screen. 

Instead of seeing the screen to shut off his alarm, he saw Annabeth's contact photo. Percy quickly pressed the button to accept the call.

"Annabeth?" he asked confusedly.

"No, Percy. It's me, Piper," the voice of his close friend sounded.

Percy groaned. "What time is it? And why do you have Annabeth's phone? Is she okay" he rambled in a sleep-deprived voice.

"Er..." There was rustling before he finally got a response. "It's almost one in the morning. Annabeth is fine, she's right here actually."

"Hi!" a loopy version of his best friend's voice greeted.

"Can I talk to her?" he asked, getting impatient.

"That's not the best idea. She's really drunk, Perce."

He sat upright. "What? Why? Where are you guys?"

"We're at Ethan Nakamura's house. He had a party and Annabeth called me saying she wanted to let off steam. Long story short, we're here, she's drunk, and she wants to see you," Piper summed up.

Percy climbed into a shirt and a hoodie. "I'll be there in ten, maybe fifteen minutes. Don't do anything stupid, McLean."

He could practically visualize the brunette's eyes rolling. "Says you, Jackson. See you in a few."

Percy shoved his feet into a pair of battered black Vans and grabbed his car keys. He ran out of his bedroom and down the hallway, passing his mom's room as quietly as he could. The second he made it out of the front door, he sprinted like a mad man to his car.

As soon as he was seated in the driver's seat, he pressed his foot into the gas and flew down the streets.

The eight minutes it took to drive across the city felt like an eternity to Percy. Even though Piper said that she was fine, he couldn't help but feel that Annabeth was in some kind of danger. She had never even had alcohol as far as he knew. Was she throwing up? Was she getting in fights? Was she talking to boys?

Ethan Nakamura's house was generally large, so he had a big driveway with plenty of space for cars. Still, it was loaded passed capacity with several cars lining the streets Percy parked as close to the house as he could before diving out of his car and sprinting inside.

Once he stepped through the threshold, the pounding music, humid air, and stench of beer dulled his senses. He blinked, looking around for his friends. Pushing through the crowd, he found himself in the kitchen. Annabeth herself was sitting on the marble counter, dressed in a skintight black mini-dress, dangling her legs like a little kid. Piper was beside her, listening to the blonde babble.

" - and then he was like 'I won't let you drown, Wise Girl,' which I thought was super cute. I love when he calls me Wise Girl. Sometimes he even calls me babe or sweetheart or honey when he's joking. I love that even more. Oh, look, he's right there!"

She jumped off of the counter and flung her arms open for a hug. Immediately, she started leaning heavily forward and looked as though she was going to hit the floor. Percy rushed forward and caught her around the waist. He planted her on her feet, letting his hands rest on her hips.

"Percy!" she mumbled happily.

"Yeah, hi, it's me," he muttered. "Why are you here?"

Annabeth bit her lip. "Well," she drawled. "I was thirsty. So I came to the kitchen."

Percy rolled his eyes. "No, silly, why are you at this party? You never go to parties."

She hesitated. "I wanted to forget," she stated after a while.

"Forget what?" he asked. "What's wrong, Annabeth?"

Her grey eyes scanned his face before trailing down his arms and to his hands on her hips. "As much as I love this, it's really hard for me to concentrate when I'm so close to you."

Percy felt his cheeks heat up and stepped back, pulling hus hands off of her. "Sorry," he apologized halfheartedly. "Will you please tell me what's going on now?"

She sighed and looked over at Piper. The girls had a conversation with their eyes that Percy couldn't interpret.

"I'm going to go find the bathroom," the brunette decided.

Percy tore his eyes away from his best friend. "Do you need a ride home?"

Piper shook her head. "No, I'm all set. I drove here and haven't drunk anything. Thanks, though."

He nodded. "Drive safe."

With that, Percy and Annabeth were left alone.

"Now," the black-haired boy stated firmly, "you're going to tell me why you went to a party when you always tell me highschool parties are a waste of time."

Annabeth shuffled over to the counter and climbed on top of it once more. Once she was seated, Percy walked over so that he was standing directly in front of her and looked into her eyes.

"You see," she began, "I've been told my whole life that drinking makes people forget. My mom drank when I was little and she forgot that she was married to my dad. Your stepfather drank when you were younger and forgot how to be a good human being. I figured if I could drink enough, I would forget why I was so worried."

Wincing at the painful memory, Percy bowed his head. "We're best friends, Annabeth. If you're ever worried, you should come to me. If I can't make the problem go away, I can at least give you an outlet to let go of some stress."

Annabeth looked into her lap. "I would come to you if I could, Seaweed Brain, but how am I supposed to come to you to calm down if you're the reason I'm not calm?"

Percy hooked his finger under her chin and lifted her face so they were making eye contact. "Did I do something wrong? Are you upset that I peeked while you were changing yesterday? Because I promise I didn't see anything; I was just trying to annoy you."

She laughed and shook her head. "No, it's not that. It's just...remember the other day when I was telling you about my sleepover with the girls? I said Rachel was talking about you like you were her boyfriend and making me feel like our friendship was inferior to the connection she had with you."

"Yeah, and I said I love hanging out with you - because I do."

"Well, not only did she make me feel like that, but she was also making me jealous. I could tell how much she likes you and it made me realize how many other girls probably have crushes on you and could take you away from me," she stated.

Percy furrowed his eyebrows. "No one could ever take what we have, Annabeth. Best friends forever, remember?"

"What if I want more than that, Percy?"

He gaped. "W-what?"

"I like you, Seaweed Brain - a lot, and I have for a very long time. Rachel talking about you like you were her boyfriend made me upset because I want you to be my boyfriend."

Percy stumbled back a few steps. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His childhood best friend had romantic feelings for him?

"You don't have to confess any 'hidden feelings' back," Annabeth muttered sarcastically, hopping off the counter. "I know you don't have any. Can you take me home?"

With a nod, he wrapped an arm around her waist and dazedly guided her through the house. As they made their way through the makeshift dance floor, Annabeth grabbed a red solo cup out of someone's hand and knocked back the contents. When Percy sent her an incredulous look, she smirked.

"I'm trying to forget, remember?"

Once they make it outside, Percy realizes that Annabeth was wearing sky-high heels. Seeing as the Nakamura's driveway was made up of gravel and she didn't have the balance of a trapeze artist sober, let alone drunk, he convinced her to let him carry her. Percy carried her bridal style to his car, one arm on her lower back and one under her knees. 

After buckling Annabeth into the passenger seat of his car, Percy walked around the vehicle and sat down behind the wheel. Starting the ignition, he leaned into the gas and drove down the road. Annabeth turned the radio on, but it wasn't loud enough to drown out Percy's thoughts. All he could concentrate on was that the beautiful, hilarious, kind, genius blonde to his right had feelings for him.

The drive to his house only took about ten minutes, but it felt like an eternity. Eventually, Percy pulled the keys from the ignition and hopped out of his car.  He rushed around to the passenger's side and opened up the door, revealing Annabeth, who was fumbling around with her seatbelt in an attempt to get free.

Sighing, Percy leaned across her and pushed the button. Instantly, the strap retracted and Annabeth looked up at him in awe.

"Wow," she breathed out, "you're so smart."

He scoffed and took her hand gently, helping her stand up. Her legs wobbled tremendously as she teetered on her two-inch heels. Percy grabbed her wrist and draped her arm across his shoulders, which she could reach with her added height. With him carrying most of her weight, the pair walked up the Jackson's driveway and into his house.

Percy had to let go of Annabeth to shut the door behind him, and during that brief moment, she collapsed to the ground. He sent her an exasperated look as she sat criss-cross on the floor, looking up at him like a kindergartener to their teacher.

"Get up," he told her, his voice quiet but firm.

Grinning, she held her arms up and wiggled her fingers. "Help me?"

He rolled his eyes and reached down, latching onto her hands and tugging her up. He assisted her through the house, trying to avoid the squeaky floorboards so he didn't wake his mother up. Annabeth's heels clacked ridiculously against the hardwood floors, frustrating him to no end. Eventually, right as they were about to enter the hallway where all the bedrooms were, Percy lost his patience.

"Can you be quiet?" he hissed.

Annabeth's happy-go-lucky expression melted into that of a wounded puppy. "I'm sorry," she whimpered, her big grey eyes watery and her bottom lip trembling.

Instantly, Percy felt like a monster. "No, no, no, I'm sorry. Here, want a piggy-back ride?" he offered.

She perked up. "Really?"

He begrudgingly let out a smile and nodded. "Hop on," he instructed, scooching down in front of her.

The drunk blonde clambered onto his back, securing her arms around his neck and her bare legs around his waist. He rested his hands near her knees and continued to creep down the hallway.

Percy had taken Annabeth to his house instead of her own for a few reasons: one, he didn't want to see Mr. or Mrs. Chase's reaction to him bringing home their drunk daughter well past one in the morning; two, he had a lot more to say to her; and three - well, he just wanted to spend time with her.

Finally, he managed to get to his bedroom without waking up his mom. He quietly closed his door before bringing Annabeth over to his bed and squatting backward.

"You've reached your final destination, ma'am," he told her.

"Aww," she whined, and Percy knew that she was pouting like a toddler. Still, she unlatched her limbs from his body and collapsed onto his bed, where she immediately began to create snow angels - er, blanket angels? No, that doesn't sound right...

Percy kicked off his sneakers and gently tugged off Annabeth's strappy heels. He set them next to his dresser.

He stood in front of her and looked her in the eye. "Listen, Wise Girl, I'm going to go get some stuff and then I'll be right back, okay? Stay put."

She sat up and gave him a mischievous look. "Stuff? What kind of stuff? Baby making stuff? Baby preventing stuff?"

"Uh..." The black-haired teen was fairly sure he'd never blushed so hard in his life. He was also sure that his best friend was a horny lunatic while drunk. "N-no, I'm getting some food, water, painkillers, and maybe I can get some makeup wipes," he explained.

"Boring," Annabeth drawled. Then, she cocked her head. "Snacks? Can you get me some salt and vinegar chips? I really want salt and vinegar chips. And a Kit Kat. And a banana. But not that kind of banana." She wriggled her eyebrows. "Unless..."

Percy ran his hands through his hair and resisted the urge to bust out laughing. "I'll see what I can do, alright? Just stay put."

As he walked backwards to the door, Annabeth sat up stick straight and squeezed all her muscles. "Staying...put..." she gritted out through clenched teeth.

This time, he did laugh, but he stifled it to just a smile as he walked out the door and down the hallway. In the kitchen, he quickly wrangled up all of Annabeth's cravings as well as a couple of water bottles and some Ibuprofen. Then he went on a dangerous mission into his mother's room, where she was still sleeping soundly. Tiptoeing through the room, he made his way to her bathroom and found a container of makeup wipes in one of the drawers. Quickly grabbing them, he made his way out of the room and shut the door ever so slowly behind him.

Once the door was closed, he let out a sigh of relief before swiveling his head to look for his friend. Percy couldn't tell whether or not he expected her to be sat in the exact same position he left her in - Annabeth was the most stubborn person alive; she would be both compelled to complete her challenge and disobey his instructions at the same time - but there she was, sitting on his bed like she had a pole taped to her spine and extending down her limbs.

He rolled his eyes and chuckled softly, walking over to her and sitting beside her on his bed. "You can relax now," he told her, and without missing a beat her muscles loosened and she leaned over to rest her body weight on his shoulder.

"I'm sleepy," Annabeth informed.

Percy smiled down at her and tucked a curl behind her ear. "I bet you are. It's late. But first, we've got to get some water in your system, a little food, and get you out of those clothes."

Instantly, the blonde perked up and gave him a seductive look. "Only if you get out of your clothes too," she murmured, trailing her finger around the neck of his tee-shirt.

He swallowed and pulled her hand away from him. "Not like that, Wise Girl," he mumbled.

She pouted. "You always take the fun out of everything. Wouldn't you rather be doing other things than putting me in pajamas and going to sleep?"

He bit his lip, trailing his eyes around her face, scanning her long black lashes, plump red lips, and even the low-cut neckline of her skintight black minidress. Then, he blinked. "Annabeth, you're my best friend. I'm not going to...to do anything like that with you."

She frowned, but Percy looked away and grabbed one of the water bottles he'd brought. Unscrewing the lid, he held it to her lips. She drank about a third of the liquid before he pulled the bottle away. He offered her one painkiller before giving her another gulp of water and setting the bottle on his nightstand.

Next, he grabbed his mom's makeup wipes. He got off of the bed and knelt in front of Annabeth. This made her about three inches taller than him. He pulled out a wipe and began to swipe it across her cheeks. Having a hard time, he leaned in and gently placed his non-dominant hand on her jaw to keep her face steady.

As he set to work removing her foundation, Annabeth happily munched on some chips, seemingly forgetting about her unsuccessful attempt at hitting a home run with Percy.

After all of her foundation was gone, he instructed her to close her eyes. Then, he carefully took off her smoky eyeshadow, black eyeliner, and mascara. That took just as long as the first portion, and Annabeth was much less cooperative because of her inability to feed herself. Eventually, though, her lids and lashes are back to their natural color.

Percy grabbed a fresh wipe and moved on to the final step; her lipstick. He gently rubbed her top lip, slowly but surely removing the bright red pigment from it. His hand on her jaw had migrated up so that it was nestled in her hair behind her ear by the time he moved on to the bottom lip. He stared intently at her mouth and continued to remove the makeup from it until her lips had returned to their previous light pink shade.

Satisfied with his work, he smiled and leaned back. The whole time he had been removing her lipstick, Annabeth had been gazing into his eyes. Now, he looked right back into her own. They were so unique - a stormy grey color with swirls of blue dancing among them. When she blinked, her long lashes almost brushed the tips of her high cheekbones. She was very attractive - Percy had always been hyperaware of this - but after removing all of her makeup, he realized how naturally beautiful she really was.

Caught up in his thoughts, Percy almost didn't notice Annabeth's eyes drift shut as she leaned forward, lips puckered. For a moment, he almost gave in. He wanted to kiss her. But she was drunk. She wouldn't be doing this if she were sober.

"Stop," he murmured, dragging his eyes away from her lips and to her grey eyes once more. "Annabeth, you don't want to do this. You'll regret it as soon as you sober up."

Her eyes shot open and were suddenly very alert. "Weren't you listening to me earlier, Percy?" she asked, almost offended. "I like you. Why would I regret kissing you?"

Percy opened his mouth, trying to come up with a reason. "Well," he began, "if you like me and have liked me for so long, wouldn't you want to remember every moment of our first kiss?"

She sighed and pulled away from him. His hand dropped from its place nestled in her blonde curls. "Trust me, Perce, I couldn't forget if I wanted to."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?" he asked. "You're drunk."

She looked down into her lap before sharply staring into Percy's soul. "Not drunk enough to forget kissing the man I'm in love with."

Percy was once again - and not very surprisingly - speechless. "Annabeth..." he said, trying to fill the silence but not actually having any intentions of telling her anything. 

She sighed, looked around the room, grabbed a Kit Kat, and ate it. "It's okay," she assured, mouth full of chocolate, "you don't have to say it back. I know you don't like me, and it's okay."

He groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. "For the first time ever, I seriously wish I was drunk right now."

Annabeth threw her head back and laughed. "I'm telling you, it's been a crazy day for all of us."

He smiled and shook his head. "It certainly has, and I think it's time we sleep it off." With that, he stood up and walked over to his dresser, where he pulled out one of his charcoal grey tee-shirts and a pair of sweatpants. "Are you capable of dressing yourself?" he asked his inebriated friend hesitantly.

One look at her answered his question. Annabeth was nodding off against the pillows on his bed,  chocolate bar in hand and a dazed smile on her lips. Sighing, Percy set down his clothes and walked over to the bed. "Come on, stand up, Wise Girl."

She groaned and sat up. "But I was so close to falling asleep," she whined.

"I know, but you don't want to fall asleep in that dress, do you?"

She shook her head and pouted, standing up on wobbly legs. After several futile attempts and reaching behind her back and unzipping herself failed, Percy finally offered her some assistance. She turned so her back was toward him and he gently tugged the zipper down, revealing her smooth tan skin and black undergarments. As soon as she was able, Annabeth dropped the dress to the floor.

"That dress was the worst thing I've ever worn," she immediately complained, turning around to face him. "I didn't even know it until it was gone."

Percy chuckled, averting his eyes from her underwear-clad body and grabbing his clothes off the bed. Annabeth raised her arms in the air and he couldn't help but roll his eyes humorously as he guided her arms and head into the shirt like a little kid. His shirt fell to her mid-thigh seeing as he was a bit taller than her. 

Satisfied, Annabeth turned around and face-planted on the bed. "Night!" she called.

"Wait," he called, "I have pants for you."

She gave him a perplexed look. "I never wear pants to bed. You should know this by now, Perce. Shorts or nothing."

He scratched the nape of his neck. "I don't have any shorts that would fit you," he explained.

"Well I guess it's nothing, then," she drawled. "Besides, I have underwear on. It's not like I'm naked."

Percy wanted to protest, but Annabeth had already made up her mind. She nestled under his covers and closed her eyes, ready to drift off to dream world.

He pushed his hair out of his eyes and quickly tidied up his room. He folded Annabeth's dress and set it on his dresser, threw out her Kit Kat wrappers and the empty chip bag, and put their water bottles on his nightstand. After shutting of the light, he shuffled over to the unoccupied side of his bed and laid down, trying to get comfortable.

The only thing that could be heard was Annabeth's soft and steady breaths, but Percy's mind was so loud.

Annabeth and he had always been best friends. They did everything together, practically from day one. No matter how many times he tried to convince himself she was like a sister to him and that all of their affectionate gestures were purely platonic, he couldn't help but fall for the pretty blonde next door. 

He first identified his crush when he was thirteen, four years ago. He tried to bury it and pretend it didn't exist, but his best friend just got prettier and her personality more endearing, and Percy was a goner. Still, he suppressed his feelings and continued to treat her the same as always. He never told her how he felt because he was scared - scared of falling too hard and scared of losing his best friend.

He sighed and rolled over so he was facing her. Annabeth's wild curls were splayed out on her pillow, and he pushed a stray curl laying on her cheek behind her ear. Light freckles dusted her petite nose and her cheek bones. Her full, pink lips were slightly parted. Her entire body was curled into a ball and her hands were tucked under her face. She was gorgeous.

With the image of his best friend at the front of his mind, Percy closed his eyes and eventually succumbed to sleep.

~~~~~

Waking up to grumbling so deep it could give a gorilla a run for its money was not Percy's ideal start to a morning. His eyelids flickered open and his eyes darted around the room, searching for the source of the noise. When they fell on a head of blonde curls, memories of the previous night flooded his head.

Annabeth was laid to his right, her hands covering her face as she let out a muffled groan. Percy had to restrain himself from laughing at her antics and took in their close proximity. Her head was laying on the same pillow as his with his right arm supporting her neck. Their legs were tangled beneath the sheets.

"Morning, Wise Girl," he croaked.

She peeked at him through her fingers. "I'm in pain."

This time he did let out a slight laugh. "I bet you are. Hungover?"

Annabeth sighed and nodded. "There's a circus in my skull and a tsunami in my stomach."

Percy closed his eyes and gently pulled her closer to him via his right arm and legs so that they were hugging. "I'm sorry," he murmured in her ear. 

Her breath came out shakily as she wormed her arms around his waist and rested her head in the crook of his neck. They laid there peacefully for several minutes before she finally asked him a question.

"What exactly happened last night?"

Percy leaned back a little so he could look her in the eye. "What do you remember?"

"I remember going home, doing my work, taking a nap, and calling Piper. I told her I wanted to go out and she brought me to a party," she stated. "Everything after that is hazy."

"Well," he began, "at about one o'clock Piper called me and told me you wanted to see me. I drove over and you were drunk out of your mind, babbling on about something or another. We...talked, I took you here, and put you to bed."

Annabeth winced. "I told you, didn't I?" she asked, but her tone revealed that she already knew the answer.

Sighing, he sat up. For a moment, he contemplated on how upfront he was going to be with her, before eventually deciding not to beat around the bush. "Yes, you did. You confessed you were jealous of Rachel because you had feelings for me, you tried to kiss me a few times, and you said that you loved me." 

Annabeth covered her face with her hands again. "I am so, so sorry," she said, sitting up and moving to get out of bed. "Thank you for taking care of me, but I'm going to go. I understand if you don't want to talk anymore."

Percy grabbed her wrists and restrained her from standing up. "What are you talking about?" he questioned. "I don't want you to leave. Just because you told me all of that doesn't mean I want to stop associating with you. In fact, it's quite the opposite."

"Really?" she breathed, looking up at him with large eyes. When he nodded, she blushed. "Oh."

He smiled softly and hooked his finger under her chin, gently guiding her face so they were making eye contact. "I was stunned when you told me all of that last night, sure, but I certainly wasn't upset about it. I didn't want to tell you this while you were drunk and not in the right state of mind, but now that you're sober again..."

His green eyes swept down to her plump lips, and without thinking, he kissed her. Why tell her how he feels when he can show her?

Percy gently pressed his lips against Annabeth's, moving them ever-so-slowly. He slid his hand up so that it was cupping her jaw. Butterflies erupted in his stomach as she reciprocated his motions. The kiss was short, sweet, and everything he had hoped for. 

He pulled away and slowly opened his eyes. Annabeth's grey eyes were dazed yet excited, and he had a feeling that his own green ones looked similar.

He smiled. "Annabeth, I love you. I've had a crush on you ever since I was thirteen, but never said anything because I didn't want to mess our friendship up." He softly grabbed her hands. "Instead of going away, my feelings just kept getting more intense. I never realized just how much I cared for you until last night, but I've felt this strongly for a very long time. I'm in love with you, Wise Girl."

"Are you serious?" she breathed out, her face full of shock and happiness.

He nodded but before he could say anything else, a pair of lips were planted on his own. He smiled into the kiss.

When they pulled apart, Percy asked the question he'd been waiting for an answer to for four years. "Be my girlfriend?" he requested breathlessly.

Annabeth grinned and nodded. "Of course I will. I love you too, Seaweed Brain, so, so much."