Because we need more hugs.

When Annabeth goes to her work office one fine Thursday morning, the first thing she notices are: there's a brown grizzly bear standing beside the office's double doors, and apparently, the bear is holding a sign board that clearly reads: FREE HUGS.

She walks towards it and upon closer inspection, she notes that it's only a mascot, (Well, she knows it is a mascot all along but, she wants to be sure, okay?) and the bear gestures for her to come forward. She moves slowly, slightly unsure of what she's doing.

And before Annabeth can guess of anything to say, she already finds herself engulfed in the mascot's arms. Apparently, the bear's arms are soft and fluffy around her body, and Annabeth allows herself to snuggle a bit closer. It's been awhile since she's melt into someone's embrace, and the gesture is so comforting that she actually misses the feel of it. The strange soothing feeling eases the tension in her body and warms her, head to toe.

She pulls back moments later with a body temperature that seems warmer. Annabeth tries to come up with a remark, but when she gets a good look of the face peering from the open space of the costume, her voice gets caught in her throat.

The person wearing the bear costume is actually a guy. She can see his black fringe sticking at his forehead, which somehow brushes and covers lightly his eyes. They are a startling color of sea green, and Annabeth finds herself being entranced, drowning slowly in the metaphorical whirlpool swirling around his irises.

She blinks at him. And stares for a second too long.

He is seriously attractive. And adorable too, with that grizzly bear costume.

Annabeth rambles on. "I didn't- I mean, I never- "

"It's free," he says with too much glee in his voice. He smiles at her, the one that stretches across his face up to his eyes. They brighten too. "No offense but, you seem like a little short of hugs."

Annabeth contemplates on anything more to say, but all that's in her mind is a thank you. She's usually collected and cool around guys, but she finds it somehow hard to think straight with this one.

"Thanks, I guess," she starts and smiles a little at him, "for the hug."

He grins at her and makes a dismissing gesture with his bear arm. "Don't worry about it. Everyone deserves to be hugged. Especially people like you," he says with a wink.

Annabeth blushes and looks down on her feet because she's never been complimented like this before.

"I'm Percy, by the way."

She hesitates, but when she sees his encouraging eyes, all her doubts dissolve.

"Annabeth."

. . .(°_°). . .

Percy sighs as he enters his room, flicks open the switch and plops down on his beaten down mattress. The bed creaks under his weight as he listens to the constant hum and bum of traffic, but it's not enough to drown out the heart-wrenching sobs of his mother from the room adjacent to his.

Percy lays there for awhile, unmoving, as he takes in the reality of his life. He has always had a moment like this, when he would stop and succumb himself to his surroundings. It is his coping mechanism, one that he'd developed from time, aside from the occasional comfort with the hugs he gives to people.

He sits up and removes the sign board hanging from his neck. The next thing he takes off is the costume. Percy places it in the far corner, then digs around for some clean shirt to get change into. He rarely has the time to do the laundry because of his changing work shifts.

He calls out a soft 'goodbye' and 'I love you' to his mom, but he knows his words are lost in a string of thoughts running to and fro her mind.

Percy leaves and closes the door quietly behind him.

. . .(°_°). . .

Annabeth walks around the park leisurely, enjoying the Sunday morning vibe the place gives off.

She watches a few kids chase each other around, a family having a nice picnic together, an elderly couple holding each other's hands and a guy sitting quietly on a bench.

Annabeth recognizes the guy as the one that was dressed as a bear and gave free hugs. But he seems far from it right now, without the bright mirth and glee on his face that she had previously associated.

Something with his expression bothers Annabeth. She thinks something is wrong or at least misplaced in his aura. It's as though he's empty, his whole being held together by a thin-framed shell to prevent from cracking.

And just then, Annabeth finds herself walking towards him, her steps full of purpose. He looks up just as she reaches him, and a small smile graces his features.

"Hey. I've seen you. Annabeth, right?"

"Yeah," she confirms, and a tingling warmth flutters in her stomach. Hey, he remembers her. "And you're Percy, if my memory still doesn't betray me."

"Yup," he grins in return. Percy scoots over and pats the space beside him. "Have a seat."

Annabeth gratefully accepts and maintains a cautious distance between them. But then, as she thinks it over, there's no harm in actually trying to feel a steady presence around her, so she moves closer, a bit.

Percy must have been thinking the same thing too, because he shifts his body until his knee accidentally knocks onto hers. The gesture causes a smile to creep up her face.

There's no talk of pleasantries or conversations, as if they both know that words are useless at this moment. They let the sound of laughter, the casual voices of a conversation, the gentle blow of the morning wind and every single sound the world makes fill the silence between them, where words should have been present.

Annabeth stares at everything and she knows Percy does too. She can see it in the way his eyes would light up as he watches the way the world reveals itself around them. The way it is naked in their eyes.

(So maybe, she also stares at Percy.)

"Can you see it?" she asks after quite some time.

"Yeah," he nods, somehow unsure, but then he looks back at her. And he nods again, more certain. "Yeah. I can see it."

She grins apparently, because it seems as though they are talking in different worlds, worlds only the two of them know.

"You'd just have to watch for it. It's always the little things that matter," she says.

Percy lets his elbow touch her arm gently. The touch comforts a certain part of her. "You're right."

And though she's usually not this bold, Annabeth does it anyway. She fumbles in her pocket for a piece of paper and writes as neatly as she could: FREE HUGS (expires today, so better make the most out of it). Annabeth knocks her knee to his until he looks at her. She holds the paper right in front of his eyes and smiles shyly.

"You seem out of it. And for a guy that gives free hugs, you just look like you needed one," she says.

Percy's face brightens and when he smiles, it reaches up to his ears. It makes Annabeth's heart leap out of her chest.

He takes the paper from her hand and pulls her into him. His arms wrap themselves around her waist and they aren't so fluffy anymore, but they are better anyway.

"Thank you, Annabeth. Really," he mumbles.

Annabeth breathes in his scent of cookies and home when she speaks, and maybe she gets a little intoxicated of him.

"It's alright."

"So. . .," he trails off. "Since I better make the most out of this, I take it you won't mind spending a bit of your time?"

She laughs breathily, a few smoky circles blowing out of her mouth. "If it's a date, then I won't mind."

"Cool. That's good." He presses his smile onto her skin, somehow trying to obscure that toothy grin. His touch burns on her flesh, traveling up to her face.

When he finally pulls away, it leaves Annabeth somewhat dazed and giddy with that lovestruck smile on her face.

And maybe, just maybe, she's a little bit in love with his hugs.

Give me some hugs.