'I can't believe we're actually doing this.'

'What do you mean? It's romantic.'

'It's not romantic,' she mocked. 'It's foolish and it's gonna get us killed.'

'Oh, come on,' Piper answered, her tone showing hints of disappointment. 'Nothing could kill us.' With a fist she bumped on her friend's shoulder. 'You have to admit I try.'

'So you admit you're trying to kill me. Great. Now, what should I do with you?'

'You could give me a nice kiss and thank me for the effort, for starters.'

Annabeth smirked. 'Alright,' she nodded her head resignedly. 'Thank you, Piper, for being stubborn enough to actually manage to do this.'

'Stubborn, you say?'

'Well, I can assure you I didn't ask for a breakfast in the middle of the night.'

'I told you,' Piper whispered stubbornly. 'It's romantic.'

'We're gonna be killed.'

'Shush!' Piper's hand covered Annabeth's mouth. They were standing close together now. 'Be silent.' For Annabeth had just spoken in a loud voice.

'You said nothing could kill us. Why are we whispering?'

'Precaution.' Piper's eyes closed as her chin tipped upward superciliously. 'You don't want some crazy monster to interrupt us, huh?'

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

Had she known what Piper's plan was, she probably wouldn't have agreed to meet her outside her cabin in the middle of the night. 'We'll look at the stars, Annabeth,' Piper had claimed earlier that day; 'It'll be romantic,' she'd said.

'This isn't romantic.' Piper gazed at her. She seemed amused. 'Not one bit,' Annabeth finished in an angry whisper.

Unfortunately, the effect her anger was having in Piper's mood was the exact opposite to what Annabeth was looking for. A wide smile adorned her. 'You're cute when you pretend you're angry.'

'I am angry.'

'Sure, sweetie. Come, sit with me.'

Annabeth sat.

'Explain to me. What made you think this would be a good idea?'

'Whisper, darling. You made me promise I would give you breakfast at night.'

Annabeth remembered. 'What? Are you serious? That was weeks ago.' Back when Piper was yet shy around Annabeth. Nervously she had offered to do this some time with her. Annabeth had thought it was too stupid. She didn't say it, of course, the girl had been new then; she'd told her 'You better', and had, in her mind, settled the matter.

'I'm true to my word.'

'Even if you're not so smart, apparently.'

Piper chuckled. She started to extract the things they would use for their so-called breakfast. There were plates and glasses. There were two sandwiches.

Annabeth huffed impatiently. 'What're we doing here?' She had been looking around her nervously. Every little rustle could be a giant scorpion or a demonic lion. Her right hand curled around the handle of her knife behind her. Her grey eyes nervously roamed all she could see.

'You know?' Piper pulled her from her thoughts, 'I never thought I'd see Annabeth Chase nervous.'

Annabeth laughed, calm for a second. 'That's just because you haven't known me for long.' Her eyes kept roaming their surroundings.

'It humanizes you.' That did get Annabeth's attention. She asked Piper what she meant. Piper shrugged. 'I'm not usually as silly as I am around you, okay? The thing is… You're like a goddess to me or something. Just so beautiful. Makes it hard talking to you. Seeing you like this, though,' she signaled at Annabeth's trembling hand, 'it's refreshing.'

Annabeth didn't notice how tenderly her own eyes turned as she gazed at Piper. 'That is romantic.' She blushed.

Piper was indignant. 'What,' she exclaimed, 'and all this isn't?'

'Thought I'd already mentioned it.'

'But it's the middle of the night!'

'Whisper, darling,' Annabeth mocked. 'Yes,' she added, 'it's the middle of the night and we're in the most dangerous place there is at Camp.'

'But you love the woods.'

'Sure, sweetie, when I can actually see ten feet in front of me.' She squinted. 'See — right now your eyes look just dark. Why would I like this?'

'My eyes?' Piper questioned dumbly. 'Oh, that.' Within minutes an old-fashioned lamp lit their humble picnic. 'There,' Piper concluded happily.

'Great, now monsters won't even need to trace us. We're practically calling out for them to come.'

As the minutes passed, though, Annabeth turned calmer.

Through meaningless chit-chat and harmless flirting Annabeth and Piper finished the provisions they'd brought with them.

When they were finished Annabeth moved it all aside and lay her head on Piper's lap nonchalantly. The lamp was off again, and it was all darkness around them.

'I can't believe you actually set this up,' she said after a while.

'Anything for my beautiful lady.'

'Your beautiful lady,' Annabeth chuckled. 'I appreciate it.'

They'd been together for over two weeks now. Piper was the one that counted, but only because for Annabeth counting was needless: calculations were an automatic response for her brain.

'So,' Piper whispered, her lips an inch away from Annabeth's; her head was bent; 'you're going to admit this is romantic?'

Annabeth was stubborn also. 'What's with that emphasis, anyway? Who do you think you are, some writer from the last century? Can't you emphasize the whole word like a normal person?'

Piper shook her head. 'That would be so conventional.'

'Sort of like emphasizing the word "so"?'

'In comics there's an emphasized word at every phrase, you know?'

'Are you aware that this is not a comic?'

'Isn't it?' Piper's lips caressed Annabeth's as they chuckled. 'You're avoiding the question.'

Annabeth snorted. 'Of course I am. There's no way I'll admit this is romantic, it would be like awarding you for threatening both our lives.'

'I'll take that as a yes.' Piper was triumphant. 'Oh, and c'mon, Chase, we're demigods. By not dying we're already putting our lives under threat.'

Her head bent finally to close the distance and as they kissed Annabeth saw Piper again, standing in front of her behind her closed eyelids, her dagger in hand, Annabeth's knife in hers. 'Maybe—' Piper had blushed furiously while she tried to push the words out. 'Maybe we could have some lunch some evening,' she'd said. Annabeth thought the poor girl hadn't even heard herself. 'Oh, I promise,' Piper had called out as Annabeth walked away.

The smile Piper had put on her face that day drew itself against Piper's lips.