She first met him when they were twelve.

Annabeth could still clearly the remember the day when a faded blue beetle drove very slowly into their neighborhood: the loud, rumbling sound of its engine gave a clue about its age. She could remember rushing down the stairs and almost slipped on her way out as she struggled to take peek on their new neighbors.

Little Annabeth stood on her tiptoes; one arm holding the fat baby owl stuff toy her mom gave and the other bracing the porch railings for support. She watched with a curious gaze as a brunette woman came out of the small car followed by a black-haired kid, who skipped happily on his way out.

The kid turned around and looked at her with his curious sea green eyes, his lips spreading into a wide toothy grin.

That's when Annabeth Chase first met Percy Jackson.

. . .

"Um, hi."

Annabeth stopped from connecting two Lego pieces together and turned to look over her shoulder. She found the new kid looking innocently at her, with his arms hiding behind his back.

"Hello," she muttered before resuming what she was doing moments ago.

He didn't say anything but Annabeth could still feel his presence lingering behind her. After a while, he decided to crouch in front of her and watched her play Lego.

"That's really cool," she heard him say and she looked up to meet his green eyes alight with fascination.

"Um, yeah. I guess."

"I'm a new kid here. I'm Percy."

"I'm Annabeth," she replied back and noticed his fist poised at her. "What are you doing?"

Percy grinned at her. "A fist bump."

"O-kay." Annabeth collided her fist with his. "A fist bump."

"Nice to meet you, Annabeth."

"Nice to meet you too, Percy." Annabeth moved a bit closer to him and shoved some pieces of her Lego towards him. "Do you want to play too?"

"Really? You'd let me?" he asked.

"Yup."

With a small smile, he playfully bumped her. "You're a great friend, Annabeth."

"Of course I am," she says with a matching smile.

They played Lego all day; Percy trying to help Annabeth in building a spaceship. The end product looked nowhere near perfect, but as they joked and threw Lego parts at each other, Annabeth knew that in that moment the connection they're trying to build was something close to perfection.

. . .

"Pssst," Annabeth whispered in the dark. She knocked on his window repeatedly, watching as the figure on the bed moved. "Psst. Percy. Wake up!"

She knew that what she was doing was perhaps illegal and very un-ladylike, but Annabeth was in no mood to care.

Her foot on the ledge was slowly slipping and her fingers weren't skilled enough to hold onto something small for a long period of time. Perhaps those were enough reasons to excuse her from following the proper etiquette of a lady. And as Annabeth would argue, she was just twelve and was very far from being a lady.

Taking the flashlight on her pocket, she turned it on and focused the light on Percy. That did it.

Annabeth could see him now; Percy's slouched figure moving clumsily as he scrambled off his bed. His foot got tangled in the blankets and he fell with a 'thud' on the floor. She couldn't help the laughter that erupted from her throat.

Finally, he approached the window and rubbed the sleep off his eyes. At the sight of her, Percy's green eyes widened comically.

"Annabeth?" he whispered to the window. "What are you doing here?"

She rolled her eyes. What a gentleman.

Annabeth tapped on the window and gestured for him to open it. "Open this door, idiot."

Percy rolled his eyes at her too before reluctantly opening it and helping his blonde friend to his room.

They were long past acquaintances and casual friends that teasing and nicknames were kind of normal for them.

Kind of. Sometimes, Percy felt as though she bruised his ego with insults. Sometimes.

"What are you doing here? It's in the middle of the night, Annabeth!" he whisper-shouted.

She placed her index finger to her lips, telling him to be quiet. "I'm going to go ghost hunting."

Percy looked at her like she was crazy. "But, it's midnight and- "

"Exactly," Annabeth cut him off, while adjusting the Yankees cap on her head. "Do you want to come?"

There's a careful pause that left Annabeth's breath hanging. She wasn't used to this inviting thing. She usually did her escapades on her own. But this was Percy, and for the record, he was the only kid who made it past Annabeth's cold exterior and unfriendly aura. If anyone, he would be the best company she could have. If he would agree.

Looking at his sleepy face, his eyebrows scrunched together and his green eyes filled with worry, she knew he would reject. Percy was probably worried that Sally might find out about this. And if there's one thing Annabeth was pretty sure about Percy, he wouldn't dare to disappoint his mom.

Annabeth tried to steel her nerves and put on a passive mask to hide her hurt. She didn't want his pity and apologies for rejecting; Annabeth was used to it by now. And so she kept the hurtful look at bay and suppressed the feeling of loneliness, instead replaced it with an expression of nonchalance.

With a little more force than necessary, she gripped the flashlight handle and switched it off. "It's okay if you don't want to come. I suppose it's better that I don't have someone who kept on screaming and- "

"I'll come."

Annabeth was still not finished with her monologue. " -you're afraid of ghost, you told me once that- "

"I'll go with you, Annabeth."

"Um, sorry, what?"

He was smiling. That idiot was smiling and it seemed to be growing wider and wider as she stared at him. Annabeth wanted to punch that grin off his face but she was too delighted to do so.

Percy repeated his words slowly, making sure to enunciate every word. "I said I'll go with you, Annabeth."

"Really?" she asked hopefully. Happiness flowed inside her heart right now, flooding her with emotions. She felt like drowning in smiles, laughter and fluffy feeling. "You'll go?"

"Yup," Percy nodded enthusiastically. He's grinning so wide too it looked like it hurt. They probably have matching crazy grins right now.

They packed some things for a while: like flashlights, batteries, walkie-talkie and some. . . blue jellybeans. They were preparing to embark on their journey of ghost hunting when Percy nudged her elbow lightly.

"You were afraid I was going to say no?" he asked her carefully. His eyes didn't look accusatory or smug, but they emitted a glow of concern and curiosity.

"Nope," Annabeth lied. Her nose twitched.

Well, Percy knew her well enough that her nose twitched everytime she tells a lie. And that action caused a warm feeling of appreciation swarm inside him. He knew Annabeth didn't like depending on people and the thought that she's afraid he'll say no was actually heart-warming. Percy felt like he was needed and that brought a small smile in his face.

He held her hand thoughtfully and playfully commented: "Yeah, right. You'd probably be freaking out if any ghosts decides to show up."

Annabeth snorted and punched him lightly. "Ha, I'll show you how wrong you are, Jackson."

"Then prove me wrong, Chase."

Unfortunately, they didn't find any ghosts that night but they found more special things about each other that was probably better than ghost hunting anyway.

. . .

The night when Annabeth snuck into Percy's window was just a first to their many nightly escapades. It's either Percy or Annabeth who sneaks into each other's window every night, with a new mission and objective. And through this, they became more familiar with each other than they ever did before.

Annabeth did a double rap on his window before flashing a light on Percy's bed. It was her signature knock for Percy to immediately distinguish her from an axe murderer. This immediately woke him up and he's scrambling to open the door in seconds.

"Hey, Annabeth."

"Perce," Annabeth greeted. She leaned in and stage-whispered. "I have an idea."

The boy rolled his eyes at her, affectionately. "Of course you do. That's why you're here, duh."

"Dork." Annabeth playfully shoved him. "Anyways, I think we should go stargazing."

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm. I've heard there's a chance we'll see shooting stars tonight."

Percy's eyes brightened up. "Cool. I've always wanted to see those."

"Me too. I think we can even have a wish if we ever see one."

"Perfect. I love wishes," Percy muttered excitedly.

"Come to think of it, you can even wish for extra brain cells."

"Probably. And you can also wish for some humility."

Annabeth narrowed her eyes at him. "I hate you."

Percy mimicked her expression. "I know you do. So, what were you saying about shooting stars?"

They end up watching the sky on the Jackson's rooftop: both of them sitting close as the little spots of sparkling lights decorated the night sky. Annabeth was blabbering something about the stars and anything related to it, and she knew Percy wasn't listening to any word she says at all. But he was looking at her in utter admiration as if even the wishes brought by a thousand shooting stars were too dull to compare.

. . .

And of course, in some nights they just stay inside their rooms and just talk with a midnight snack on the side.

They talk about the most random of things without leaving a space to be filled with a radio silence. They openly share their opinions about some things and it often leads to them arguing; but nevertheless they don't let those arguments make a rift on their friendship. Those were petty things after all.

"I can tell you that Athena is much better than Poseidon," Annabeth stated, leaning back on the foot of Percy's bed as she reached for a jellybean.

"No way," Percy argued. "You just like her because you're both stuck up. And uhuh, that's my blue jellybean you're reaching."

He swatted her hand away and stole the blue food from her. "Blue is mine."

"What's yours is mine," Annabeth recalled the rules they made before stealing the blue jellybean back. "Therefore, blue is mine too. I get this jellybean."

"What?! That's hardly fair. If what's mine is yours , then yours is mine too. I deserve an equal right for that jellybean."

She popped the candy in her mouth, watching as Percy's face crumpled in horror. "I got it first. Sorry but not really."

The black-haired boy kicked her feet lightly and shoved two blue jellybeans in his mouth. "I hate you and your Athena."

The blonde smirked at him. "You're just bitter because your Poseidon lost, Percy."

"Hate you still."

"I can never agree more."

They sat in comfortable silence for while eating their jellybeans and playing rock-paper-scissors on Percy's bed. After laughing so hard from a terrible inside joke, Percy nudged her arm playfully.

"Hey," he said.

"What?"

"If what's yours is mine, then does that mean you're mine too?"

"What?!" Annabeth sputtered, looking at him like he was crazy.

"Technically, you own yourself, right? Then that means whatever you own are mine too," Percy explained carefully.

"I suppose you are right. But let's just ignore that. It doesn't make sense afterall."

"Yeah. And you'll just keep stealing my jellybeans, if ever."

"I would not!"

"Yes, you would."

. . .

Of course, they still argued during their puberty years.

"I'm fourteen and still taller than you," Annabeth snickered. She stood on her tiptoes to further emphasize her height.

Percy glared at her. "Just wait till I hit puberty. At least I didn't have a bad case of acne like someone."

"Beansprout."

"Mole hole."

. . .

But despite that, that always have each other's backs.

"Say that again and I'll show you how a punch on your face looks like," Annabeth warned as she glared dangerously to the bulky boy who tripped Percy in the hallway. The boy smirked in response and made a hither tither motion to Annabeth with his index finger.

"Come and show me what you've got blondie."

That's what it took for the blonde to land a hard punch and a kick on his face.

When they were back in Annabeth's room, Percy gently touched the small cut on his bestfriend's knuckles. Annabeth tensed, but relaxed soon enough.

"You didn't have to do that," was what he opened up, still staring at her knuckles.

Annabeth scowled. "But he was such a douche bag! He's more than entitled to receive those."

"And look where it got you. You're grounded."

"He's the one who's definitely grounded."

Percy couldn't keep the smile off his face as he looked at her. "Literally."

Annabeth rolled her eyes at him but eventually smiled back. "Yeah. Literally grounded."

"Thanks though," Percy muttered quietly. "Thanks for defending my honor."

Annabeth glanced away from him. "I didn't defend any honor."

"Yeah right," he mumbled and nudged her knee, affectionately. "Want me to kiss it better?"

She blushed. "You'll just make it worse."

"Mhmm," he hummed distractedly. Whatever she said didn't stop Percy from fluttering soft kisses on her bruised knuckles; his lips cold and tickling against her skin.

Annabeth briefly closed her eyes and tried to ignore the sensation of Percy's lips slowly making its way into tickling her heart.

. . .

'Ignore it,' she chided herself.

Ugh. Easier said than done.

Ever since Percy had kissed her knuckles, Annabeth found it hard to explain the sudden shaking of her hands, aching to find its place on his own; the instinct to linger a little longer in his arms and the way her heart yearned for him to look her way and see how she craved for his attention in a completely non-bestfriends way.

And Annabeth hated the fact that she fully knew why.

It's just she wasn't ready to acknowledge the fact that she may be crushing on her dork of a bestfriend, Percy. That fact was not welcomed in her mind at all; but it kept popping and popping in worst times (when she's having the 'effect' with Percy for example).

She ignored it as usual, hoping that this sort of crush she got was going to fade away in no time.

But as she saw Percy running up to catch with her end crush her body with his arms, she felt her breath stutter and her heart jump; and all thoughts seemed to fade away from her mind leaving nothing but that crush who seemed content in staying behind.

. . .

"Hey, Annabeth."

The blonde looked up from the book she was reading and glanced over to Percy, who was sitting across from him.

"Yeah?"

"Do you believe in soulmates?" he asked, his eyes wide and curious for her answer.

Annabeth contemplated her answer. Did she believed in them? She's not sure. She just wasn't ready to risk the idea of spending her whole life with a guy other than Percy. But maybe, there's a probable chance of them being soulmates.

"I don't know. Maybe," she answered, evasively.

Percy shrugged and shifted to lie on his back. "I do though."

Annabeth snickered. "Never pegged you to be the romantic kind of guy."

He ignored her comment and voiced out, "Do you think I'm going to find mine?"

Yes. As long it's me. "I guess."

"Do you think so?"

"Yes."

Percy sat up abruptly and glanced out her window. "It's just that no one seems to look my way."

A cold, heavy feeling settled deep in her stomach. Annabeth felt invisible as she looked at him. Percy's gaze was fixed onto a world so far away; a world she's never part of. "Maybe you aren't looking hard enough."

"Maybe." He sighed. "Still, even if I don't find my soulmate, I've always got you."

"Me?"

"Yup." Percy grinned sheepishly at her. "Windowmates."

"Windowmates?" Annabeth snorted. "Very nice."

He moved beside her and pulled her close for a side hug. "Of course we are, Windowmate."

Windowmate. Not soulmate. Always the second choice.

"Yeah, Windowmate."

. . .

'I don't like him. I don't like him. I don't like him,' Annabeth repeated the statement like a mantra in her head, as if it would make her feelings for Percy disappear.

She stood in front of his door and stared at the drink that she accidentally ordered for him, and Annabeth thought, 'too much.'

'I don't like him. I don't like him. I don't like him.'

But Annabeth couldn't keep the matching smile on her face as he laughed with her story; his eyes crinkled at the edges as he smiled and her heart got caught in her throat and suddenly, it was all too much.

Everything about him was just too much.

. . .

'Knock knock.'

Annabeth woke up in the middle of the night to see her bestfriend peering on her window with a wide grin on his face.

She groggily sat up and slid the glass panel open while Percy struggled to fit inside.

He's carrying two large drinks, a box of pizza and some blue candies with his hands, and it seemed that he wasn't making any progress in getting inside Annabeth's window. With a sheepish smile at her, he muttered, "Help?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes at him, fondly. What a dork.

She helped him carry the food as Percy tried to fit himself on the small frame. After a few pulls and some bruises he managed to stumble inside with a heavy thump.

"God," he huffed as he shakily stood on his feet, "I can barely fit in there."

Annabeth shook her head at him and crossed her arms. "Of course you don't, big goof. You're a monster now."

He grinned at her. "Shows how much time has passed. I remember being a scrawny kid back then."

And indeed he was. Annabeth had witnessed the growth of this guy from a lousy boy to a man right now. Well, not exactly a man (since he was still a child at heart in most aspects) but he's definitely filled out the spaces that the others saw as flaws before. He became much more than they'd ever realized.

She punched his arms lightly and yep, there were definitely muscles. "So, what brings you here?"

Percy smiled at her softly before pulling her close for an embrace. Annabeth instantly caved in, her arms wrapping themselves thoughtfully around his torso. A grin made its way to her face as she caught a whiff of his cologne; the same one she recognized as his natural scent.

"I missed this," she heard him mutter. She felt his chin rest on top of her head. She missed this too, even though they hardly stayed apart with each. Perhaps, they just both missed the company of each other alone, and not surrounded by their new group of friends.

"Yeah. I missed this too."

He moved away from her a little and let his hands find their place on her waist. His sea green eyes looked almost blue under the moonlight, and if possible, his angular features sharpened even more.

"Let's dance," Percy suggested.

"Right now? In this pyjamas?"

"Why not? What's wrong with those pyjamas?"

She hit him lightly in the chest and chuckled, but her hands weaved their way around his neck, anyway.

"I can't believe I'm doing this with you."

He only laughed before moving their bodies synchronically in a very slow waltz, even though neither of them knew that much when it came to dancing. They swayed under the broken melody Percy was humming; his breath fanning closely on her neck.

Annabeth breathed deeply and closed her eyes; for a moment she let herself entertain the idea of loving this boy. She figured that it wasn't that bad that she's falling for her bestfriend because how can someone not love a guy like him? He's just so. . .Percy.

Okay. Maybe that wasn't enough of a reason.

Nevertheless, she let those concealed feelings bubble up to the surface and somehow it felt like she's breathing air for the first time after suffocating for so long. Annabeth eagerly embraced this feeling and pressed herself closer to him; her heart beating erratically inside her chest. Percy gripped her hand tightly as he guided her for a spin- her world revolving slowly around him- before he pulled her back to his chest.

"Happy Bestfriends Day," he whispered in her ear before he stared at her, his eyes resembling the sea at the moment. "I love you, Annabeth."

Annabeth felt like drowning just by looking at them and she tried not to choke on those same words that would not probably mean the same to him.

"I love you too."

. . .

And then everything fell down when it happened.

Annabeth, Percy and their circle of friends were out in Piper's garden; partying and getting wasted to commemorate the last day of school. Actually, none of then was at the point of being wasted, but not just enough to cloud their logical reasoning. Annabeth, who has always been the level headed person among the group, was no exception (if being slightly tipsy counted).

After a few more minutes, the group found themselves gathered in a large circle, with a bottle of liquor and a shot glass in the middle. It was Thalia who suggested they play Never Have I Ever.

Annabeth sat quietly, laughing right along with her friends if ever. She was kind of lucky for having only three shots in the game (which she's sure was fine enough not to cause a heavy hangover).

At first, she was reluctant to join; thinking that this game would uncover some secrets she'd never want to share. But as the game went on, Annabeth found that this was quite silly in all aspects.

Too bad she spoke too soon.

It was Katie's turn.

"Never have I ever," she began, her tone unknowing and innocent, "been in love with my bestfriend."

Oh.

There was a collective silence among the group, as if they're waiting for someone or some people to drink the shot.

Annabeth felt her stomach drop.

She looked over to Percy, his green eyes alight and completely unaware of the war inside her, and she hesitated; but eventually reached for the glass and chugged the drink down to her throat.

The effect was instantaneous; she felt the liquid draw a burning line inside her esophagus but that was nothing compared to the searing gazes Annabeth knew were trained on her. Gazes that include Percy's.

She did a quick sweep of the crowd; everyone's attention was focused on her but all she could see was her bestfriend, sadly the boy she fell in love with. His eyebrows were scrunched up in confusion, and Annabeth didn't want to know why.

"I'm sorry," she muttered to Percy, but she found those words were more directed to herself.

Annabeth stood shakily and ran, leaving his eyes to stare at the back of someone he thought he knew.

. . .

She ignored him. Completely ignored him.

From where Annabeth used to hear melodious laughter and playful giggles, it was now replaced by vacuum and radio silence. The spaces where he used to fill with his presence were cold and empty; and somehow, for a moment, Annabeth wanted to succumb and relish in his warmth.

But now, the distance between their windows seemed to be worlds apart; a world she's never been part of since the beginning. Maybe that had always been the thing. Annabeth had attached herself to him by some unexplainable pull. She was the moon to his earth; her world solely revolving around him. But just as the universe permits, they could only stay in their respective places; rotating and revolving, both pulling at each other but could never be enough.

Annabeth sat in the darkness corner, wishing nothing but for the darkness to swallow her heart away.

. . .

But as it turned out, there was always an end to every eclipse.

Annabeth was finally drifting off to sleep after countless nights of staying awake and contemplating her friendship with Percy, when she got awoken by some strange noises on her window. Her eyes snapped open and she glanced at the curtains drawn, it seemed as if a guy was trying to break through. She didn't have a time to react when the mystery guy opened her window and got in, only to stumble on the floor in the process.

The familiar messy black hair she played with her fingers and those sea green eyes she'd recognize everywhere stared at her.

"Percy," she breathed, and all logical words seemed to have gone away from her mind. "What- ?"

The rest of her question was cut off as she felt his body knocked the wind out of her with his almost too tight embrace. His hands felt cold and he was shaking, but Annabeth was too stunned to care. She could barely form a coherent thought in her mind.

'Why- what- how- Percy Percy Percy' was all she could think.

She was surrounded by his arms, by his scent and by his light, and it was as if she was drowning in the sensation of Percy.

"Annabeth. Annabeth. Annabeth," he whispered. "I know I'm stupid- you always told me so -but I never thought I'd be this stupid."

He pulled back from the hug only to hold her face in his hands. Percy was looking at her -really looking at her- his eyes, oh his eyes, she never realized how she missed him until now.

"I was- I was just thinking of you, of us, of the reason why'd you started ignoring me and then- there's just something, something inside me broke-" he guided her hand to his chest, the place just above his heart while never breaking their gaze, "-and everything just burst and overflowed and then I couldn't keep it bottled anymore."

"Percy. . ."

"It hurt to even look at you everytime because you're so fucking bright and beautiful and you'd just smile at me and my heart swells with emotions and then it would be too much."

'Too much', Annabeth thought. 'Could it be coincidence that we used the same term?'

His nose was touching hers and his breath was blowing across her lips and all she could think was 'kiss me kiss me, you idiot, kiss me.'

"Everything I feel about you is too much for a bestfriend," he murmured. "Always too much."

His green eyes bore into her grey ones and he looked at her in a way that she never thought possible.

"I don't care if it's too much. I want the excess. I want all of it. All, all of it," Annabeth whispered against his lips. "I'm greedy enough, anyway."

"I've never felt so glad to lose myself to you this much," Percy whispered back. "Too bad, I'm also greedy when it comes to you."

Annabeth slotted their lips together and kissed him.

"Then take me," she murmured in between kisses, "take my everything."

And he responded graciously to her request, offering all of himself to her to be ruled completely in her mercy; just like how the uncontrollable ocean responds to the pull of the moon.

A/N: This was unbeta'd. All mistakes were mine.

Because I'm so cliche to write another friends to lovers au. Seriously, this must be too much. Kindly review though. It really makes me happy.