When listening to the radio, a certain song kept playing that I slowly fell in love with because of the lyrics. Inspired by Ed Sheeran's song "Little Things", here's a short fluffy fic to hold y'all over until the last chapter of Without You Things Go Hazy comes out soon. I recommend listening to his version of the song while reading - that's what I did while writing. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Uncle Rick owns all characters and unfortunately gets joy by trolling us with them.

The sun shines through the curtains covering the small windows in cabin three. Percy's digital alarm clock reads 6:50 am. Unnaturally early for him to wake up, especially on a warm summer day like this will be. Remains of the night before are scattered all around the room; shirts, pants, underwear. Annabeth is curled up in a half-moon shape against his bare body with a hand splayed over his heart, feeling it hammer in time with hers. A hand hesitantly reaches out to brush a curl away from her face, not wanting to wake her. Percy's mouth broke out into a sweet and goofy grin. She inches closer to him for warmth. He doesn't take his eyes off of her. He's enthralled, enchanted by her entire being. Serenely, quietly sleeping against him.

That's when a feeling hits him. His gut twists, like it does when he's controlling water, but this feeling hits him harder than a wave ever could. His smile turns soft. His eyes glaze over with a look of compassion. His rough thumb rubs her cheekbone as gently as possible. Percy identifies what that feeling is. Love. He is in love. He is absolutely in love with Annabeth Chase.

A light kiss presses to her forehead before he tips his head to hers, breathing in her lemony scent mixed with his sheets. He starts to think about why he loves her. What things she does that make him fall more in love with her.

Percy loves her smell. The fresh, clean, and completely intoxicating smell. Sally thinks the aroma of her blue chocolate chip cookies is his all time favorite. He doesn't have the heart to tell her otherwise.

Percy loves her princess curls. He loves twisting them lazily around his fingers and burying his face in them. They tickle his chest when they sleep, but he doesn't mind one bit.

Percy loves her chest. The way it rises and falls as she breathes. Whether it's rapidly after a fight in the armory and in bed or slowly like when she's asleep with him. He just wants it moving. Proving that she's here and alive and they're together.

Percy loves her mind. He's mesmerized by how quickly it whirls to solve problems, make plans and strategies. He's always struck by her wisdom, even after all these years. "Seaweed brain" he definitely is compared to her.

Percy loves her battle scars. The short, deep one on her right bicep is his favorite. It's from the Titan War when she took a knife for him on the Williamsburg Bridge. When she protected his life before she knew where his Achilles spot was. He was so scared. He heard her painful scream pierce the air behind him and saw her crumple to the ground bleeding. Stepping over her, he held up Riptide, determined to get her to safety without Kronos touching her.

Percy loves her body. Annabeth may not be as happy with it as he is, but he will never get tired of seeing it. She's beautiful in every way to him. He loves how her hands fit perfectly in his. She is just the perfect amount of muscular and lean. Her legs go on for miles. Her curves are the ideal spot for him to place his hands. Her stomach isn't as flat as a model's no matter how many abdominal workouts she does. And he likes it that way. The curve of her back with two dimples at the bottom of her spine he constantly runs his hands down. Her lips, parted ever so slightly when taking a breath before a kiss or when she dozes off. Her neck isn't too long or too short. Just the right length for him to trace his lips over, which he finds he's doing now.

Percy loves her little habits. How she always has to roll her shoulders twice and exhale once before a sword fight. How she twists her father's college ring in the center of her camp necklace next to the pearl he gave her when thinking or concentrating. How she scrunches up her eyebrows when coming up with a solution for a problem. She steals his clothes when she can't find enough of her own. Annabeth would walk around his apartment in his boxers and old camp shirt all day if she could.

Percy could have gone on for hours, listing every little thing about his girlfriend. Somehow, Annabeth is woken up by his gentle caresses. Her stormy eyes flutter open to meet his sea colored stare already fixated on her. The couple is silent for a moment, drinking in their connection. Not too long ago they experienced a physical connection, which was nothing new to them. Nor was this feeling. But for the first time, it was extraordinarily powerful.

Annabeth's lips part to speak. Percy's thumb falls on them to prevent her from talking before him.

"Annabeth," he speaks softly, like the air around them is glass he's afraid to shatter. "I'm in love with you. And everything you do. I want to be by your side forever because I understand and love all of your little quirks that make you, you."

She inhales and exhales quickly, making her chest move. "Oh, Percy . . . I love you. I'm in love with you too. You're such a kelp head."

He grins, getting a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Why is that?"

"Because it took you this long to realize that."

"When did you know?" He trails his fingers down her side from ribs to hip.

"I knew it when you were missing for two weeks after Mount St. Helen's exploded with you in it. I thought I would never see you again and that you were gone forever. I was in love with you and I never told you. I was terrified." Annabeth runs her nails across his chest nonchalantly.

He smiles benignly. "You don't have to be scared anymore. I'm here. We're together. Always."

They pass the morning in bed, talking quietly, giggling hysterically, kissing passionately and making love slowly. What made that day so special wasn't the fact that it was a special anniversary or birthday – which it wasn't. It just was an average summer morning where a kid in love realizes that he is head-over-heels for a girl. Percy realized he was in love with Annabeth and all her little things.