Hi everyone.

I hope this little story doesn't blow too hard.

DISCLAIMER: I used, word for word, text from The Mark of Athena to provide a setting for this story. I want to make sure it is known that I...

1. Am not Rick Riordan

2. Do not own Heroes of Olympus or any Percy Jackson related biz

and 3. Do not wish to infringe on any copyright grounds by using original text from The Mark of Athena, but find their inclusion necessary to develop this plotline.

:)

Percy looked around: the cages and stables, the Celestial bronze lamp hanging from the beam, the smell of hay, and of course Annabeth sitting close to him, her face ghostly and beautiful in the soft amber light.

"That zoo truck," Percy decided. "The one we took to Las Vegas."

Her smile told him he'd gotten the answer right.

"That was so long ago," Percy said. "We were in bad shape, struggling to get across the country to find that stupid lightning bolt, trapped in a truck with a bunch of mistreated animals. How can you be nostalgic for that?"

"Because, Seaweed Brain, it's the first time we really talked, you and me. I told you about my family, and..." She took out her camp necklace strung with her dad's college ring and a colorful clay bead for each year at Camp Half-Blood. Now there was something else on the leather cord: a red coral pendant Percy had given her when they had started dating. He'd brought it from his father's palace at the bottom of the sea.

"And," Annabeth continued, "it reminds me how long we've known each other. We were twelve, Percy. Can you believe that?"

"No," he admitted. "So...you knew you liked me from that moment?"

She smirked. "I hated you at first. You annoyed me. Then I tolerated you for a few years. Then-"

"Okay, fine."

She leaned over and kissed him: a good, proper kiss without anyone watching-no Romans anywhere, no screaming satyr chaperones.

She pulled away. "I missed you, Percy."

As the words left her mouth, Percy felt an ember of worry in his heart get washed away. He had thought about Annabeth so much when he had lost his memories. She was the only thing that had kept him going through his time at Camp Jupiter. But when his memories began to return, he had silently battled against the voices in his head that had told him she didn't miss him back. Now that he knew how she truly felt, a wave of relief flushed his body.

"Percy, what's wrong?" Annabeth said, frowning. "Why are you staring at me?"

Percy's thoughts rushed back to reality. He noticed that he was staring directly into Annabeth's eyes, and probably had been for a while now, without saying anything.

He struggled to come up with an answer. Saying I missed you too wasn't going to cut it. He gave up trying to speak and gazed through the glass underbelly of the ship at the world passing silently below him. After a few seconds, his head shot up and he gave the only reply he could think of. The despair and frustration and disappointment of the last few months came boiling to the surface of Percy's usually tranquil countenance. With relief pouring out of his soul, he exclaimed:

"Oh, Annabeth!"

Percy leapt at her, almost out of anger, and their lips collided. He cupped her neck with his left hand, and wrapped his right arm around her waist. He felt the surprise on her face and in her back, which quickly dissolved into passionate strength.

Percy flipped himself and Annabeth so that he lay on top of her. Annabeth whimpered in submission and flung her arms and legs around Percy. Her hands pulled at his hair, his shirt, his neck, and pretty much anything she could reach.

Percy felt Annabeth pulling him closer to her, and he obliged. Almost completely smothering her, his hands went to work, stroking up and down her side, caressing her neck and ears and face. His hands found their way underneath Annabeth's shirt. Right as his right hand climbed towards her bra strap and his left hand found its way to her stomach, he pulled away from her.

"We can't do this here." He stood up reluctantly, huffing.

He glanced down at her. Annabeth's teeth were chattering from adrenaline. From head to toe, her body shook violently. She drew ragged breaths. Her pale cheeks were rosy, like she had just come in from running around in the snow, and her hair was messed up: pushed far to one side. In a different circumstance, Percy would've thought Annabeth was deathly ill. For now, all he could think was: Wow. She looks even better than before.

Annabeth looked up at him and pouted. She looked sad to have stopped the fun right as it was beginning to start.

Without warning, Percy bent down, grabbed her by the shoulders and flung her into the air. For only a second she was airborne, until he caught her by the waist and began to kiss her once again, only this time more deeply and slowly. She wrapped her arms around his upper body and began kissing him back. Her legs squeezed his lower back like iron bungee cord.

He started to gently kiss her neck, moving from just below her earlobe (which he thought was beautiful, by the way) to the top of her shoulder, and increasing the pressure of his kiss the entire way down. Annabeth gasped in pleasure, feeling white hot needles wherever Percy's lips touched.

With Annabeth safely in his arms, Percy tried to navigate (without much luck) to her bedroom. Twice, on the way there, he had nearly killed her and himself by tripping over his own feet, and once, he started to enter a room until he heard snoring coming from inside.

In the end, they made it to Annabeth's room with zero casualties. Percy entered the quiet bedroom and shut the door (he made a mental note to thank Leo for building them soundproof). The Celestial bronze light automatically tuned to the strength of a candle.

Now, without worry or doubt, Percy threw Annabeth on to the bed, causing a miniature volcano of giggles to erupt. He dived onto the bed while proceeding to take off his shirt. Percy crawled up on top of a still giggling Annabeth.

He gazed at her for a long second, just long enough to recognize the ecstasy in her wide, thunderstorm eyes, and then rushed to taste her lips again.

He resumed where they had left off in the stables, as his hands crept up to her bra strap and her toned stomach. He paused his hand movement for just an instant, so Annabeth could take off her shirt. Percy pulled away to let Annabeth remove her top, but he waited until he could meet her eyes.

"Annabeth." He said as she pulled her shirt past her ears.

"What?" She said, sounding mildly concerned. Great, now she's worried, Percy thought, mentally cursing himself for fumbling the moment.

"I want you to know..." He hesitated and bit his tongue. "I want you to know that..."

"What? What is it?" Annabeth fumed.

"Iloveyou!" The words rushed out and collided with each other when Percy tried to speak. He felt his heartbeat skyrocket. He continued to look at her angelic face, but when she looked away for a few seconds, and Percy was sure he had ruined it. He thought, Well...it's over. I can say goodbye to happiness.

But then she looked back and he saw her eyes dance with joy.

Percy felt Annabeth tremble in his firm hold.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and bade Percy come closer.

"Percy Jackson," She said, "I love you too." and pulled him into another kiss.

I hope you enjoyed that quick read!

I don't really care about ratings or comments or whatever (if this site even does that) since this was my first and probably only fanfic and I bet nobody is going to read this so do what you do want :)

-H.