Percy couldn't sleep…

Again.

It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for him. He was used to being so scared that even though his body was practically dead, his mind was in a million places at once. But never before had he been this scared. Which, when put in perspective, was really stupid. Percy had faced off with monsters that were made of the stuff of nightmares; he'd triumphed over a Titan who could control time; and he'd nearly died thousands of times during all of his quests. But now he was faced with something so terrifying, he couldn't even focus on one of his most treasured possessions—Riptide, his second most reliable partner.

This simple little necklace contained memoirs from all of his adventures as a demigod. Normally he could stare at long enough to wear out his brain enough to fall asleep. Not tonight. Tonight was the worst of his life. And he had a feeling there were going to be worse in the near future.

Percy checked his watch again. 4:30… in the morning... and he had an exam in Calculus tomorrow. Or, more accurately, today. Just great. As if math wasn't hard enough with the dyslexia and ADHD, now sleep deprivation and pure terror were thrown in the mix.

It was totally her fault too. If she wasn't so damned… HER, this wouldn't be happening. She was just so beautiful, so intelligent, so funny, so… her.

And then there was him. He had enough confidence to believe that he was at least a six out of ten, maybe add one for being completely ripped. And he was, contrary to popular belief, actually a pretty smart guy. He—with hours of agonizing tutoring—had managed to get into Goode High's Calculus I in his junior year, something most people couldn't say. And most people really, genuinely liked him…

But she… she was a fifteen. She took "Cake I", as she called it, in her freshman year. And he was so in love with her, it hurt… but, being him, he couldn't work up the nerve to tell her.

His only question was "WHY?" Why did she have to be so… her?

His mind went back to the argument they'd had earlier…

"Percy! Focus!" She was getting genuinely angry now.

"Annabeth!" he whined. "I'm tired, hungry, and in need of a huge nap!"

"Perseus Jackson!"

Oh gods… she used his real name.

He was dead.

"You stupid, mindless, annoying, frustrating, stubborn son of Poseidon! Why can't you just take care of my step-brothers for 15 minutes while I finish these designs? I need peace and quiet, and you're whining more than they are! Just… Just… GET OUT!"

"What?"

"You heard me. Get. Out. Now."

"B-b-but… Wise Girl…"

"Shut up! Shut up and get out! You have been complaining for the past three hours! Just get out of my apartment right now! I swear, I will beat you senseless if you don't get out!"

Her insults weren't witty, weren't even remotely funny to anyone. If anyone had been there to see, anyways.

That meant that she was actually pissed.

She only did that when she felt true… true hatred.

He'd seen her do it only when talking to Kronos/Luke, and always, always, it had cut through him to see her like that. But now… now he wasn't just getting cut up. Now he was scared, lonely, and immensely sorry.

But it was too late.

"Perseus, get out of this building!"

"Annabeth…"

"I told you to shut up! Get out!"

"Wise Girl…" His voice broke as he choked out his nickname for her.

"No! Don't even try it! Just get the F*** out right now!"

She'd never said that before. Never.

"Stop standing there like a buffoon and get out!"

And, as the tears started to leak out, he turned and walked out…

He was jolted out of his reverie by a knock at the door. "Percy?"

His breath caught. It was her. She'd come. She… she was there.

He jumped out of bed, knocked over his lamp, slammed open his bedroom door, tripped over the couch, stumbled towards the door, and somehow managed to open it.

And there she was. She was in baggy sweats and an overlarge hoodie from her school. Her face was tear streaked, her sparse makeup running down her face. Her hair was a tangled disaster. Her eyes were red and puffy.

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

And as they threw themselves into a kiss, he thought she had never been more beautiful.

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