I'm here again! I just spout out stories, don't I? Are you tired of me yet?

This is dedicated to one of my very best friends, named for a goddess. Hi, friend! Hope you like this.

This is based off of Taylor Swift's "The Last Time".

(tbh I really did not know where I was going with this story then I thought, 'to hell with trying to pattern it to the song, I'll do it my style' then this came out. whoops. I really should follow rules.)

Diclaimer: I do not own the PJO characters. Rick Riordan does.

He can't decide whether to knock or not.

Okay, let's back up.

Percy can't sleep. He doesn't know why. As a way of dealing with the sudden insomnia, he grabbed his keys, walked out the door, and jumped into his car.

He drove. He just drove. He roamed the nearby roads, and somehow, sometime, he found himself at the driveway of the girl that's been haunting his dreams. He doesn't know how he got there. All he knew was this is a sign. Maybe it's fate, prompting him to wake up and come back to his senses.

He turned off the engine and sat in his car. He pondered the consequences if she caught him there. He looked suspiciously like a stalker, if he was to be honest. So he got out of his car and walked to the door.

He raised one of his hands, but put it down the next second.

He can't decide whether to knock or not.

He knew she would kill him for bothering her at this time of night. It doesn't help matters that she was mad at him. Big time. He messed up so bad he doesn't know if she'll ever forgive him.

'Screw it', Percy thought. 'I'm going to go in there, and there's nothing she can do about it.'

So he knocked. He regretted it the second after because Annabeth opened the door.

A fresh wave of pain came crashing back to him. He can feel it, the ugly wrenching of his heart. It hurt so much he stumbled back. The pain was so fresh, like it just happened yesterday, when in reality it happened three months ago.

But nothing hurt as much as the look in Annabeth's grey eyes. They were swirling with emotion. Hurt, betrayal, pain, and anger.

She doesn't trust him anymore.

He can't stand seeing her like this. Especially when he knew it was his fault she looked like this. But even with her messy hair, stained hoodie, and wrinkled pants, she was still the most beautiful woman Percy has ever seen. She was still a goddess walking amongst mortals and he can't handle it. Why he let go of her, he doesn't know. He was an idiot, that's all he knew.

He can feel himself breaking down. All the walls he put up the past three months, they were crumbling through Annabeth's penetrating gaze.

He can see her breaking down too.

"What exactly, in God's name," she snarled, "are you doing here?"

"Annabeth, let me explain—" he tried to say but she cut him off with a harsh wave of words.

"Explain what, Percy? How you left me three fucking months ago because you weren't sure if it was working out? Damn it, Percy! Now you come knocking into my door when I've moved on? Are you stupid?"

He was astounded. That hurt. She was looking at him like he killed her parents.

"Annabeth, I —"

"You what, Percy? What?" Annabeth interrupted him again. "What are you trying to prove by coming here? That you've changed? Like hell you have!"

Percy was getting impatient now.

"Why won't you just let me explain? Is that so hard to do?" Percy all but shouted.

"Yes, it's hard to do! Do you know how much pain I went through when you left me? No, you don't! You weren't the one watching me leave, were you? You weren't the one wondering why you weren't good enough, right? So don't you dare give me a bullshit speech about how you are sorry that you left when you certainly aren't!" Annabeth was shouting now.

"I'm sorry, Annabeth."

She slammed the door on him.

'Shit, I'm in deeper trouble than I thought,' Percy mused to himself.

Annabeth felt like absolute crap. How dare that guy go to her house when he clearly had no place there? He lost all right when he left her three months ago. Of all the times he had to visit, he did it now? When she was already moving on with her life?

Seeing him again hurt, she'll admit that. It hurt like hell.

But what was she thinking? Shouting at him like that? He'll probably think she's a freak and a loser for not moving on when she oh-so-conveniently said she had.

He always had an effect on her. Whether she was mad at him or not, he always made her do things that she won't normally do. He made her act reckless and spontaneous when she clearly is not. Annabeth liked plans. They calm her down. It makes her have a sense of control over her life and having an organized schedule makes her feel like nothing's going to go wrong.

Percy was a walking spontaneity. It was what drew her to him in the first place. He made her feel relaxed, and not so uptight.

She was clearly wrong in thinking that.

He broke her heart in the blink of an eye. He shattered it into a million pieces when he uttered those cursed words.

"I'm not sure we if we should be together."

When he said that, Annabeth felt numb. It was like he drove a knife into her and she couldn't feel her arms, legs, her face. She couldn't feel anything at all.

"Excuse me?" was all she said.

"Annabeth, I think we should break up. I'm not sure if our relationship is going anywhere. I'm saving us both the pain we would inevitably feel if we drag this on for longer."

Oh, my gods. She never thought he felt that way.

"Is there something wrong with me, Percy? Tell me and I'll fix it! Just don't leave me, please. We can work this out, I know it!"

Annabeth knew she sounded pathetic but right then, she didn't care.

"It's not you, it's me. You're perfect, Annabeth. I just feel like I don't deserve you."

Looking back on it, Annabeth wondered how in the world she fell for those words. They were the classic break-up lines meshed together in one sentence. It was a sentence full of bullshit.

So she slapped him and ran away.

Annabeth felt miserable for weeks. Her friends tried to comfort her. They tried to take her out and they tried to set her up, but there was always no reaction from Annabeth.

She was a bitch and she knew it.

Wouldn't you be a bitch if your boyfriend suddenly left you with a mere sentence as an explanation?

Those were the worst 2 months and 2 weeks of her life.

She moped for weeks. But then she realized that her friends did nothing to her so why was she shutting them out? She immediately texted her friends and apologized to them. They went out the next day where Annabeth met a guy that was really nice to her.

They exchanged numbers and he promised he would call.

He did.

They agreed on a date and he took her out to a nice restaurant.

That date led to a second one. Then a third, and a fourth. But there was a teeny tiny problem.

He wasn't Percy.

When she realized that, she said sayonara to the guy because it was unfair that she was trying to search for something that wasn't in him.

That's why she told Percy she's moved on. But it was all lies, and Annabeth knew it.

After that eventful night, Percy did nothing for two weeks. He felt that she deserved this break.

When those two weeks passed, he felt restless. He needed to go to her again. He needed to explain.

So he jumped into his car again, and drove to her house for the second time.

Percy knew he was risking a lot by doing this. Annabeth might not even open the door. She might slam the door on him again.

'But maybe she'll take you back,' a part of his brain said. The hopeful part.

'Don't get your hopes up, idiot. You left her. Don't think she'll take you back just like that.'

Percy hated the sensible side of his brain.

Before he knew it, he was already there. He got out of his car and knocked on her door again.

When Annabeth opened it, not three seconds later did she close it again.

"Come on, Annabeth, don't be so petty!" Percy groaned.

She opened the door again.

"What do you need, Percy?"

"A chance to explain."

"Thank you for the kind offer, but I think I'll pass." She then proceeded to slam the door again.

Well, there's always a next time.

It turns out, the next time actually meant 'tomorrow'.

He was back and he will stop at nothing to explain everything to Annabeth.

He knocked at her door again.

"What the hell are you doing here again? I thought I made it pretty clear I do not want to see your face. Preferably forever."

Well, that was a nice greeting to start the day off.

"Annabeth, come on! Let me explain. Just hear me out, and I won't come here anymore if you don't want me to. All you need to do is listen. Give me a minute, please?"

Annabeth just raised an eyebrow and said, "60, 59, 58.."

"Shit. Okay. I'm sorry, Annabeth. I was so stupid for letting you go. I guess I just felt that you were too perfect for me. I wasn't lying when I said that. You were this super smart person and you had big dreams! I just felt that I was holding you back. You had all this potential and I was worried I got in the way of that. I'm really sorry, Annabeth. I'm sorry for leaving you without a proper explanation. I'm sorry for not keeping in touch. I'm really sorry for—"

He was stopped by Annabeth holding her hand up.

"Say no more. Your 60 seconds is up, and you failed to give me a valid reason. So, goodbye, Percy."

The door got slammed on him again.

Fucking hell.

Percy kept his promise. He didn't come to her house again.

He wasn't really a promise-breaker, in general.

But would seeing her in a park be considered breaking his promise?

He doesn't think so.

"Annabeth!"

She turned around and when she saw him, she began walking fast.

"Annabeth, wait up!"

When she didn't turn around, he began running towards her.

"Jesus Christ, Annabeth! I said wait!" Percy breathed through his pants.

"What the hell do you want now, Percy? I thought you said you won't bother me again?" Annabeth whispered to him, not wanting to make a scene.

"I promise I won't come to your house again, not to never speak to you! Why won't you just forgive me? I told you why I left and I think that was a pretty valid reason!"

"It isn't enough, Percy. I was miserable the whole time you were gone. You don't know how much it fucking hurt. My friends got mad at me because I ignored them. Did you think it was easy? Did you think it was a breeze waiting for you to come back?"

"I do! That's why I'm apologizing. Because I know it wasn't easy. From the start, it was hard leaving you. I suffered too! Have you ever thought about that? That maybe you weren't the only one suffering?" asked Percy.

"If you knew it would hurt, why did you leave me in the first place?"

He didn't have an answer to that.

She left him yet again.

A year passed. Annabeth never heard of Percy again after their fight in the park. She isn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

Annabeth has gone on a lot of dates during that year. She found a problem in all of the guys that made an effort to date her.

They didn't have sea green eyes or black messy hair.

They still weren't Percy.

Both of them tried to move on during the year that passed. But there was always something holding them back. There was just something missing in their lives. They both didn't know what it was.

Maybe it was fate, or just a coincidence, that they saw each other again at the same park they fought a year ago.

When Percy saw Annabeth again, his heart stopped. She was still so beautiful. Her blonde locks grew longer, Percy noticed. He liked it better that way.

But then he came to his senses. He had no say in how she looked. He realized he really was an idiot for leaving her. Will she be the one that got away?

When Annabeth saw him staring at her, her heartbeat sped up. If it was possible, he looked more gorgeous than ever. Green eyes sparkling, windswept black hair.

She didn't mean to surge forward and take tentative steps toward him.

He didn't mean to walk towards her.

But they did.

Percy spoke first. "Hey, Annabeth. Nice running into you."

"Is it? Tell me, Percy, how's life been treating you so far?"

'Like shit,' but he didn't say that. He knew it was the wrong thing to say. "Wonderful," he said with a forced laugh. "And you?"

"Lovely."

Isn't that a conversation killer.

He stared at Annabeth. His heart was clenching from the close proximity. She was so near, yet so far.

"I miss you," the words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop it.

"I miss you too."

Wait, what? Did she just say that she missed him too? Is this a dream? Percy pinched himself.

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's been a long year," Annabeth said with a hint of sadness.

A pause. A long pause. Then—

"I won't hurt you again, Annabeth. You know that, right? I'm not that stupid. I promise."

"I'm scared, Percy. You broke me with a few sentences. What makes you so sure you won't do it a second time?"

"I've changed, Annabeth. Please, take me back. This is the last time, I won't hurt you anymore. I promise you I'll try my best to keep you happy."

"Are you sure about that? Don't make promises you can't keep, Percy. I don't think I can handle it if you left me again," Annabeth said with some tears in her eyes, but maybe there's hope in them, too.

"I'm positive. You're never getting away from me again."

Annabeth liked the sound of that.

Percy wasn't entirely sure he won't hurt Annabeth again, even if it is accidentally. He's sure he will, because he's Percy. And luck isn't on his side most of the time. He could safely say luck hated him.

But who's to say he won't try?

Er. I was a bit disappointed in the outcome of this one. I was expecting more from myself.

Oh, well. There's always a next time.

I hope you like this, readers! This is based off of Taylor Swift's "The Last Time". I have a knack in writing stories out of songs, don't I?

Is it good? Bad? A simple ':)' or ':(' will be appreciated in the reviews. :D