I walked out of the pavilion and stretched. Dinner had been good today, and the lighthearted, carefree atmosphere didn't hurt either. For the first time in years, it felt like I could let my guard down. I'm not sure why. It could be from knowing that I wouldn't be randomly attacked by a hungry monster or spontaneously engaged in a life-or-death battle – or maybe it was something else. Whatever the reason, it was a good feeling.

"Hey, Wise Girl," a familiar voice surprised me.

I didn't let the surprise show: "Hey, Seaweed Brain," I responded casually.

"Something on your mind?"

I responded truthfully, "No, I'm just glad that everything is so calm – it feels almost unnatural. You know what I mean?"

He nodded, smiling. "You know, it's gonna be great having three weeks all to ourselves. No big quests, no monsters, just –"

He paused and blushed nervously, which was so unlike him (or maybe it was just so cute), that I decided to cut him some slack and help him out. "Just you and me." I finished. He didn't respond for a second, and I flushed, afraid I might've said something out of place. But then he nodded, meeting my eye confidently. Suddenly it was my turn to blush.

"The campfire's starting. We should get up there." Percy stated.

"Yeah." I grinned and took off. "Race you there!"

I ran, not looking back. "Hey, wait up! That's a false start!" He called, chasing after me. I laughed lightly, not knowing that I'd be the one chasing after him in the very near future.

I almost won - the keyword being almost. Of course, I didn't give him the satisfaction of winning either. We pulled up side by side, panting lightly and laughing hysterically for no reason at all. When we finally stopped, he smirked cockily. "Losing your edge, eh, Annabeth?"

I raised an eyebrow and looked him over discretely, soaking him in as the sun dropped on the horizon. He had become distinctly taller than me, and his features had become more defined and handsome over the short time we'd been apart. As shadows flitted over his face, I marveled at how well his dark hair complemented his calm, sea-green eyes, and the lean, muscular look he'd gotten from all his training at the camp over the last few years. In the short time he'd been here, he'd changed a lot for the better, both in himself and in the people around him. But at heart, he was still the same kind, heroic, reckless guy he was back then. I liked it best that way.

"No way, Seaweed Brain. You've just gotten a little faster, that's all." I conceded generously.

He grinned and held his hand out, and I felt my stomach flutter a little as I twined my hand with his. Who knew Percy, of all people, could be romantic? We took the amphitheater steps together, making our way to the fire pit, which was blazing with rich, gold flames. Apparently the other campers shared our carefree, laid back feelings. After taking our seats, myself at the far left of the first row of my cabin mates, and Percy directly to my left (he was a one-man cabin, so he could choose where to sit), Chiron gave some basic housekeeping announcements, leaving off by ordering everyone to enjoy themselves. As the jollier campers struck up a ludicrous song, he walked – um – trotted over to us, handing Percy the bag of marshmallows and gesturing for him to pass it to his right.

"It's remarkably calm, eh?" Chiron asked, looking around sagely. Percy and I glanced at Chiron, then at each other. We'd both known Chiron for a long time, and his question didn't seem very innocent, almost like there was some hidden meaning. Maybe things were going a little too well for Chiron's taste, but Percy just shrugged.

"Yeah, everyone's having a great time. And I think we deserve it, too."

I grabbed a marshmallow and passed the bag to Malcolm, who was busy singing about the spoils of some war or another. "I agree." I hesitated, wondering whether a little humor could get me killed. Oh, what the heck. "Especially since Mr. D's gone." Chiron visibly relaxed as Percy chuckled. Percy then nudged me, and I caught the drift. We both joined in as a new song started, and I think Chiron sang a little too.

It took a while, but finally, as our throats got parched from singing and our eyelids started drooping, the fire slowly died down in size (although the color remained the same), bidding us good night. Campers took the cue, slowly filing out in pairs or groups. The last to leave was the entire Aphrodite cabin, herded amidst protests by their tyrannical leader, Drew. I made a mental note to talk to her about how she treated her cabin mates.

Percy stood up and stretched, yawning. "Well, I think it's time to turn in." he looked at me silently, and I got up, standing nose to nose with him. He shifted his weight from his right to his left leg, though he didn't look uncomfortable. In the dim light coming from the fire pit, he suddenly looked awfully appealing.

"Goodnight," I said uncertainly, shifting my weight from my right leg to my left leg. I didn't move though. I was waiting for something, although I wasn't quite sure what. He suddenly smiled and stepped in, closing the gap between our faces, pressing his lips to mine.

Everything else disappeared: the amphitheater, the fire, Chiron. It was just him and me. His hands gripped my waist gently, and my hands, without instruction, made their way into his lush, black hair, clutching it. Of the three intimate moments we'd shared like this, this one was the best by far.

Before I go on, let's get something straight. Percy looks like a perfectly normal (albeit handsome) teenage guy who dodders around and is totally aloof to romance. Only if you got to know him, then you'd realize he was the greatest swordsman of the century and a super-powerful demigod who'd saved the world more than once. In much the same way, it took me until the first time we kissed to realize that Percy is a drop-dead fantastic kisser. I'm not even joking. I know that he's never had a girlfriend before me, but it's like he's done it a thousand times and perfected his technique to the point where, just, wow.

So you can't blame me when I pretty much dropped to my knees (figuratively) and started moaning into his lips. You can't blame me when it got the point where I was at his feet, begging for entrance into his mouth with my tongue. And as a response to my heartfelt, passionate advance he did the cruelest thing – he pulled away. Then, while I was dumbfounded and aching for his touch, he leaned forward, put his mouth to my ear and whispered: "Goodnight, Wise Girl," before walking away like nothing had happened. When I finally stopped licking my lips and lifted out of my stupor, his brutal, torturous ways finally dawned on me. It took all my willpower and the fact that Chiron was watching me to stop myself from screaming curses and death threats after him.

Chiron pulled up next to me, and at first I thought he was going to make fun of me. But he just smiled gently and wished me goodnight, before going off to the Big House. I sighed and trudged back to my cabin, making sure everyone was accounted for before turning off the lights. I let any residual stress wash away as I leaned back onto my bunk, and I felt strangely at peace, as opposed to the turmoil that usually plagued my mind after a long day. I rolled my eyes at myself, knowing it was probably some placebo effect of my sappy, romantic self that was saying: See, true love's kiss makes everything better!

But as I nodded off, I couldn't help but wonder whether Percy would make this "goodnight kiss" thing a habit. I wouldn't mind, I guess. . .