Aromate (Aye-ro-mate) - A soulmate of yours in a friend way.

Some swearing later on, not too much, but still, you've been warned.

AROMATE

"I can't do this" Percy Jackson sighed from one side of the room. It was too early in the morning to be doing this anyways but his best friend, Annabeth Chase, insisted.

"Come on, Seaweed Brain. A little bit more and we'll be done" The blonde girl encouraged him. How she thought studying for a test five days early and at 10:30 in the morning on a Saturday, Percy will never know.

"We're supposed to be relaxing today" he said and laid down on the mattress, his English book still on his lap, "Saturday isn't really a good time to be doing Shakespeare"

"It's always a good time to learn Shakespeare" Annabeth said, made her way over, and laid down next to him. She took his hand and started playing with his little finger, "Besides, we're with each other. It's always relaxing" she added.

She's right, he realized. Always right. That's what happens when you have a best friend that's an absolute genius from birth. You tend to lose arguments and be wrong quiet often. Despite all this, he always knew one thing – they were meant to be.

"Fine" he grumbled in frustration. Annabeth squeezed his hand and helped him – more like carried his entire weight – so he could sit up. He tried focusing, but 10 minutes later their study session turned into a pillow fight.

Annabeth was awakened to the sound of the doorbell ringing from downstairs. She skipped down the stairs as silently as she could, hoping her father wouldn't wake. She knew it could only be one person at this time of day. That's the promise she made with him anyways, to reach out to each other whenever they felt the need to, no matter how small. As she opened the door open slowly, there he was.

He was soaked from head to toe. As Annabeth looked over his shoulder she could see the relentless rain outside. Droplets of water fell from the sky nonstop and without mercy. Her eyes then shifted back to the boy in front of her, her best friend. He looked pained, hurt unlike she's never seen him. She knows him better than anyone else in the world, and she knows he doesn't like to vent to her or whine. But she insisted because she wanted to hear what he has to say. She wanted to share her problems with him because she knows he would always insist on doing the same with her.

His eyes slowly left the ground and met Annabeth's. No other word was spoken as Annabeth walked over and embraced him. She could feel Percy's back move and his breath hitch as he cried on her shoulder.

"Rachel broke up with me" he whispered to her. She gripped him tighter, swaying back and forth on her feet, rubbing his back and calming him down. She tried whispering soothing words in his ear, but she wasn't sure if they were helping. She led him into the house and set Percy on the couch, excusing herself to make some hot chocolate for both of them in the kitchen.

"I don't know what I did wrong" he concluded his explanation. Annabeth knew how Rachel meant to Percy. She knew how much love and adoration he gave that girl. He even admitted to her, before he did his girlfriend, that he was in love.

"You did nothing wrong. She's just too blind to see how much effort you were pouring into making her happy."

"I thought she loved me too" he stated, "what'd she think that could've made her change her mind?"

"Seaweed Brain, it doesn't matter what she thought. She doesn't deserve you. There are plenty of other girls out there that can return that same love that you give, that you deserve to get. And once Rachel realizes the mistake she's made she'll come crawling back to you."

Percy took a moment to think as Annabeth observed closely. There was a small shift in his eyes, barely noticeable. Annabeth knew she hit the right spot as he gave a small laugh. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her gently to his side.

"Why are you right all the time?" he asked.

"Because I'm your best friend and I know you"

"You're my best friend?" Percy asked in mock surprise, raised eyebrows and all, "And all this time I thought it was one sided"

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"How'd you beat me again?" Percy yelled in frustration and surprise. Even through all his years of playing video games, he has never been flustered or scared of anyone. No one's ever managed to push his buttons to make him go over the edge. That was until he made the mistake of introducing them to a certain girl.

"I'm skilled" Annabeth said with a smile.

"We'll see about that" Percy said with determination.

The rest of the game didn't go too brightly for him. He has a reputation amongst friends to be the best player who everyone challenged and no one ever beat.

"You know, I should coach your friends, Perce" Annabeth taunted, "Maybe then you won't be undefeated and I could make pretty good money" she added a smile as she looked at the 'Winner' screen. Percy dropped the controller on the ground as Annabeth put her feet on his shoulders. She started moving them, rocking Percy back and forth like a sock in a washing machine from his seat on the carpet below her.

"Say it" she commanded him.

"Say what?" he asked in mock confusion. He's had to go through this several times before, but this time he was frustrated with himself. He thought that maybe, just maybe, Annabeth could give him an out and show some mercy.

"You know what. The longer you drag this out, the worse it'll get" she said and shoved him down to the floor with her feet. She stood up and looked down at him.

"Now say it" she commanded again.

"No" Percy refused and tried standing up, only to find the same foot that was on his shoulder on his ribs, pinning him to the ground. Annabeth was no weakling, mind you, Percy can vouch for that one.

"Say it" she raised her voice and crossed her arms. She tried to pretend like she was angry, but how could she suppress a smile when every single time they play these games together it always ends up the same way?

"No" Percy protested and tried standing up again. He made it to his knees before he was tackled down. As he looked up, a curtain of golden blonde hair was covering most of his vision around him. All he could see and feel were the grey eyes of his best friend and her hands pinning his on the floor.

"I know you don't want this to happen again, so I have a proposal" Annabeth offered and smiled at him. By the way she did, Percy could tell she was up to no good, "Say these few lines and I won't ever do this to you again"

Percy took a moment to think this through. By now he was sure she was trapping him, but what choice did he have?

"Whatever, what do I need to say?" he surrendered.

Annabeth's grin became bigger than he's ever seen it, "Say you can't beat me"

"But I did beat you!"

"That was when you first showed me this game! Now say it!"

Percy sighed. Again, always right, "I can't beat you" he muttered out as quietly as he could.

"Can't hear you, Seaweed Brain"

"I can't beat you" he repeated in defeat.

"Say I'm a genius"

"You're a genius"

"Now say Wise Girl is my queen"

"Wise Girl is my queen. There. Can I get up now?"

Annabeth had a broad smile on her face as she stood up and offered her hand to Percy. "I hate you"

"You love me, Seaweed Brain. Don't lie" Annabeth said with her arms around her best friend's waist.

"I never said I don't"

"Do you think he'll like this?" Annabeth asked with a short, knee length dress in her hands. By the way Percy was looking at her, she could tell he was uneasy. Happy for her, yes, but something about him was different.

"You're overdoing it" He said from the seat he took on her bed.

"It's my first date, Seaweed Brain. I don't want him to think I'm a hag"

"You're not a hag! Don't say that" The boy stood up and hugged her. "You aren't like the other girls at school. You don't have to get in a big fancy dress to look beautiful"

"I'm nervous. How was it so easy for you with Rachel?" she asked him. She remembers the time he first asked his ex-girlfriend out. He called her over to help with picking his outfit, just like she did now, but he was calm, cool, and collected. It was like he had years of dating experience under his belt. So now, naturally, she looked to him for advice, because there will never be a better person for her to ask.

"It was natural for me, I guess. I didn't have strong feelings for her at first, so I wasn't nervous. Just think of how much fun you're going to have after the first 10 or 15 minutes are over, the jokes you could be cracking in the theater with him. Just have a positive mindset. Don't over think it, because you tend to do that, and everything will be fine. You'll see, just let it happen"

"Thanks Seaweed Brain. I'm still surprised you approved of him" she told him. There was small history between Percy and Annabeth's date, Ryan. They aren't enemies but they're nowhere near friends.

"If he makes you happy, that's all that matters to me"

After a short 10 minutes, Annabeth was at the door wearing the clothes Percy picked out for her; a white shirt, a black jacket, dark jeans and black and white converse.

"Do I look okay?" she asked one last time before opening the door.

"Stop worrying so much!" Percy said with an amused smile plastered on his face, "The only time I've ever seen you like this is before that architecture test where you used me as your study partner"

"I needed someone to help me summarize" she said honestly. At the time, it was true. She realized that the best way for her to memorize the material is to say it out loud. The victim was Percy. They were both in Annabeth's room for countless hours, the girl spouting out random facts that the boy could never even pretend to understand, as hard as he tried. But it was worth it when she came back with a perfect score.

"You look great" Percy said as he gave her a small hug. "Go have fun for me" he smiled and went upstairs. Annabeth stepped over to the door and opened it slowly, the brown haired boy on the other side waiting for her with a smile.

"Hey" he greeted.

"Hi" she answered nervously.

"You look great" he added. Annabeth smiled and took the hand he extended to her, "Shall we?" he offered and stepped away from the house with her.

Three months in and there were complications for Annabeth. Ryan's been getting more and more distant; most of the time where they were together, she felt like she was being pressured by him, pushed to do things she didn't necessarily want. So she did the one thing she always does when she needs help.

"What should I do?" she asked Percy as they held hands, "I didn't even enjoy my first kiss. I don't know if I should break it off or…I'm stuck"

Percy's eyes shifted to their hands, fitting together perfectly, and then to Annabeth's eyes, "Wise Girl, stuck? This is worse than I thought" he said jokingly and received a frustrated glare from the blonde in front of him, "Sorry, sorry. I'll go and have a talk with him" he offered.

Annabeth's eyes widened in surprise, "You'll do that for me?"

"Of course" he said with a smile.

Annabeth insisted to come with him. She said that she doesn't like to have her wars fought for her. There was a small argument, but she ended up getting her way after a competitive, intense round of rock-paper-scissors.

She was outside in Percy's car for 15 minutes, still no sign of him. He said he was going to make this conversation short, a few minutes, to try and sort the issue out with Ryan. Annabeth became frustrated quickly and stepped out of the car, heading to the front of the door of her boyfriend's place. She could hear some faint yelling coming from the inside that could only be caused by one person. She threw the surprisingly unlocked door open and advanced toward the source of the sound. She took a few steps, each more frantic than the last, deeper into the house.

"If you ever try and get near her again, I swear I will rip your fucking intestines out!" Percy yelled at Ryan, who he was currently holding by the collar of his shirt and against a wall.

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled and grabbed her best friend's waist from behind. Whatever was happening, she knew it was bad. Percy only had one reason to ever get harmful and threatening towards another human; if he was hurting his loved ones. "Percy, stop!"

She managed to pull Percy back as he dropped a terrified Ryan to the floor. She noticed as he scurried to the edge of the room slowly, his usual confident façade dropping and displaying genuine, true fear.

"Percy, breathe. Just breathe and relax" Annabeth said as she held Percy's hands, willing him to calm down. She noticed his chest rise up and down. Big, slow breathes, until he was calm. The void in his eyes, induced by the rage, was closed, the usual vibrant green restored. "You're okay" she whispered.

"You know this freak?" Ryan asked.

"This 'freak' is my best friend" she explained.

"Way to get zoned" he said. Percy, suddenly furious again, tried making his way to Ryan again, but Annabeth was there to halt him.

"Let me go"

"I won't until you tell me what happened" she said confidently. She was possibly the only person who could do that, who could stand right next to an enraged Percy and not be harmed.

"I don't think I need to explain"

"Tell me. This concerns me and I need to know"

"Ryan, baby-" A girl called from the entrance to the small living room the 3 teens were currently in.

"Get your ass back upstairs, you worthless trophy!" Percy screamed. Everyone froze as the girl took a few steps back, surprised by the outburst.

"Who's she?" Annabeth asked Percy. His eyes were still fixed on the door. Annabeth followed his gaze and spotted not one, but 2 figures. The girl was in Ryan's arms as he was whispering in her ear.

"How long?" Annabeth asked in disbelief and anger.

"It's not-"

"Are you cheating on me, yes or no?" she pushed. Ryan buried his head in his hands, the girl next to him still shocked from the exchange. It was enough for Annabeth to get the message.

"You know, I could let Percy here kill you" she threatened.

"Please do" she heard Percy mutter next to her. She squeezed his shaking hand, sending him a signal, telling him to hold his rage that she knew he was holding in just because of her. She also knew he wsa close to imploding.

"But I won't. I feel nice today. Don't ever talk or get near me again." She said, "Come on, we're leaving" she said the last part to Percy and proceeded to drag him out the door, his hand still warm and bright red.

"Don't pretend like you're so innocent, Chase" he said. The kid just needed to have the last word. In an instant, before she had any time to react, Percy's hand disappeared from her own. As she turned she saw his foot buried deep between Ryan's legs. He squealed and fell over on his side, clutching his jewels.

"You asked for it and I gave it to you. Hopefully that'll keep you quiet for a lifetime, you lowlife-"

"We're leaving, Percy-"

"-Worthless earth scum-"

"Stop! Stop. I want to go home" she said and carried Percy out of the residence before sending the distressed girl, currently nursing Ryan, an angry glare. She could've said something, but she preferred to let her eyes pass the message. So many words could be said with just a good look at someone.

"What'd you do that for?" she asked Percy as soon as they were out of the place.

"He hurt you, Annabeth. I will never let anyone hurt, let alone lay a finger, on you. You're my best friend and you're important to me."

"How'd you find out?" she asked curiously.

"I walked in on them" he said helplessly, "I was so mad, like I was driven insane, and...I'm sorry. I'm sorry it had to be like this and that it didn't work out for you".

"I never said you did the wrong thing, Seaweed Brain. It's not like I was in love with the guy. I don't think it would've worked out anyways. He changed, and we drifted apart, and it happened."

"I'm still sorry it couldn't be" Percy said and hugged Annabeth, "He made you happy. I like it when you're happy"

"Well, he doesn't make me happy anymore. You do. I like hanging out with you more anyways. Let's go to Starbucks or something. We didn't get to last week"

"Do you remember when we first met?" Annabeth asked Percy. The boy above her took a moment to recall the events of the day he met the girl who changed his life.

"Of course I do" he answered with a grin on his lips.

"When you got your finger stuck in the door"

"I still have a mark from that" Percy said that and observed the few little marks on the skin on his little finger. Annabeth took the same hand, brushed her finger over the scars, and sat up. She cuddled into his side and entwined their fingers together as they looked into at the sunset.

"We haven't gotten to do this in a while" Percy noted and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah. I miss those days. Where the world was carefree and we didn't have to worry about a thing, just playing out in the sun all day"

Percy took a moment to observe the setting sun again, signaling the close of another day, another cycle in his life. He then looked over to the girl on his left, leaning her head on his shoulder and holding his hand.

"Do you believe in soulmates?" he asked her.

"Yeah"

"Did you ever think that they might not always be found through a romantic attraction? What if there was one person in the world that was just made for you to be with? To what lengths would you go to find that person?"

"I would go to the corners of heaven and hell, but I don't have to. I already found mine a long time ago."

"How did you?" he asked in curiosity. He knew he found his soulmate when he first met Annabeth, but he hasn't come to realize it until this moment. Their eyes locked, like they did so many times over the years they've known each other.

"I can talk to him for hours, days even, and never get bored; because that person is unlike any other in the world. He knows what makes me cry and smile. I can tell him anything and he won't ever judge me or look at me differently. Because he's made me feel more stable and loved than even my own family could. He's my mirror, because he let me see my insecurities and he inspired me to change my life. He stood by me and believed in me when no one else did or would. He made me transform by breaking my heart open and allowing his light in. Because whenever I'm not with him I feel desperate to see him, even for just a minute. Because he shook me up and let me see my obstacles and allowed me to hurdle over them."

She paused and held his hand in hers, playing with his fingers. For a moment, that short little moment, they felt like an eternity passed. Time didn't make sense. It was a beautiful silence that carried so much weight behind it.

"And because no matter how many times I say 'I love you' to any other guy, my heart will only truly belong to one person. I will only truly love one" Annabeth added.

Percy leaned forward and hugged her, "You stole all the words from me. Not fair" he whispered to her.

"Well, you're going to have to deal with it, because I'm going to be nagging you the rest of your life" she said truthfully.

"Please do. Never leave me"

"I'll never, ever even think about it. Together forever, remember?"

"Forever" Percy agreed. "Forever".

A/N: Dedicated to and based off of my relationship with a very special someone. This might not be us exactly, but i'm sure that if we're ever caught in these situations, we'll go to similar lengths and beyond for each other. Because I can tell you things I will never tell anyone. Because you believe in me even when I can't believe in myself. Because no matter how many things I do wrong, you always look at my bright side. Because you made me do things I never thought I would be able to do before we met. Because you consume my thoughts every single day in the greatest way possible. Because no matter how many times I whine to you or how many problems I have, you will always listen to me. So, this is just a little something to show my gratitude for you being in my life. It isn't super special and may be corny at times (I just wrote the first things that came to my head), but I really hope you like it. And just so you know, this doesn't even come close to what I really feel or how much you mean to me. I'm so proud and happy to be able to call you my best friend and my soulmate.