Annabeth wakes up and realizes she has lost her invisibility cap and enlists Percy to help her find it. Together they search everywhere but eventually Annabeth says it's time to give up. She goes back to her cabin looking disappointed, sad, and depressed. Percy hates seeing her that way because she's his best friend and he's in love with her even if he doesn't quite realize it.
He keeps looking after she's back in her cabin and he ends up finding it in his cabin on his desk. Annabeth left it there after she came over the day before to tutor Percy. He smiled upon the memory and keeps it safe to give to her at the campfire and evening meal at camp.
Once at the campfire he breaks the rules, shocking everyone and sits down at the Athena table right next to Annabeth. She looks up at him in surprise ready to scold him for sitting there and he presents her with the cap. She looks very surprised and then smiles at him brightly and (as seen by the Aphrodite cabin) lovingly.
Percy decides it was worth the time and effort he used to get the cap just to see her smile. He gets up and walks to the Poseidon table. Once his back is turned she bites her lip and watches him cross the mess hall unaware that the whole of the camp is watching them. She looks up at her fellow Athena cabin mates staring at her and appears confused while they look at her with astonishment.
She responds to the following silence with an insightful "What?" and continues eating. Everyone resumes like normal.
After the meal when Percy goes to leave, Annabeth catches up with him breathless and he makes a joke about her being out of shape. She smacks him and they walk to the beach in comfortable silence.
Once there they lie on the sand and watch the stars. They stay up all night talking and Annabeth falls asleep. In her slumber she ends up cuddling into Percy pressed up against him with her hands on his chest and her head under his chin.
He starts breathing heavily and his heart beats incredibly fast. He realizes that he's completely fallen for his best friend and begins to smile goofily. Then he also realizes that he can't keep his feelings for her hidden, she deserves to know how he feels after everything. He resolved to tell her when she wakes up.
Soon after he himself falls into a deep sleep. He wakes up to the sound of girls giggling and a startling warmth and heavy lump on his chest. Looking down he sees Annabeth and then all the previous day's events and realizations come rushing back.
He looks up just in time to see a weird flash go off and three girls from the Aphrodite cabin run off into the bushes. He groans rubbing his head and shifts, this causes Annabeth to stir.
Suddenly he freaks out knowing that it's a Sunday and everyone will be going down to the beach for their leisure time. If anyone sees them like this then they will never hear the end of their teasing. He gently slides out from under Annabeth and picks her up bridal style. He carries her to the cabin running fast so as to get there before anyone could spot them or the other Athena cabin kids wake up. He deposits Annabeth on her bed lightly tucking her in and brushing back her curls.
Taking a quick glance around he swiftly bends down and kisses her forehead before walking out of the room.
Annabeth wakes up soon after feeling like she has had the best sleep of her life. She can't remember making it to her cabin last night and realizes Percy must have carried her here.
The thought of being in Percy's arms makes her blush a deep red. She's been in love with her best friend for two years now and he's still as clueless as ever.
Annabeth sighs and goes about her day as normal practicing with her dagger and archery before heading to breakfast.
At the mess hall Percy tries to catch Annabeths eye but she's avoiding looking at him afraid he will see her true feelings and how she much she enjoyed the thought of having him tuck her in.
Once breakfast is finished she rushed out of the mess hall. Percy didn't get a chance to talk to her and try and explain his feelings. He decides to try again.
Apparently the Aphrodite cabin organized an assembly and the whole camp will be there. He will find Annabeth and tell her then.
Later on at the assembly he files in slowly looking for Annabeth through the mobs of people. He thinks he spots her once but the crowd swallows her up. Percy dejected gets shuffled into a row and is forced to take a seat.
Once he is finally settled he sees Annabeth two rows ahead of him next to her brother Malcolm. He attempts to get up and go to her but one the guys in the aisle pushes him back telling him the assembly is about to start.
Sighing he sits back in his seat.
Lacy from the Aphrodite cabin comes onstage and announces that they have had many successful setups that they orchestrated.
She goes on to show pictures of a few happy looking couples on a projector. Percy groans and slumps onto the armrest figuring the whole point of the assembly is just to promote a new love potion or special handbag they conjured up. Some of the other guys in the audience groan as well.
Lacy then goes on to explain the real purpose of the evening. She tells how there are two types of couples in the world, those who meet and instantly know they belong together then promptly start dating. And those who meet and feel something strong but they just don't know whether it's good or bad yet.
These people she explains can spend their whole lives in blindness unable to see that the person they belong with is right in front of them.
This she says, is a tragedy. One that can only be prevented with a little help. And who better to help than the children of the love godess herself?
At this point Percy was intrigued sitting on the edge of his seat.
Unbeknownst to him, Annabeth was interested as well eyes wide and head tilted forward eager to hear more. Normally she wouldn't be caught dead paying attention to the Aphrodite kids but at this point she's ready for any solution love's children could provide for her Percy problem.
Suddenly the lights of the stage dim and the projector turns back on. Upon the wall proudly displayed is a picture of Percy and Annabeth sitting together under a tree.
A loud chorus of "Ooooooohs" from the other campers causes Percy and Annabeth to blush in their seats and sink lower.
The projector starts to display a slideshow of them through candid photos. One of Percy staring at Annabeth reading, one of Annabeth tutoring Percy with her head bent over his arm and holding a pencil in her teeth, one of the pair walking together and laughing. The two fighting together, smiling at each other, sitting next to each other, and even one of them hugging.
But the most surprising pictures for the audience were the three at the end. In the first one Annabeth was biting her lip and scrunching her eyebrows as she stared at Percy's retreating back.
Percy recognized from the background that that was the mess hall from the previous night when he had given Annabeth her cap back.
Annabeth realizes this too and turns as red as a glass of fruit punch pulling her jacket further up around her shoulders.
Inside she was freaking out knowing Percy was seeing a picture of her in which her love for him was obviously displayed on her face for anyone to see plain as day. She decides she has to get out of there now she stands up and tries to get out but the same guy who didn't let Percy move before blocked her from leaving claiming he was under orders.
She is forced to get back into her seat as the next picture slides into the screen. Annabeth is horrified to realize this picture is even more incriminating than the last depicting Annabeth and Percy snuggling on the beach.
A lots of "Awwwwwws" were squealed throughout the audience. Percy is similarly horrified and looks over at Annabeth to see how she is reacting, her red cheeks were visible from where he was seated and he found all he could think was that she looked adorable blushing. She still hasn't made a move to look at him yet.
He wonders if she knows where he is seated.
Then the third picture comes on and Percy feels his breath stop. It's also from this morning when he placed a kiss on Annabeth's forehead thinking he was alone. Annabeth turns stock still her breath catching in her throat as her hand travels up to her forehead where the kiss was placed. She imagines she can still feel it, tingling her skin.
She looks around the audience trying to locate Percy, who suddenly can't seem to look Annabeth in the eye.
Lacy runs back in front of the projector and encourages the audience to bring Percy and Annabeth up to the stage.
Through a series of struggles the two find themselves herded toward each other and before they knew it they stood facing each other cheeks still deep red.
They exchanged awkward hellos and then Annabeth started rambling about how crazy all this was and how they were just friends...right?
But Percy shocked everyone because his only response was to step forward and say wrong.
He lifted his hand to Annabeth's face and brushed a hair off her cheek much like he had that morning.
"Annabeth.." He whispered his voice hoarse and soft.
"P-Percy.." Annabeth replied in the same quiet tone.
The audience was screaming at them at this point, demanding they kiss. The pair shyly stepped toward each other unbelieving of their situation.
Percy slid his arms around her waist and Annabeth twined her hands into his hair and their lips met slowly and gently slid over each other's.
What started as a slow kiss grew feral and hungry as their lips attacked each other, forever locked in a battle of strength and smarts.
They pulled away from each other finally, Percy grinning and Annabeth breathless.
Percy uses the moment to make another joke about her being out of shape.
And inevitably, she smacks him.