After they enjoyed their free meal, the couple took a walk through a small local park. The heat waned as the sun sunk lower and lower in the sky. Percy and Annabeth sat on lush green grass and held hands as they watched the sun set. "Isn't this cliche?" Annabeth mused. "Percy?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah," replied Percy. He had been too busy staring at Annabeth, wondering how her hair was always perfectly curly. He noticed her gray eyes were searching for something he couldn't see.
"Did you hear that?" she asked. This time, Percy did hear it. A wolf was howling, and it was close. They both jumped to their feet. Percy drew Riptide, casting a gentle glow around himself. Annabeth also reached for her Drakon bone sword, which had been enchanted to take the form of an owl figurine in her pocket when not in use.
They stood back to back, looking for threats. Then, the threat in question came out of the bushes. It was a couple of delinquents with their hoods up, laughing their asses off. One was holding a bullhorn and a cellphone with an animal sounds app open on the screen. The other guy had one of those little Flip cameras. "Sorry, sorry, we do this YouTube show where we scare couples on dates," yelled one of them. "We usually get a few screams, but you two jumped into action!" They shuffled off, still laughing, back through the bushes they came from.
"Only in New York," said Annabeth. "Bushmen with Flip cams." Percy smirked at her.
"I just hope we don't end up on YouTube. I've already had a fair share of media attention in my life," said Percy.
They re-located to the swings, out in the open. She caught Percy staring at her again. He looked distant. "What?" she asked. "Do I have something in my hair?"
"Nah. I was just thinking, you look like a blonde Xena the Warrior Princess with that sword," he replied. "All you need is some badass leather and-"
"Shut up."
"Oh come on. It's hot. Let me hear your battle cry," Percy said. Annabeth pusahed him out of his swing and into the sandpit below. Percy grabbed her shoulders and took her down with him. They wrestled for dominance for a moment before Percy pinned Annabeth to the ground gently. "I win," he said.
"Maybe I'm letting you win," replied Annabeth.
"No way," laughed Percy. "Everyone knows that boys are like, totally better than girls. It's like a commandment. An unspoken rule. Kind of like how two guys don't sit in adjacent seats at the movies." Percy's grin turned into a full-on sarcastic smirk. Annabeth saw her opening. Percy had left himself open while he gloated. She rolled them over and watched the smirk melt from his face, turning into a contented smile, realizing he was guilty of Annabeth's fatal flaw- pride. And, he was just fine with being under Annabeth. Who wouldn't be?
Annabeth snaked her hands up Percy's sides, to his armpits, and started tickling him. Percy giggled like a happy schoolgirl. "Who's the better one now?"
"Let me go!" he yelled through strangled giggles. It was ironic, how the guy who had fought with the Titans could be reduced to a giggling idiot under a swing set.
Annabeth leaned down, hovering just an inch above Percy's face. "Are you sure you want up?" she asked. Percy gripped her hips and pulled her closer.
"Never," he whispered back.