AN: This takes place after BoTL and before TLO so Annabeth and Percy are still kinda uncomfortable together.

Word count: 2,058

Disclaimer: I'm a thirteen girl who lives in Maryland. Do I sound like I'm Rick Riordan?

Percy's POV

I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of my best friend Annabeth. Today was her 15th birthday, and November 23rd, about 3 months after mine was. It was 4:50 and she still wasn't here, although, she wasn't supposed to get here until 5:00. I sat on the couch, tapping my knee impatiently. Personally, I was just going to give Annabeth her gifts next time I saw her. My mom went all-out, and I was afraid Annabeth wouldn't like it.

Finally, I heard a knock at the door.

"Happy birthday Annabeth!" I shouted, as I opened the door to my apartment and saw Annabeth standing in the hall.

"Thank you! Hi, Mrs. Jackson, did you two set this all up for me?" Annabeth asked, as she took in her surroundings.

We had decorated the whole apartment (excluding the bedrooms) with balloons, streamers, ribbons, etc. There was a good-sized stack of presents hiding in my mom's bedroom.

"Yep! Only the best for my best friend!"

Annabeth blushed, "you guys really didn't have to do all of this for me! I would've been fine with a cupcake with a candle, like I thought this was going to be!"

"Surprise?" I said, although it was more of a question.

She laughed, "you are such a Seaweed Brain! Now, come on and let me in. It's the end of November in New York, and I'm freezing!"

"First, you guys have to eat the special birthday dinner I made, then we'll sing and open gifts." My mom said.

"Okay!"

"Mrs. Jackson! You really didn't have to do all of this for me!" Annabeth exlaimed, as we followed my mom into the kitchen.

"Nonsence, you two are best friends and haven't seen each other in months. The least I could do is have a nice party for my sons best friend!" My mom said.

Annabeth sighed, "fine. I am hungry now that I think about it."

"Well I'm starving!" I exclaimed, and then may stomach growled as loud as Mrs. O' Leary.

Annabeth smirked and I blushed. "Can we go eat already wise girl?"

She laughed, "lets go," she said, as we walked into the kitchen.

—Page Break—

"Time for presents!" My mom said in a sing-song voice after we finished our cake.

I led Annabeth into the living room with my hands over her eyes.

"Percy! I saw the living room when I came in here! I already know what it looks like!"

She doesn't know about her gifts! And she also doesn't know that my mom put decorations up to make it look like camp! I thought.

"There is another surprise waiting for you in here so you have to keep your eyes covered...almost there...ta da!" I said, as I uncovered her eyes.

She gasped, "oh my gods! I love it! It looks just like camp! Did you do all of this for me?"

I nodded.

"She threw her arms around me, "Percy thank you so much. I love it!" I wrapped my arms around her awkwardly, and she leaned her head on my chest. "Nobody has ever done anything like this for me before," she mumbled, "thank you so much."

She leaned away and looked up into my eyes, "this is the best birthday ever! Thank you so much Percy!"

I pulled her back into me, "like I said, anything for you, Annabeth. You're my best friend!"

"Did you open any presents while I was–oh. Am I inturrupting something?"

Annabeth and I jumped away from each other, faces red.

"Uh, no, Mrs. Jackson. I didn't open any yet. You didn't need to give me-" she paused to count how many presents were stacked on the table "-3 gifts! I would have been fine with none at all!"

"Annabeth, didn't you just tell me this is your best birthday ever?" I innocently asked.

"Shut up. Now hand me one of this gifts."

"Start with this one," my mom said, as she handed Annabeth a box the size of a book.

Its the size of a book cause it is a book idiot! I thought.

Annabeth carefully peeled off the wrapping paper to reveal the newest architecture book made by Athena herself. You don't want to know how we got it!

"An architecture book? I love it!"

"Not just any architecture book," my mom added, "it's made by your mother!"

Annabeth gasped, "and you got the newest one too! Thank you soooo much!"

"There's more." I said, handing her the largest one—about the size of the living room table— that housed a new set of armor. I had Beckendorf and Tyson make it special just for Annabeth. And it will never get too small because it will grow with her.

"Oh gods its huge! And heavy! It feels like a whole set or armor or something is in here!"

I smiled sheepishly and she looked at me suspiciously. "Does this happen to be the very kind or armor I have been saying I wanted? Specially made to grow with the user?"

"Umm, open it to find out!"

She sighed and opened the gigantic box. "It is! Thank you! I didn't know you actually listened to me when I talk." She said.

"That's another birthday present! The fact that I listen to you! Happy birthday!" I cheered.

"Annabeth, you know he always listens to you." My mom said.

Annabeth snorted, "Seaweed brain."

"Here's the last one," I said, handing her the last box from the table. It was a small jewelry box.

She raised an eyebrow, "a jewelry box?" She asked, as she lifted off the top. Her eyes widened, "a charm bracelet! I love it! What do they stand for?" She lifted the bracelet from the box, "owls and tridents?"

I blushed, "well, your mother is Athena and my father is Poseidon, so that is what the owls and tridents stand for. And we have been friends for three years, so that is three years Athena and Poseidon have been united, so that is why there are there hooks, each with one owl and one trident on it."

"I really like it," she grinned, "no, I love it! Help me put it on!"

She handed me the bracelet and held out her wrist for me to put it on. I fumbled to snap the clip, "mom, help."

She laughed, and reached over and clipped the bracelet with ease, "there. But, that wasn't the last present."

"What? I thought these were all the presents we got her," I asked, confused.

She smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and pulled a small package from behind her. "Here," she said, handing the box to Annabeth.

She slowly ripped the paper open, and blushed, "oh gods. You got a picture of that?"

"What is it?" I asked, peering over her shoulder. As soon as I saw the picture, I could feel heat rising to my face, "oh gods mom! Seriously? You were spying on us?"

"No. I went into the living room to tell you guys it was time for bed and to turn off the movie, but you were already asleep."

Annabeth and I shared a glance, then blushed even harder.

[Flashback]

The picture showed Annabeth and I sitting on the couch. She had come to my house before school started because she was leaving for San Francisco in the morning, and wanted to be closer to the airport. She had stayed at camp a little longer than usual because of Chiron's injuries from the battle of the labyrinth.

Anyway, she was staying at our house for one night before she had to leave for San Francisco. We had been watching a movie— just for fun we had chosen the Disney movie Hercules— at like 11 PM, and we had spent the day at Montauk beach with my mom, so we were exhausted. We were in our pajamas; and my pajamas during the summer is only a pair of boxers—no shirt. Annabeth was in a tank top and shorts.

So we were watching the movie, and Annabeth paused it to go to the bathroom. While she was gone, I threw my legs up onto the couch, leaned my back on the armrest, and put pillows between my body and the wall, for support.

Annabeth came back into the room and sighed, "seriously Percy? Where am I supposed to sit now?"

I smirked and patted the area in between my legs. "Here."

"So you expect me to sit on a little sliver or couch that is in between your legs? Can't you move."

"Nope! I'm comfy! So if you want to sit you can sit on the nice, comfy couch, or the cold, hard floor. What do you choose?"

She sighed again, "fine, I'll sit there. But we never speak of this again, agreed?" She said, as she crawled over my leg sat down.

"Agreed. You can lean back against me you know. You don't have to sit up like that."

"I know. This is how I want to sit."

I groaned, "Wise Girl, that can't be comfortable. It's fine if you lean against me. I have pillows behind me supporting me." I said, and I put my arm around her waist and pulled her back against me. She turned on her side to face the TV, and pressed play.

After about 30 minutes of laughing at the falseness of the movie, Annabeth spoke up.

"You are not a comfy cushion, Seaweed."

I pouted, "aw. Why not?"

She flipped over onto her stomach, "three years of fighting monsters has great effects on the body," she said, then poked me in the stomach.

I smirked, "so that means you think I'm hot?"

"I said that fighting monsters has effects on the body. I never said if they were wonderful or horrible." Now it was her turn to smirk.

"Oh."

"What-" she yawned, "-what time is-" another yawn, "-it." She yawned again.

"I don't know. So you want to try to finish the movie?"

She yawned once again, "yeah." She then proceeded to yawn again. "Ugh I need to stop yawning!"

I laughed, "yeah, you are going to make me-" I yawned, "yawn."

She laughed, placed her hands on top of each other on my chest– like for a pillow—and put her head back onto my chest.

The last thing I remember before waking up was the sound of Annabeth's deep breathing, and falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

[Flashback ends]

"Oh gods mom, you saw that?"

She smiled and nodded, "you two looked so content and so peaceful, I couldn't resist!"

I looked at Annabeth, "did I ever tell you that was the only night since I was 12 I didn't have a demigod dream?" I mumbled.

"No. Really? That's the same for me!" She exclaimed.

"Really? Wow!"

My mom laughed, "it's like you two are meant to be together! The only time you are really and truly peaceful is when you are together."

"Mom, don't go all Aphrodite on me. We only need one person to act like the love goddess, and that's her."

"Sorry." She winked," I'll leave you two alone," she said, as the walked into her bedroom.

Annabeth looked uncomfortable, but then she smirked, "want to watch Hercules again?"

I grinned, "definitely; let's go get our pajamas on," I said, and she grabbed my hand and pulled me into my room.

I think I had a pretty good Annabeth's-birthday after all.

AN: Did you guys like it? Sorry it took so long to post, I have SOO much homework, and lots of after school stuff. Ugh. I have been trying to get this up, and I just got a chance to post it now. Sorry! And sorry that this is so long, i have a tendency to do that...

Review and PM!

I like reviews almost as much as Aphrodite likes Percabeth!