Percy POV

"Annabeth," I whispered into her ear while we were walking away from the mess hall after dinner, "Meet me at the beach after the campfire. Our spot."

She turned around and nodded, and we both made our way to the campfire. You see, I would have asked her during the campfire, but we had to sit with our cabins, and my cabin and Annabeth's cabin were nowhere near enough for me to sneak closer to her.

After the campfire, we had a half hour before lights out, so I quickly made my way to the beach, where me and Annabeth usually escape off to just sit, talk, or play in the water.

When I got there, Annabeth hadn't arrived yet, so I sighed in relief. I got a few moments to gather myself to what I was about to ask. When she arrived, I gasped. Even in something as simple as a camp T-shirt and jeans, she still looked beautiful.

"So, Seaweed Brain," she said, "Why'd you ask me out here?"

"I wanted to ask you something," I said, "Will y-you, I m-mean, d-do you w-want to go s-see a movie later t-this week?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?" she asked. I knew she couldn't like me back, but I still tried

"It doesn't have to be one if you don't want it to be one," I said, blushing slightly

"No, no, it's not that," she said, blushing slightly, "I mean, I was just saying that you'd understand why I'd say no, what with Luke turning evil and all that,—"

"I understand," I said, interrupting. I turned around, wiping a few tears before they spilled, "I'll see you around, Annabeth."

I ran away from her, not stopping, even when she called my name as I ran away.

Annabeth POV

Oh gods, what have I done?! If only he let me finish, he would have heard me accept. I guess it's my fault, though, considering the way I started.

"Vlacas," I cursed, "Why'd you start out like that? You stupid little girl! You know how sensitive he is to Luke."

Which is true. Even though Percy didn't know Luke like I did, he still felt a little competition by him, as if I would go off and bring him back, just to go out with him and spend the rest of my life with him. I wouldn't be surprised if he did think that. Now that I think about it, all the things that I did and said about Luke was so defensive, it seemed as if I might change sides at anytime during the war. I guess he still felt a little jealous that I was so protective of Luke. Gods, why did I act like that? As much as I wanted my big brother back, I should have thought about Percy's feelings. I mean, come on! Percy's tried to keep me happy every time we went somewhere, and I sent a message to him saying that I loved Luke more than a brother, when I didn't. I don't know why I started that way. I think it's my auto response for being asked out (and, yes, I've spoken from experience, though I can honestly tell you that I do not see what the jocks see in me), though with the jocks in my school, I word it a little differently, but it's basically the same. Ugh! I hate myself right now. Well, I can't do anything right now, since it's almost lights out, but I swear that I will get my relationship with Percy back to where it was , if not more than it was, before I answered to stupidly.

~~~~^Time*glub*Skip~~~~

Ugh! I feel like screaming and killing myself. Why did I answer like that? It's been a few days since I rejected Percy (which is still the one thing I didn't want to do), and he's been avoiding me like the plague. I wouldn't blame him anyway, if my heart was torn the way his was. I mean, if I asked him out and he started talking about Rachael before starting, I'd feel like I'd have some shoes to fill, and Percy is just not the kind of guy who goes around filling shoes. Thank Athena Thalia is coming to camp with the Hunters in a few days. Maybe she can help me.

Thalia POV

I just arrived at camp with the Hunters, and I had the girls go to their cabin while I tell Chiron that we're here. I'm still a little peeved that Artemis doesn't pick one of us to join her in the Chase that she takes once in a while like she used to.

"Hey Chiron," I said, "the Hunters are here, and they'll be staying in Lady Artemis's cabin."

"And you'll be staying in your cabin, I presume," he said

"Yup," I said

"Okay," he replied, "and Thalia, could you figure out what's going on between Percy and Annabeth."

"Why?" I asked, immediately worried, "What's wrong?"

"Go talk to Annabeth first," he said, "She'll help. Zeus knows what they're fighting over this time. This better not be something as insignificant as last time."

I held in my laughs as I made my way to the Athena cabin. Last time, the two fought over whether or not Annabeth could talk to owls. In all honesty, I was on Percy's side. I actually thought that she might have been able to talk to them, but since we couldn't catch any owls to help test with, we gave up on testing it (though both Percy and I were pretty damn (*flinch*) sure that the owl we did see, however, was Athena).

When I reached the Athena cabin, I knocked, and called out Annabeth's name

"Thalia!" she squealed and tackled me into a hug, "Good thing you're here. I need your help with Percy."

"What'd Kelp Head do this time?" I asked, and she flinched and immediately became saddened.

"He didn't do anything," she said, "Other than avoid me like the plague."

"Where's the little punk?" I growl, "I'll teach him to avoid you."

"No, it's not his fault," she said, putting a hand on my shoulder to stop him, "what I mean is, he has good reason."

"And what reason would that be?" I demanded, and she mumbled something under her breath, "What was that?"

"Come here," Annabeth said as she pulled me into her cabin. She looked around to make sure no one heard, before telling me all that had happened between the two.

"You do realize that starting with Luke in a conversation with Percy is not going to end well," I said, "It's just the way it is."

"I know," she said

"Then why did you?" I ask, confused

"I don't know," she said, "It was like my mouth was moving before I could process anything and speak.

"Hey," I said, "I have a question: would you have said yes?"

"Of course I would have!" Annabeth replied

"Then I might be able to help," I said

"I still can't believe that after all this time, I ruined it by being an idiot," she said

"Hey, you are not an idiot," I said, "You are the smartest girl on this planet, and I can bet you a hundred drachmas that Kelp Head will agree, but on a bigger scale."

"I guess you're right," Annabeth said, "I just wonder why it took him so long to ask me."

"Took who so long to ask you what?" asked a new voice

I turned around and saw Malcolm standing in the doorway.

"Hey Malcolm," greeted Annabeth

"Book Head," I greeted

"Hey Thalia," he said, "Now, about me question…"

"Percy asked me out," said Annabeth, "and I idiotically started out with Luke before accepting. Don't yell at me for that one, because I already feel guilty without all the yelling. I was just wondering why it took him so long."

"Oh, that," said Malcolm, "That's easy. It's because of Aphrodite."

Both me and Annabeth looked at him quizzingly,, and he sighed, "Percy and I have these talks every two weeks or so. It's mainly about him asking for my help, mostly on you, Annabeth. Well, you see, during one of these talks, he told me that Aphrodite visited him, and promised him a tragic love story. However, so far, whenever he tried to tell you about his feelings, he'd get interrupted. The earliest being when you two were dancing on Olympus, uh, let's see…oh, never mind the dancing, it was right before that when he rescued you. He was going to tell you how he felt, but the words couldn't come up in his mouth, and he felt so nervous. These are his words, by the way, not mine. Oh, and his talk with Athena just ruined his attempt. Anyways, wait until the end, after that, he wasn't sure if his feelings for you were just a crush or something more. He probably would have figured it out if it weren't for Aphrodite. What, with Rachael and Calypso, he was confused even more, let alone about your feelings for Luke. He was pretty sure that you loved him more than a brother, but since he just, um, passed away, he waited for a little while before asking you out, and since you started out with Luke, you just made him think that you love Luke like horses love Percy."

Annabeth's POV

Oh gods, I really hate myself now. I still can't believe what came out of my mouth. It was just like an automate response. Wait a minute.

"Oh my gods," I gasped

"What now?" asked Thalia

"I just figured out why I said what I said," I said, "I didn't say it."

"What do you mean you didn't say it?" asked Malcolm, "Percy told me you said it and he wouldn't lie to me about you."

"What are you saying with that?" I glared at Malcolm

"Hey, I don't pry into personal stuff," said Malcolm defensively, "and usually it's about how you feel or if you're okay or stuff like that."

"Back to the problem guys," said Thalia

"Anyways," I said, "the reason I said those stuff wasn't by choice."

"Wait, so you're guessing that Mother had a hand in this?" asked Malcolm

"You really are my children," said a familiar voice near the back of the cabin.

I get up immediately with my dagger ready only to face my mother.

"What do you want?" I ask, lowering my dagger, but keeping it out

"Annabeth, you must understand why I made you say what came out of your mouth," said Mother

"What came out of my mouth," I said, "was words that possibly destroyed any relationship I had with the love of my life."

"You do not know that," said Athena

"Oh really?" I ask, "Let's recap, shall we? You make me say those words, Percy hears them. He gets hurt, and I get hurt because of that. I sometimes cry myself to sleep at nights, while Percy does who knows what to get to sleep."

"He, uh, he hits his head with an alarm clock," said Malcolm, before saying, "he has a closet full of them for times like this."

"So that's what he uses them for," I mumble, "Anyways, so yeah, I cry myself to sleep while Percy inflicts self-damage to sleep. Is there anything missing? Oh wait, Percy has been avoiding me like the plague since that day and thinks that I love Luke more than a brother. Now you tell me whether I do not know whether you destroyed any relationship I had with Percy."

"I destroyed?" questioned Mother

"Of course you," I said, "You were the only one who disapproved of this. Look at the facts! Percy's been out to protect me ever since he laid eyes on me, and I've practically done the same. Sure he attracts more monsters, but what's life without a little risk? Besides, it's not like you see Poseidon coming down and berating Percy for his relationship with me. Last time I checked, he was perfectly fine with it. Heck, he almost gave me his blessing to have similar powers as Percy had I not talked him out of it."

"Why would you?" asked Thalia, "I mean, you'd have the same powers as your crush."

"Simple," I said, smirking, "I was worried that Mother would find a way that he was related to it and vaporize him."

"Why would you think that?" asked Mother

"Oh other than the fact that every conversation you had with or about Percy ended up about staying away from me or suffering consequences," I said, "nothing much. Just a hunch."

"Annabeth, you have to understand why I'm doing this," said Mother, stubbornly

"Oh, I understand your side," I said, "do you understand ours?"

"Ours?" asked Athena

"Everyone who wants me and Percy together," I said, "Now, if you'll kindly excuse me, I have to go tell Percy the news."

A/N Stay tuned for the next part of this two-shot