Hey guys! New chapter! I had so much fun writing this. Thank you all so much for the reviews and suggestions! This chap is in multiple POVs: Percy, Piper, then Annabeth. I was originally planning to do some of her other friends, like Jason, Hazel, and one reviewer suggested Nico, which was an awesome idea, but I then decided that those three hadn't spent enough time around Annabeth/Percy like how Piper did, and none of them knew Annabeth as well as Piper either. So yeah, that's what I went with. Hope you all like it! :) Read, review, and enjoy!

Percy knocked on the door of the apartment, breathing heavily. The elevator had been out, and he had had to climb numerous flights of stairs to get to Annabeth's apartment. From the din leaking from the cracks of the closed door, he could assume that all the other young adults were already there.

He glanced down at the plate in his hands and smiled, knowing Annabeth would laugh when she saw the cookies he had brought.

And laugh she did when she opened the door, her bright red sweater, jeans, and grey scrunch boots looking festive. "Seriously, Seaweed Brain? Blue cookies?"

He grinned and stepped forward to kiss her, relishing the fact that he could. He thought back to their first real date the night before. He had taken her to a little diner in town, where they had inhaled burgers and hot chocolate, and then talked for a long time. In fact, they had talked so long that the owner of the restraint had unceremoniously kicked them out, upon which they had braved the swirling storm outside to run to the aquarium. Shielding their eyes from the snow, Percy lead the way, Annabeth holding onto his hand as they ran down Main Street, lit only by sparkling Christmas lights. The aquarium was obviously closed, but Percy used his key to let them in before Annabeth's hands completely froze. They had burst in the door and fell in a heap on the floor, laughing until they couldn't breathe, frozen hands tightly clasped together, scarves crusted with snow, noses red and running, but perfectly happy, just being together.

Percy brought his mind back to the present as Annabeth took the plate of cookies and led him, chattering, to the kitchen. They then went to the main room, where the same group as before sat, talking and laughing. Some kind of cards were on the coffee table, and it seemed the entire group was playing.

"Spoons." Annabeth answered his unspoken question.

He raised his eyebrows. "Spoons? I remember playing that when I was like ten."

Annabeth laughed. "Yeah, well there was this one time when all the dorms had a power outage – I think last January? – and with no Wifi or anything, we were pretty bored. So we all lit some candles and had a huge game of spoons."

Percy grinned. "Sounds awesome." His hand had found its way to hers now, and he squeezed it gently.

Just then, Piper, sitting by Jason, looked up. A look of surprise, then shock, then realization came over her face in waves as she took in their intertwined fingers and abnormally large smiles.

She stood up, her petite form only about 5'2", but she looked like a giant to Percy, especially with a furious glint in her kaleidoscope eyes and tossing her long, chocolate brown hair like a wild pony.

Without a word, she herded the couple to the kitchen, threw them against the wall and began the tirade. "Annabeth, how could you not have told me? How long have you guys been dating? Did you see him last night? Is that where you were during the storm? You didn't get here until three o' clock am and don't think I was actually sleeping, I was waiting for you and I was worried and then you said you were at Hazel's but I asked her just now and she said she hadn't seen you since work and now you guys are holding hands and you have that smile for each other and why didn't you freaking tell me?"

Percy looked at her blankly. Annabeth rolled her eyes. "He asked me out only last night, and we went out to dinner, were kicked out because the restaurant closed at 11, then because of the storm we went to the aquarium and talked. I came home as soon as the storm stopped."

Piper scoffed, "Oh right. Like making conversation is all you did."

"I promise, we just went there to talk! That's it." Annabeth told her best friend, throwing up her hands in exasperation.

"Kissed a couple of times," Percy added.

Annabeth shot him a glare. "Not helping!"

Piper rolled her eyes. "Okay, but why – " Her gaze fell upon the plate of cookies Annabeth had set on the counter with the other food. "Oh my word, are those blue cookies?"

Piper wasn't hugely ticked off. Like, just a little bit. Well, maybe more than a little bit. Because Annabeth was her best friend, and honestly why hadn't Annabeth at least told her? She had told Annabeth every little thing with Jason, from when he was simply a handsome face, then an unending crush, then the moment when he had gone up to her, twisting his hands together in nervousness, and asked her out. But even after all that, Kelp Face had finally asked Annabeth on a date and she hadn't even told Piper.

But the blue chocolate-chip cookies, upbeat Christmas music, and an uproarious game of spoons among a large group of college kids was enough to quell her miffed feelings. The game, of course, wasn't as fun as the kids playing it – Nico nearly broke his thumb when Clarisse grabbed for the same spoon he had, which set Will on a quest to completely destroy Clarisse in the game. Of course, since it was mostly chance instead of skill, he wasn't able to do a whole lot, but it added a whole new dimension of fun. Soon everybody had picked sides and cards were so blatantly exchanged between teams that Piper gave up trying to tell everyone to play by the rules.

Kelp Face and Annabeth were as drawn into the fun as anyone else, but Piper couldn't help but notice that their hands remained clasped under the table, and every once in a while they'd share a secret smile, as if laughing at something only they could see.

Piper knew the feeling well. Soulmate kind of thing – when she and Jason had first gotten together, they had been in their own little world. And you could see that Kelp Face really, really liked Annabeth. Like, to the point of doing something crazy for her. And being Annabeth's best friend sine middle school allowed Piper to understand that Annabeth really and truly like him back. They were a good match, she thought. And to think they had met at the coffee shop!

She excused herself to grab some more food, letting Will and Clarisse banter away, with their respective significant others doing their best to calm them down. Poor Nico and Chris were about at their wit's end.

Annabeth got up at the same time, saying something about blue coffee, and came into the kitchen as Piper grabbed another cookie.

Annabeth raised one of her blond eyebrows. Piper swore she'd learn how to do that one day. "You really like those, don't you?"

"You really like him, don't you?" Piper answered in the way only a best friend could.

Annabeth plopped onto a chair, the food forgotten. "Yeah," she admitted. "I do. But Pipes – listen, I'm sorry about not telling you. It just happened so fast, and – "

"Hey. Don't worry about it," Piper said, putting away her petty grudge because, well, this was Annabeth. "I'm just glad you and him finally got together."

Annabeth truly looked worried. "Piper, do you think we are going too fast? I mean, I just met him like a month ago, and although he's an amazing guy, I keep wanting to tell him – I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I don't want him to become 'just another ex'."

Piper could sense that under the fog of happiness, her best friend was truly scared about this. Really, she had a right to be, after so many guys had abandoned her for other girls.

"And, if all those other guys didn't want to stay, why would Seawe – I mean, Kelp Face? What makes him special?"

"Because he cares about you," Piper said simply, reaching across the table to grasp her best friend's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "You can see it in his eyes, in his face, the way he looks at you. He's not just infatuated with you, because infatuation passes. He's in love, and love, no matter what happens, sticks around."

Annabeth looked a little stunned, as if the realization had hit her in the face. "Sticks around," she muttered. "Sticks around. Pipes, thanks. Thank you."

Piper grinned. "What else am I here for? Other than helping sample this blue coffee."

Annabeth smiled. "Yeah, I just added some coloring to the cream. Kelp Face loves blue, as you've noticed."

Piper nodded. "But that brings up another – and I promise it's my last, at least for now – question. Do you know his real name?"

Annabeth giggled. "Yeah, that's another thing he has to tell me. Although I admit I'm really, really curious."

Piper patted her hand and said sweetly, "I'm sure you'll find out. Good things come to those who wait." Perfectly knowing Annabeth's least practiced virtue was patience.

Her best friend groaned. "Thanks a lot."

Annabeth washed the last of the dishes, cracking her neck. The rest of the young adults had, like they did after movie nights, crashed, sleeping wherever there was a flat surface. Beanbag chairs, the couch, the overstuffed chair, the floor, mostly – pretty much anywhere and everywhere.

Piper and Jason had retired to cuddle on Piper's bed – Annabeth had made them keep the door open, to their weak protests.

She glanced at the clock. 2 am. At this time yesterday, she had been taken on the deluxe aquarium tour, sponsored by Seaweed Brain himself. They had looked at all the sharks and fish and turtles and everything else in the giant tanks. Annabeth had never been hugely interested in that kind of thing, but the spark Seaweed Brain got in his eyes and the passion for the sea in his voice made her hang onto his every word.

And then the storm had died down, and they had exited the aquarium and walked down the sidewalk, making the first footprints in the freshly fallen snow. Muffled laughter had been a given in their conversation as they made their way to Annabeth's apartment, a few streets away in the small town.

And then, after they had reached the building, Seaweed Brain had again stooped and gently kissed her, pulling back and lightly brushing one of her snowy curls away from her face. She had hugged him one last time, said a breathless good-night, and gone up to her floor.

Somehow the window in her room was just at the right place where she could see the street below, see Seaweed Brain walking down the powdery sidewalk. He must have felt eyes upon him, because he had turned around, saw the dim light in her window, and blown her a kiss. She had caught it and sent him on of her own, tinged with the overwhelming smile on her face.

That had definitely been one of the best nights of her life.

"Hey." A soft voice made her jump.

"Hey," she answered as she turned around. "Why aren't you asleep?"

Seaweed Brain shrugged. "I was hungry." He grabbed the very last cookie off a small dessert plate on the table.

"Hey!" Annabeth scolded quietly, trying not to wake the others. "I was saving that!"

"Oh." His face resembled a baby seal. Annabeth wondered how she would ever tell this guy no.

She laughed. "Here. I'll split it." She handed him a half, and leaned against his chest as she chewed. Instinctively his arms went around her, as though to shield her from any harm that could ever reach her.

She sighed with content. Here was where she belonged. Sure, Seaweed Brain wasn't the cliché "Mr. Perfect." He was human, after all. He didn't always smell good. He was stubborn. He was different than her, had different opinions, different favorites. They weren't the exact same. They wouldn't always agree.

But Annabeth was okay with that. He was her person. Even with bed head and morning breath, she still loved him. And that wasn't going to change on a whim.

His voice startled her out of her thoughts. "Where are you sleeping?"

That was another thing about him that she loved. Where are you sleeping. Not, where are we sleeping, or even can I cuddle with you, but Where are you sleeping. Willing to give her space. Willing to take it slow.

With a trust me smile, she led him to her and Piper's room. Piper and Jason were snoring, curled up together on Piper's bed, his hands resting lightly around her.

"They're so cute," whispered Seaweed Brain.

"Yeah." Annabeth's throat choked for a second. She didn't deserve Piper. She didn't deserve Jason. She definitely didn't Seaweed Brain. She didn't deserve any of her amazing friends, the people who cared about her.

She quickly went to the bathroom to change out of her jeans and sweater into baggy pajama pants and a tight tee-shirt. Annabeth quickly climbed into bed and motioned for Seaweed Brain to sleep on the outside edge.

He smiled, but asked, "Are you sure?"

She squeezed his hand as he sank onto the bed, pulling the blanket over both of them and cuddling with her. His head rested on her shoulder, his arm around her protectively. The weight of it was pleasant, comforting.

A few minutes of quiet; Annabeth was sure Seaweed Brain had fallen asleep. Then his quiet voice spoke up. "Wise Girl?"

"Yeah?" she asked, turning her head to look at him. The dim light from the hall filtered into the otherwise dark room, and his eyes were green stars.

"I love you."

She took a deep breath. "I love you too."

With a smile still on her face, she fell asleep.

*grins* Did ya'll catch the MOA lines? I love adding hints to the book. And to the reviewer who caught that last one ("Your beanie is crooked!), good job! That is from BOTL, originally "Your armor is crooked." :D

And that's all for today! Last couple chapters, coming up soon. Love ya'll and thanks for reading! Tell me what you thought of the party in the reviews. :)

WM