A/N: I hope you all really enjoy this chapter. It's not the most riveting plot wise but I think it's one of the stronger chapters I've written so far.

Annabeth enjoys the feel of the warm sunlight on her face and Percy's fingers running through her hair. The tiny part of her that'd been gearing up to lose this, to lose him, shudders. She listens to the steady beat of his heart in the ear she has pressed against his ribs, her head rising and falling with his breathing. She sleeps better this way, with something solid and real beneath her fingers.

"I don't think I'll get used to this." Percy's voice rumbles through his chest.

"Get used to what?" she asks, keeping her eyes closed against the morning sunlight.

"Waking up next to you." There's awe and disbelief in his voice.

Annabeth opens her eyes to stare at him, the yellow light coming in through the window behind his bed lighting his hair and softening his features. He has a strand of her hair in his hand, one of her curls pinched between his thumb and forefinger. His green eyes are gold-lit in this light as he focuses on her golden hair.

"Why is that so hard to believe?" She lifts her head off of his chest and watches him, flicking her gaze between his eyes.

Percy shrugs, dropping her hair and looking away.

"Hey," Annabeth says softly.

She pushes herself up and crawls over him, bracketing his hips with her knees and placing a hand on either side of his head. Annabeth's hair tumbles down around them, blocking everything out except for the narrow space between their faces.

"Percy why aren't you going to get used to waking up next to me?"

There's nowhere for his eyes to run to this time, he's forced to look directly at her. Her eyes bore into his, demanding he explain himself.

"Honestly, I never thought I'd get this lucky. To have someone as incredible as you." The honesty in her voice rips at her heart.

It feels like molten bronze has been poured directly into a hole in her chest. Her breathing stops for a second, chased out of her by his words. She ducks her head, closing her eyes and letting her forehead rest against against his.

"Well you do. And if you try and play the hero card-" Annabeth opens her eyes, giving him a hard glare.

"Yeah, I learned my mistake. I'm not gonna be trying to break up with you again anytime soon." He smiles shyly and Annabeth eases up on her glare.

"Good, I spent long enough teaching you. I'd hate to have to find someone else and go through all of this again." She gives him a wry smile, watching his brows furrow and his eyes narrow.

"Real funny," he huffs.

"Percy," she drops the humor from her voice. "I never thought I'd have someone like you either."

Percy wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her to his chest without saying a word. He tilts his head and catches her lips with his, kissing her slowly but firmly. He rolls them over so he's on top of her, pinning her to the bed with his weight as he starts to deepen the kiss.

"Nope. Not happening, Jackson," she says against his lips.

"What?" he protests and goes in for another kiss.

"If you start kissing me then I'm going to start undressing you and then we'll be stuck here all day."

"S'okay with me," he mumbles.

"Oh trust me, I know it is. But we have things we need to talk about." She slips her hands under his chest and pushes up, working some room between them.

"Right now?"

"Like I said, kissing, clothes, all day. So yeah, right now."

Percy eases back above her, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees.

"Okay, so what do we need to talk about?"

Annabeth wiggles out from under him, pulling Percy's pillows back to prop herself up. Percy uses the chance to roll over onto his back and lay between her legs, lazily running his hand along her leg.

"We need to talk about us," she says, running a hand through his hair and watching it flow between her fingers. "About what we want out of this."

"I just want you," he says quickly.

Annabeth leans forward until she's looming over him. She wants to tell him that's not good enough, that they need a plan and goals and definitions but she loses all of that in his eyes, in the love she sees in them.

"I want you too," she whispers.

Percy smiles and runs his fingertips along her cheek.

"But I guess we should figure out what exactly we are now, huh?"

"Yeah," she breathes out a small laugh. "We should. So Percy Jackson, am I a booty call?"

"What, no. No," he blurts, eyes going wide.

"Then what am I to you?"

Percy hesitates for a second, eyes roaming her face.

"Everything."

Annabeth's heart melts. She sincerely wonders to herself how no one else found him before her, or why it took her so long to realize she was meant for him.

"Anything more specific?" she prompts.

"Do- do you want to meet my mom?" Percy swallows as soon as he's asked the question.

Annabeth blinks, letting the implications of his words settle in and turn to a warm, tingling sensation. She takes a deep breath, pushing away the smile for a moment and turning her face serious.

"Percy what do you want? I pushed the agreement on you and I don't want to do that again. So are you saying you want me to meet your mom?"

She watches him chew at his lip for a second, obviously trying to find the right words.

"I want you to meet my mom," he says definitively.

"And what exactly, are you going to introduce me as to your mom?"

"My girlfriend," he says easily. "My very serious girlfriend."

The word resonates in her mind. Somehow sounding perfect as it falls off of his lips. The 'serious' part an added bonus that practically tickles her pink. Annabeth enjoys the title, Girlfriend. It feels like nights spent in, childhood movies, and homemade dinners. All things she could definitely get used to, things she can see herself doing with Percy.

Though the idea of meeting the woman that raised him, that managed to mold him into the perfect gentleman resting between her legs, starts to overwhelm her. Annabeth's never met a boyfriend's mom before, never had a boyfriend serious enough to warrant it. Now she's going to meet with Percy's mom, a woman who must be an absolute saint.

"I'd like that," she hums. "Girlfriend. Your girlfriend. Which would make you my boyfriend." Annabeth practically purrs the word, watching the stupid goofy grin appear on his face.

"My mom's going to love you. You'll be able to talk with her about books and stuff I can't. And you're gorgeous. And way out of my league."

"This sounds like a list of reasons you love me." Annabeth leans back and continues running her fingers through his hair.

"She'll love you because I love you," he says easily.

Annabeth feels her stomach float into her throat. Hearing him say it is still new, still brings a rush to her blood and a strange lightheadedness. It's easy enough to piece it all together now and see the development, watch the replay of Percy fall a little further for her with every date. Though it's hard to tell someone's falling in love with you in the moment, especially when you're falling too.

"You know, there is someone else we need to talk to," she says slowly, not trying to scare him.

"Who do we- oh, oh yeah. Piper." His eyes darken slighlty.

"Piper and Jason. We owe them a big explanation. And maybe an apology." The word is a bit bitter but she's not sure if it's because of what she did or because she doesn't want to admit it.

"Gods she's never going to let me live this down," Percy groans and throws his arm over his eyes. "Please don't tell me we have to do that today."

"No. That's a very long talk for another day that's definitely not today."

Percy nods his head against her.

"So what's left today? Or can we…" Percy trails off and peeks out at her.

Annabeth grabs a pillow from behind her and smacks him with it. Muffling the 'oof' sound he makes when the pillow lands on his face.

"What's left is you're taking your girlfriend out for a very nice date. Someplace she can wear a dress," she says sliding out from under him and letting his head hit the bed.

"Yeah?" He asks a little too eager.

"Yeah, I've heard that my boyfriend is pretty good at this dating thing. Had a really good mentor from what I hear." She tosses the statement over her shoulder as she grabs her keys off the side table where she left them.

Annabeth doesn't fail to notice the way his eyes follow her as she walks or the sensation that runs up her spine because of it. The only thing keeping her from crawling back into his bed and staying there the rest of the day is the idea of having a date with him. A real one this time.