A/N: "Frozen" spoilers ahead.

Percy's POV

Grover, Nico, and I finish our setlist, which basically means we had just ran through the six or seven songs we have. As we play our last song, my fingers glide over my keyboard, eliciting beautiful melodies and harmonies from the keys. I look over at Annabeth as the song winds down and find her still smiling and nodding to the music. I can't help but smile back. She's been so great about this. I'll admit that I was a little nervous when we started - after all, she'd seen and heard an actual band while she had been with Corn Flakes. We're kind of just amateurs, and I really didn't want to disappoint her. But she's kept a smile on and clapped for us and it's just been great.

Like she did after each song before, Annabeth claps for us when the notes fade. I take a sweeping bow, grinning like an idiot. As I straighten up, I turn to the guys.

"No need to pack up, guys," I say as they start to put up their instruments and equipment. They look at me as I finish, "I've got a few ideas for some new stuff, and I wouldn't mind having another practice sometime this week."

Grover shrugs and runs a hand through his ratty curls. "Sure, man. Juniper and I have places to be tonight, though," he says, sliding a smile at his girlfriend. She blushes, but comes forward to take G-man's hand.

"See you later, dude," I give him a friendly slap on the back. "Keep in touch about a time that would work for you."

"No problem, Perce. See you 'round, Annabeth!" Grover and Juniper move to take turns giving Annabeth hugs. She stands and her smile grows wider as she wraps her arms around her friends. I can't stop the corners of my mouth from stretching too.

"It was so good to see you two! Call me sometime and we'll hang out, alright?" Annabeth beams at the couple.

"That would be great!" Juniper gushes. Grover raises a hand to wave goodbye to Nico and I, then leaves with Juniper at his side. I turn my attention to Nico, who shifts his eyes from Annabeth to me. My gut twists and my eyes narrow instinctively. I'm not jealous, you're jealous. My face returns to normal in a fraction of a second; hopefully he didn't notice.

"Is that okay, another practice?" I ask him.

He puts his drumsticks back in their case with the other five pairs of sticks he has. He doesn't look at me as he replies, "Yeah. Just let me know when."

"Nico, would you like to stay for a movie with us?" Annabeth asks from behind me, surprising me. No, Nico doesn't want to stay for a movie with us. Gods, what am I thinking? It's a movie with Annabeth, not a date. Why wouldn't she invite Nico?

"I've actually got stuff to do too," he replies, and I feel my jaw unclench. I hadn't even realized that my trap was effectively clamped shut. "Thank you, though," Nico finishes. He grabs his stick case and brushes by me.

"Again, a pleasure to meet you," he says to Annabeth. She smiles. "You too, Nico." She holds out her hand for another handshake and he squeezes her hand once tightly with his own before turning toward the door. He exits without another word. Annabeth reaches down to the loveseat to grab the movie.

"It was awfully nice of you to serve your friends those snacks you bought for them earlier," she remarks. Damn! I smack my palm against my forehead; I had been so busy anticipating Annabeth coming that I hadn't even given food a second thought - and that's saying something. Before I can say anything, she chuckles. "Such a seaweed brain."

"Hey! I'm not supposed to be the wise one. That's you, remember?"

"I wasn't the host, so it wasn't my problem."

"Touche. Movie time?" I ask, eager to change the subject. She shakes her head and moves toward the TV to put the DVD into the player. I shuffle over to the kitchenette to grab the snacks that I had forgotten to give my friends. I come back and put them on the little coffee table in front of the loveseat. I flop down on the couch as Annabeth fast forwards through various previews and advertisements to get to the main menu. She presses play on the DVD remote, then sits beside me on the loveseat.

"Would you like a blanket or anything?" I ask, suddenly becoming aware of the slight drop in temperature inside the cabin. The temp inside is more stable than outside, but it still fluctuates with the heat of the day and the chill of the night. She nods, and I rise to grab one of the blankets from the bedroom. She presses pause when I leave, then resumes the movie upon my return. I hand her the blanket and she spreads it out over her legs, folding them criss-cross applesauce style. Her knee is almost touching mine, and I'm more aware of it than I am of the tribal song playing from the movie.

"Mind sharing?" I ask, gesturing to the blanket. Wordlessly she repositions the blanket so it's covering both of us. I try not to blush as she leans to drag a corner of the blanket across me so it drapes across my legs too. She rests her back against the sofa, and I attempt to focus on the movie. Some guys are cutting ice. All right, you do you, ice cutter guys. As the scene shifts to the castle, Annabeth pipes up, "Did you catch the foreshadowing?"

"What?"

"Didn't think so," she passively states and returns to watching the movie.

As it plays, I try to follow. I really do. But she's just...her. She's beautiful and so captivating when she watches movies. Her face changes to mimic the situation, even though she probably doesn't realize it. I really like you.

I go back and forth with myself in my mind. The hell? I barely even know her! Then you know what time it is: twenty questions. Really? Like from middle school? You don't have any better ideas up here, stupid.

"So you're an architect?" I ask Annabeth as we watch Elsa sing and build her ice castle. She doesn't turn to face me as she answers, "Mmhm."

"So, from an architectural standpoint, how is Elsa's castle?"

She pauses the movie and for a second, I worry that she's going to tell me to stop talking during the movie. I totally get that; I think I should shut up too. But instead, she examines the castle on the screen. "It's a beautiful piece of work," she answers, "Very smooth, very neat. However, it doesn't have many actual supports, which in reality would make the entire structure weak and unable to hold up the weight of the castle."

"So beautiful, but impossible?" Kind of like you and my chances with you.

"In essence, yes. Any other 'architectural' questions?" she smirks. I shake my head and she presses PLAY again. We watch the rest of the movie in mostly silence, with me asking a few questions to clarify and she answering them.

...

"So Hans is in charge, right?"

"Yes."

...

"Elsa froze her heart?"

"You just saw her do it, Seaweed Brain."

"Just making sure."

...

"Kristoff wants to pork her too?"

"Percy!"

...

"The trolls want them to start boning."

"Percy Jackson, I swear to all the gods..."

...

"So Hans isn't the hero?"

"No."

"Dick."

...

"Is she going to freeze before Kristoff can save her?"

"Would you just watch the movie?"

...

"Bet Elsa's feeling like a bitch right about now."

"Seriously?"

"What?"

...

"What's with the reindeer acting slutty on the sled?"

"It's mocking how women pose with cars. Gods."

...

The movie ends, and as Demi Lovato comes on singing a cover of Elsa's song, I turn to Annabeth. "That was a surprisingly good movie!"

"You hardly watched it!" she scoffs, pressing STOP on the remote.

"Did too!"

"Okay, then what was your favorite part? Specifically?" she pointedly asks me.

"When she punches Hans in the face," I answer, smirking. She gives me an impressed look. "How about yours?" I counter, raising an eyebrow.

"When Kristoff gives Anna his hat."

I'm surprised at that. "Really? Not the ice castle?"

"Just because I'm an architect doesn't mean that's all I can focus on, Seaweed Brain," she says, rolling her eyes.

I'm extremely curious though. I shift to face her and sling my arm over the back of the couch. "But why is it your favorite?"

She sighs and goes quiet. Her face runs through a range of emotions as she struggles to come up with the perfect explanation. She doesn't seem like the kind of person to settle for anything less. She leans back against my arm, though she's too lost in thought to realize it. I'm not, though, and I enjoy her warmth. She lets out another sigh.

"I just - It's such a simple, sweet gesture. He knows it won't help her, but he's still trying to do everything he can to keep her alive. It's all he's focused on, even as he's taking her to another guy. He reaches a point where he isn't concerned about himself anywhere near as much as he is for her. It's the smallest of things, but the fact that he thinks of it...I don't know, I just..." She covers her eyes with her hand, then moves it to rest on her lap, rubbing her eyes in the process. I examine her closer to see if she was wiping tears away, but she hangs her head.

"Little things," she murmurs. "Little things that make a big difference." She raises her head again, but doesn't look at me. Instead she stares out the window facing her cabin. "And some big things that make such small differences," she whispers.

"Hey," I say softly. She turns to me, and though she isn't crying, she's... I don't know how to describe it. She's so beyond sad and hurt, and it's breaking my heart.

"Thanks for inviting me over," she mumbles, standing and moving over to the DVD player to eject the disc.

"Annabeth - "

"Your band is really great. I bet you'll take off someday," she talks over me. She puts Frozen back in the case and strides toward the door. "Thanks again," she says quickly, turning the knob.

I jolt to my feet. "Wait - "

"Good night, Percy," she squeaks, opening the door and slipping into the night. I try to follow her, but I stumble over the coffee table and curse. I run and catch the door just after it closes behind her. I yank it back open and hurl myself outside.

Damn, she can haul ass when she wants to. She's already almost to her cabin. "Annabeth!" I cry, but she doesn't turn over her shoulder. I sprint toward her, but I'm only a little over halfway between our cabins when she walks inside her door and locks it behind her. I slow, but don't stop. When I reach her door, I thunk my head against it. "Annabeth, please," I call. She doesn't answer me, but I can hear her sniffling on the other side of the door. I stay for a little while longer, torn between my desire to help her and my inability to do so.

I finally decide that there isn't anything I can do, much as I hate it. "Goodnight, Annabeth," I mumble, turning away from her door. I pause to hear a reply, but again, nothing. I trudge back over to my cabin, my steps almost as heavy as my heart. Before I go back inside, I turn my head toward the ocean, where small waves lap at the beach.

"What do I do?" I ask it. The waves keep coming, and I resolve to not give up on Annabeth just yet. I'll keep trying to see you, Annabeth. Swear it on the Styx.