"So you never answered my question" Percy said, gazing out towards the ocean from his towel on the sand. Annabeth sat next to him, relaxing.

"Which?"

"Why are you dating me?" Annabeth groaned and turned to look up at him, lifting her sunglasses.

"Do I really need to answer that?"

"I'm just curious!" Percy said indignantly, throwing his hands up in mock defense.

"Do I need a reason?" Annabeth turned away to look at the ocean, putting her sunglasses back down.

"I guess not..." Percy wasn't sure why this mattered so much to him. He knew, beyond a doubt, that she loved him. Maybe, he thought, that one day she'd ask herself the same question and realize that there was no good reason and leave him. No, she'd never do that to him. A few silent moments passed between them.

"Well," Percy jumped and looked at Annabeth. Her face was slightly pink though Percy wasn't sure if that was from the sun or the question. "When you get past the arrogant smirk and the generally smug attitude, you're a pretty good guy." Annabeth saw Percy glare out of the corner of her eye and smirked. Then her smile faded and her face became pink again.

"Percy, you've known me for so long. I've never had anyone like that. Everyone that met me eventually left me. I didn't even stay with my dad for that long. Chiron was the closest I'd ever gotten to family but we're not that close. The first year I met you, I tried to keep you out. I told you that you drooled in your sleep, I snapped at you, I had low expectations of you and yet... you kept trying and eventually I started warming up to you. I didn't want to. I really didn't. I thought you'd just leave. Every year though, you returned. Every year you stayed with me and Grover the most. Without trying and without me noticing, you were my best friend and deep down, I knew that I loved you because my heart let you in despite everything I had ever taught myself. Then I got taken by Atlas and Luke and... I knew you'd come get me. Then there you were. With your eyebrows all scrunched. I was so angry that you put yourself in a stupid amount of danger. But, at the same time, I was so happy. You came to get me." Annabeth was really blushing now.

"Then you met Rachel and I hated you for that." Percy looked down in shame. He never felt the same about Rachel as he did with Annabeth, but still, at the time he never said either way. "I got jealous. I loved you and there you are with someone else. Then, to make it worse, she figured out the labyrinth before I did. She could lead and I couldn't. I was dead weight. I felt like there was no way I could compete with her. I forced myself to accept. The best I could do was not strangle either of you. Then the whole titan coup attempt happened and then at least I had something to focus on. The point is that even though I wanted nothing more than to be angry with you, I couldn't stop loving you. I was so angry because I liked you so much and I knew it which just made me angrier."

"Then, with enough prodding from me and Rachel becoming oracle, we started dating. Then Hera took you," Annabeths voice held contempt as she spoke the goddess' name, "and gave you to the Romans. Just when we were starting, we left. I know you didn't mean to!" Annabeth added quickly when Percy opened his mouth to challenge her. "But it still hurt. You were gone whether you wanted to be or not. I searched like a mad woman for days. At first I thought I was being overly protective but I knew something was wrong. Then we found you but of course, we had work to do. Then we fell into the Tartarus together and that... well. You know." Percy shivered. Their time in the Tartarus was not a time he wanted to recall. Annabeth sighed. "And, while I wish we had more time together where we weren't in instant danger, I don't regret a single second of it. Does that answer your question?" Annabeth turned to look at Percy, jaw set. Percy could only look at her in amazement. A few years ago, Annabeth would've just dodged the question. Now, she was letting him in. Showing him what was in her heart and her head. He saw how hard it was for her but she did it anyway, for him. He didn't know how to respond to the sincerity.

"...So it's not my stunning good looks?" Annabeth just looked at him for a second before sighing and shaking her head. Percy was worried until he saw a smile creep onto her face.

"You're making me want to change my answer to 'sometimes I don't know'. Don't tempt me."

"Please don't. I liked your answer." Annabeth turned to look back at the ocean, seemingly embarrassed.

"That's all you have to say about it?" She muttered, almost to herself. Percy looked at her for a few moments before looking out at the water himself.

"I'm sorry about the Rachel thing. I didn't like her like that. I never have." Annabeth didn't respond. After a few seconds, Percy continued.

"I didn't have any friends before you." Annabeth turned her head to look at him but Percy kept his eyes straight ahead at the water. "I couldn't keep friends. I was always in trouble. Then mom brought me to the camp and right before I passed out, I saw you. Know what my first thought was?" Annabeth shook her head. "That you were pretty. Despite everything that was happening to me, I thought to myself that you were pretty." Percy laughed to himself remembering that. "Then, after I woke up, I wanted nothing but to be your friend whether I knew that or not. Even if you did say I drooled. I wanted the pretty girl with blond princess curls to be my friend. Then you were, in a way. Even if you did push me away. I knew I always had a home to go to every summer and that you and Grover would be there. You sent me that picture of you on vacation and I looked it so much just to remember that I had friends and that you were real. Then Atlas and Luke took you. I had to get you back. While we went to find you, I thought that you wanted to become a huntress. I was so upset. I wanted to try and talk you out of it. At the time, I thought it was because I didn't want to lose my best friend. Now I know it's because I liked you more than that."

"Then Rachel happened. I was so confused. I didn't know how I felt about you or Rachel. I knew that every time I saw Rachel, I thought about you but it didn't click with me until later. I didn't think that you thought about me that way. You were so focused on Luke I just thought..." He saw Annabeth look down at the sand by her feet. "Anyway... during the Battle of Olympus, I really wanted to tell you that I didn't think of Rachel that way but I could never find the right time. Then, you almost died. I was so angry with myself and everyone that you were hurt... Even after that you still tried to save Luke and I thought that I could never reach that with you. I'd never be that important. You and Luke had such a history together. You were always trying to save each other since you were small. Besides, you're beautiful, extremely smart, focused... I thought I never even crossed your radar." Percy's face suddenly felt hot and he pushed the words out while trying to think about what he was about to say. Annabeth put in an effort to tell him how she felt, he should try too.

"Sometimes, I'd work up the courage to say something to you, to tell you how I felt about you, and then I'd see you and my brain would.. just... fry." Percy threw his hands in the air in a frenzied gesture. "Your hair would catch the sun, or you'd play with a lose strand, or you'd let yourself get lost in whatever you were talking about and I would just lose all courage I built up. You were... stunning and I'd figure I could never be with you. Sometimes I still think that." Annabeth was still looking at the sand by her feet. Percy finally turned to look at her. Her face was deep in thought and Percy couldn't tell what she was thinking. Her hair danced in the gold light of the sun and her slightly tanned skin looked beautiful in the late afternoon sun. Percy couldn't believe she was his.

The silence grew uncomfortable for Percy. He started to get worried wondering what Annabeth was thinking. Maybe he said too much? Percy tried to back pedal through the conversation a little.

"Also, your stunning good looks." Percy said quickly. Annabeth looked at him sideways a little causing Percy to panic. "That helps. A little. It's not the only reason I'm dating you though. It just adds to everything else. If you got super ugly or something I'd still love you. Not that you would. Become ugly I mean. Cause you're really pretty. No. Beautiful? No! Stunning! Right? Yeah. You've got nice... everything." After a moment of nothing, Percy groaned.

"Nice one, Percy." He mumbled to himself. Annabeth, who was looking at him full on, now exploded with laughter. As it started to die down slightly, she leaned over and kissed him quickly.

"I liked your answer, Percy. I was just taking it all in. No need to try and recover from it though it was funny to see you freak out."

"You're killing me, Annabeth." He said.

"No, I'm not. You're stuck with me for a long, long time and I plan to keep it that way."

"Fine by me." Percy said smiling. "Just no more running off to save my life without telling me alright?" Annabeth smiled and kissed him again this time more slowly.

"That reminds me," Percy continued once he was done kissing her, "the blessing of Athena..." Percy waited a few moments to see if Annabeth objected to the line of questioning but she just looked at him, poker faced. "what was up with the armor?"

"What?"

"Your armor. When you got the blessing, you had less armor than I thought you would."

"I don't really remember Percy. I was a little distracted. What did it look like?"

"Uh... toga thing, armor plating on your arm."

"Which arm?"

"Left?"

"Huh. Probably compensating for my past injury. My left arm makes me a bit nervous since it doesn't work as well as it used to. The 'toga thing' was probably just for tradition. It takes a lot to hit someone who bares the blessing of Athena so it probably wouldn't matter if I got hit or not at that point. Good?" Percy nodded. Cloth armor still seemed stupid to him. She was starting to stand up from the sand.

"Come on, Seaweed brain." Annabeth put her hands out to the still sitting Percy, offering to help him up. He accepted, taking her hands and standing up in front of her.

"Where are we going?"

"In. I'm getting a sunburn." She responded as she picked up the towels and her book.

"Food?" He asked hesitantly. She simply laughed.

"Whatever you want." Percy stopped walking and looked at Annabeth as she moved ahead of him towards the house.

"Whatever I want?" He grinned.

"Oh no." He heard her say quietly. As fast as he could, he ran at her, picking her up bridal style and running towards the house, both of them laughing whole heartedly.

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Author notes: Hey everyone. Sorry about the slow updates. For a while, I was thinking about ending it with this chapter but you all seem to be diggin' it so I've got a few more chapters to throw down. Thanks for reading and thanks for the reviews / favs! They keep me writing!