Disclaimer: All characters belong to Rick Riordan. Story line is mine.

Chapter 25

Percy

One week after Rachel and I broke up, our relationship is better than ever. She paints and I stand behind her, giving her compliments. A new sunset every night. We find a new place to hang them up every night and then go out and buy supplies for the next sunset.

I love this Rachel. And I'm glad I fought to hold onto her.

And as for Annabeth, I have only seen her from afar. She sits and tans with Calypso then packs up and hides in the house again. She seems distracted and detached from everyone and when we invite her to go out with us, she always says no and stays in her house.

It's frustrating being so close to her yet being so far at the same time.

So the night that we decide to go to a beach party and she agrees, I realize it will be pure torture. And when we meet in front of her house to pick her up, the way Luke is flirting with Thalia leads me to believe that maybe I have a chance with Annabeth when she sees. And then I want to hit myself for being the guy that pounces on a girl when her boyfriend is a douche, and decide that I need to get myself buzzed if I plan to get through the night.

Especially when I see her walking down the stairs towards us. She has white high heels with a strap around the ankle, leading up her long, tan legs to a short white dress with blue flowers on the top, a necklace of the same turquoise color and glasses dangling from one hand. When she reaches the bottom with Calypso at her side, Luke leaves Thalia and grabs her hand. A hand I notice is adorned with the bracelet he gave her. They're as together as ever, apparently. She smiles and follows him, hugging Thalia and they walk in a line, the rest of us lagging behind.

Thalia has always kind of been around us, but never enough for me to take real notice. I also didn't become very good friends with Jason until last year.

When we finally arrive at the party, it's in full swing, despite the fact that the sun hasn't even set yet. A makeshift dance floor is surrounded by tiki lights, and the traditional campfire is off to the side. A keg and a table of drinks is off to another side and before I do anything else, I fill a red cup with beer and take a big drink.

Before I know it, I feel a warmth that I know leads to being drunk. Everyone is scattered around the party. Piper and Jason are out on the floor dancing, Rachel is talking to some dude with glasses and long hair, having a conversation about art that I overheard. Calypso and Leo are also dancing, and I catch Luke's hair in the campfire light, but my fuzzy brain doesn't register his lips on the wrong girl until the black hair shocks me out of my daze. My eyes widen and I immediately look around for Annabeth, not finding her by the table or around the campfire or anywhere on the beach, leaving me to look in the last place I can.

I try to part the crowd the best I can, looking around frantically to find Annabeth and show her the last sliver of proof that I have to show her we are meant to be. When I find her curly blonde hair, I almost yell what I mean to say at her until I see the shirtless guy in board shorts, with straying hands behind her. She has a cup that's matching mine and I almost laugh at the thought until I see Mr. DoucheyPant's hands wander a little low on her hips for me to be comfortable.

Her smile is big and a little more drunk than mine used to be before I rip through the rest of the grinding teenagers and yank her away from the guy and give him the fakest apologetic smile I can. I pull Annabeth against my own chest and her wild gray eyes turn from happiness to an unimaginable anger that I have to ignore if I don't want to spew everything I have eaten and drank in the past day out on the floor.

Her lips pouts and I see a million emotions cross her face before her eyes focus in on me and I see the tears forming. I leave one hand on her waist, keeping her from bolting from me and my other hand goes to her face, preparing to scoop up the tears that do manage to escape. I won't be a cause for pain anymore. I want to love her.

"When?" The question scrapes through my throat as I take one of her arms and wrap it around my waist, holding it there and moving my hips to the music. She whimpers and struggles trying to separate from me before she succumbs and moves with me.

"Last week," she responds, biting her lip. "What are you doing?" she asks me, looking at Rachel behind me and cringing.

"We are done." I answer the question she really asked. "It was always you."

She looks away and I can tell she is trying to clear her brain because her thinking wrinkle between her eyebrows is making it's presence known.

"You're lying." Her tone makes me release her and gives her the chance to run off the floor before I quickly catch her on the beach.

She takes her heels off and runs as fast as she can, but I yank her arm once again and her body crashes into mine before I grab her chin and lead her lips to mine.

And it's like an explosion of a star nova. It's nothing compared to the pleasure of winning, or anything really. This is the only thing I need.

Her lips are as soft as they always look and her face is wet, so I pull back a little and kiss her tears all the way to their origin and I kiss her eyelids. Gods. In this moment I know there will never be anyone as beautiful as her, even with tear stains and the most pained expression I have seen in my life.

"I want you. I want you in my arms. I want to love you. I want to be with you. I want to be your always."

She lets out a sob before crumbling into me and I lift her, collapsing into the sand, laying her down like she's a piece of fine china. The most beautiful and fragile thing in the world. Her chest rises and falls with every breath and her heels plop into the sand as she touches my cheek and pulls her self up to me. My elbow supports us as I let my hand roam to her hip, then up her back, rubbing and trying to get her as close as I can.

Her kisses are salty, and her lips open to mine quickly, pushing into mine and the faintest sigh escapes as my tongue mingles with hers. This is raw and passionate, the most primal feelings flowing between us. I kiss down her long neck and her collarbone, kissing the little hollow under her throat. My hands are everywhere and they go to the hem of her dress before I give myself a wake up call and jerk away from her.

"We're drunk. We can't do this."

She whimpers and tries to pull me down again before I lift her bridal style and allow her to grab her shoes. She leaves them in her lap and laces her arms around my neck and burrows her head into my shoulder.

She kisses my neck and shoulder all the way back down the beach to Jason's house. I start to head to hers before she freezes and stops kissing me, saying, "I can't go home like this."

I understand immediately and head up the hill to my temporary residence. I slide the door open with one hand and Annabeth adjusts herself so her legs are wrapped around my waist and her arms are still around my neck, holding her heels. I hold her up with an arm around her waist, scared to touch any part of her until she is ready and consents it.

I tip toe as quietly as I can past the living room where Marcus has a sleeping Reyna on his arm, wrapping a blanket around her. She got sick about two days ago, a fever breaking out and Marcus has been with her the whole time, despite the beautiful beach outside. His eyes widen and he smirks, giving me a little thumbs up and turning his attention back to the glowing TV.

I push my bedroom door open with a foot and lay Annabeth on the bed, adjusting her under the covers and setting her shoes down. I kiss her forehead and begin to lay in a comfy chair in the corner before I hear her.

"Lay with me." I almost don't hear but when I see her sitting up, with rumpled hair and a rumpled dress, her eyes wide and innocent, I slip my shorts off, leaving my boxers on and slide in next to her. I keep my distance until she pulls me to her, tangling our legs and slipping her hand around my waist, her long fingers teasing the skin over my ribs. Her lips rest at space between my shoulder and neck, and her breath sends a tingle down my spine. My arms go around her tiny waist, and I curl her little body into me, pulling the covers over us.

A/N: IT HAS HAPPENED. THE PERCABETH HAS HAPPENED. Sorry it took so long, seriously. I just wanted some good plot build up. But there you go.

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