Annabeth lay awake long after Percy had fallen asleep. The room was dim, lit only by the faint light filtering in around the curtains from the street outside. If she turned her head to the right, a faint strip of light outlined the hotel room door. The TV was off. The air conditioner hummed, filling the room with a soothing white noise. Under that, she could hear Percy's deep, even breathing from where he lay about a foot away from her in the king-size bed. She wiggled a few inches farther away from him so she could stretch out a little more without worrying about waking him up.

They were spending their first of two nights in Boston, helping her cousin Magnus train. They'd driven up from New York just in time to meet Magnus and his friend Alex for lunch, then spent the afternoon getting started on some basics of sailing and ship parts. The plan was to hit some of the combat and water stuff tomorrow. After the einherji returned to their magical, interdimensional hotel, Annabeth fully expected that she and Percy would grab fast food and just chill in their hotel for a while. Instead, to her complete shock, he revealed that he'd made dinner reservations at a relatively nice (though still affordable) restaurant. She must have looked as surprised as she felt, because he shrugged and said, a little nervously, "I just thought it'd be nice. We've been so busy with school and stuff, and now that's over, so I figured we could have a graduation celebration dinner. You know, just us."

Annabeth smiled slowly, then took his arm, leaning into him briefly. "That sounds perfect."

It was. After dinner, they strolled around Boston for a bit, just enjoying the beautiful summer evening and, in Annabeth's case anyway, admiring the architecture. It was, she reflected as they went back to their hotel later, a perfect evening. And romantic, she had to admit, while Percy was in the shower. Given the craziness of school the last few months, on top of the usual weird demigod stuff, and Percy having a brand new baby sister who took up about 90% of everyone's attention at any given moment (and rightly so, Estelle was absolutely adorable), they hadn't really had time alone like this in…well, a while. Sitting on the edge of the bed, aimlessly flipping through the TV channels, Annabeth felt butterflies start to dance in her stomach.

They started to spin a little faster when Percy came out of the bathroom wearing basketball shorts and a gray t-shirt, his hair still damp, and a lazy, contented smile on his face when he saw her. She smiled back, hoping it didn't look as nervous as she felt when he dropped onto the bed next to her and asked, "Anything good on?"

"Nope." She handed him the remote. "But you can keep looking while I get a shower."

"I'm on it," he said seriously, and she laughed before escaping into the bathroom.

She couldn't escape her thoughts, though. He hadn't said anything. There was absolutely zero indication he'd planned for this weekend to be anything but helping her cousin train, and maybe sneaking in a romantic dinner. But they weren't meeting Magnus until after nine tomorrow. And they were alone in the hotel. And her thoughts just kept going in one very specific direction. Because it had been a really great night. And, while they'd been taking steps forward all year, they hadn't really had time or a good place to take that major final step yet. Was there any reason for it not to be tonight? Annabeth racked her brain the entire time she was in the shower, but she really couldn't think of a good reason. The thought had crossed her mind earlier in the week, so she was prepared. It was just a big step. And everything was so easy and good between them, she was scared to take the risk. But she also really, really wanted to. Once she'd dried off and changed into her own t-shirt and pajama shorts, she stood in front of the mirror yanking the brush through her tangled, wet hair, still wrestling with the decision.

But when she walked out of the bathroom and saw Percy still sitting on the edge of the bed, lounging back on his elbows and grinning as he watched some old comedy movie, the decision was made. She didn't know why it hit her. There was nothing particularly extra attractive about him right in that moment. Except that the whole day had just seemed so comfortable. They'd had a great drive up, playing music, talking, laughing, going back over fun, non-traumatic moments of quests and their last year of high school. Then hanging out with Magnus and Alex. And the dinner and evening. And it had all just reminded her how much she really loved him, and that she was pretty sure he felt the same way about her. And she was running out of reasons to not do it.

So she perched on the edge of the bed beside him. Percy smiled again and raised a hand to lazily rest it on her back. "Hey, Wise Girl."

"Hey, Seaweed Brain." They watched the movie in comfortable silence for a few minutes while Annabeth tried to summon her courage and figure out how to start the conversation. Finally, during a commercial break, she said, "Thanks for dinner tonight. That was really sweet."

"No problem. Glad you liked it."

"And thanks for coming up here with me to help Magnus. I really appreciate it."

"Of course." He sat up and kissed her cheek. "Plus we get to just hang out for a while, so that's a bonus."

"Definitely." Annabeth fiddled with a loose thread on the edge of her old, fraying pajama shorts. "Which…um…so, I was thinking…"

"Yeah?" Percy suddenly looked a tiny bit wary, which made Annabeth relax.

"Nothing bad." His hand was resting on the bed, pressing into the mattress next to her leg, which also made it almost impossible to hold. So instead, she curled her fingers around his wrist. "I was just thinking, remember last weekend? After the movie?"

"Oh. Yeah." Percy tried and failed to hide the fact that he was smirking. Annabeth rolled her eyes and kicked him in the ankle, but to be fair, he had a perfectly good reason. It had been their first date night since graduation and, after a very traditional and well-behaved dinner and a movie, they'd driven to the coast, found an empty beach parking lot, and…ahem…possibly fogged up the car windows. Just a little bit. They still hadn't "gone all the way", as it were, but they'd definitely made their way around several of the bases.

"Anyway," she continued, "I was thinking, since we're here, maybe, tonight, we could, um…not stop?"

"Not stop?" A nervous but excited look flitted across Percy's face. "Like…not stop?"

"Yeah." Annabeth tightened her fingers around his wrist.

Percy studied her face, then asked gently, "Are you sure?"

She took a deep breath, then met his eyes. "Yeah. I am." Nudging his knee with hers, she asked, "Are you?"

Percy swallowed, but said, "I think so. Yeah, yeah, I am," he added quickly when she gave him a look. He shifted his weight so he could lift his hand and lace his fingers through hers. "As long as you're good."

"I'm good." She squeezed his hand. "Promise."

"Okay." Percy suddenly winced. "Um, except, I just realized we don't have any—"

Annabeth blushed. "Actually, I brought some."

"You did?" When she nodded, he slowly grinned, then kissed her cheek. "That's why you're the brains."

She nudged his knee again. "Don't forget it."

"Haven't yet."

That sentence, and the look he gave her, kind of made Annabeth melt. She bit her lip. The TV was still droning low in the background. The light was soft and golden from the lamps. The butterflies in Annabeth's stomach were alternating between nervous fluttering and steady stillness.

"So, um," Percy tapped the fingers of his free hand on his knee nervously, "how do we, uh, start?"

Annabeth shook her head and laughed lightly. "Just kiss me, Seaweed Brain. I'm pretty sure we can figure it out from there."

They did. And it wasn't perfect, and it was occasionally a little awkward and weird and different. But also kind of wonderful. And definitely special. Afterwards, curled against Percy's chest, Annabeth felt warm and comfortably content. Especially with the way he was holding her gently, like she was something precious. She'd been a little afraid things would be awkward, but it was okay. They talked a bit, and laughed a little, and then, after a while, they'd drifted off to sleep. Or at least, Percy had. Annabeth hadn't quite been able to shut off her brain enough to sleep.

Now, she rolled onto her side to look at Percy's sleeping form. She'd put her pajamas back on and he'd put on his shorts, but not his shirt. The blanket had slipped down to his waist revealing his bare back as he was sleeping on his stomach, face pressed to the pillow. Not drooling. At least, not yet. Annabeth smirked to herself, but it faded quickly. Percy looked so peaceful asleep. She'd heard horror stories from girls at school about their boyfriends walking out shortly after they "gave it up" but she wasn't worried about that. She knew she didn't have to be. What did scare her, sometimes, was just how much he cared about her. But she figured that went both ways, so it was okay.

Despite the fact that before she'd shifted away, now she scooted closer. Reaching out, as lightly as possible, she ran her fingers over his bare back. His skin was warm. She wasn't trying to wake him up; she'd just really wanted to touch him. Just because. After a few moments, though, Percy jerked awake, like he was startled.

Annabeth snatched her hand away. "Sorry."

"That's okay." Percy tried to surreptitiously check if he'd been drooling, and Annabeth bit back a smile. "What's—um—everything okay?"

"Yeah." Annabeth half shrugged. "Just couldn't sleep."

Percy pushed himself up on an elbow so he could study her face, then reached out to take her hand. "You sure you're okay?"

There was a small furrow between Percy's eyebrows, which made Annabeth smile slightly as she said, "You're cute when you worry. But I'm fine. Honestly," she added when he raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Just…thinking."

"That's a dangerous thing to do."

"Oh I know." She twisted her hand so she could slide her fingers through Percy's, loving the feeling in her stomach and chest as his fingers curled securely around hers. "Want to see if there's a movie on or something?"

Percy studied her for another moment, then said, "Sure." He rolled over to grab the remote. When he settled back against the pillows, Annabeth snuggled against his side. Percy flipped through a few channels until he found a random romantic comedy that they'd seen before. Then he set the remote back down and his arm settled around Annabeth's shoulders. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "So what were you thinking about that's keeping you up?"

Annabeth shrugged. "A lot of things. Nothing bad. Mostly just glad that things worked out and we could be here together. It almost seems hard to believe, after everything."

"Yeah." Percy kissed the top of her head again. His voice was a little nervous, though, when he said, "So you weren't still awake thinking that you made a big mistake?"

Annabeth bit her lip to hide a smile, then turned so she could meet his eyes, putting a hand lightly on his cheek. "Definitely not." She kissed him and it sent the usual thrill through her. When she pulled away, though, she asked, teasingly, "Was that what you were thinking?"

"No way!" Percy practically yelped. When she started laughing, he relaxed again and shook his head. "That was definitely not what I was thinking."

Annabeth laughed again and kissed his cheek. "So what were you thinking?"

"Before I fell asleep? I was thinking that you're amazing. And I can't believe how lucky I am. And I kind of can't believe we graduated from high school and we're leaving for college in a few weeks. It sort of feels surreal, you know?"

"Yes," Annabeth nodded vigorously. "It totally does. But it's true. We did it." When the hint of a smirk flickered over Percy's face, she smacked his chest lightly. "You know what I meant."

"Yeah, I do." He put both arms around her, pulling her close, and kissed her forehead. Annabeth relaxed back against his side, feeling warm and comfortable and safe.

For a few minutes, they watched the movie in quiet. Then, finally, Annabeth said, "It's funny, though, isn't it?"

"This scene? I don't know, it's okay, but that earlier one was a lot more—"

"No, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I mean, this," she gestured between them, "just seems normal. Isn't that kind of funny?"

Percy's eyebrows knit. "Why wouldn't it be?" When she gave him an are-you-kidding-me look, his eyes widened and he said, "Oh. Because…oh. Obviously." A sheepish smile. "Sorry. But why would it be different?"

"I don't know. Just because that's this big deal thing… and it was, definitely," she added hurriedly, "but now, I don't know, it just feels normal. Aren't you supposed to feel different?"

"I don't know. Are you?"

"That's what people say."

"Since when do you care about what people say?"

Annabeth hesitated, because he had her there. "I don't, not really. But I'm saying, that was one of the reasons I kept waiting. Because I was afraid things would be different after. And things were so good. But they're still good. We're still just us."

"Yeah." This was such a woefully inadequate response that Annabeth gave him a look and he added, "I mean, yeah, we are. I don't know how to be anything else. You're always you. I like that." He squeezed her shoulders. "And we're good. Right?"

Annabeth studied him. His hair was a mess, sticking up all over the place. There was still a slight furrow between his eyebrows, telling her he was still a little worried that she was awake because she wasn't totally okay with what they'd done. In the light of the TV, his green eyes were faintly tinted blue. Her eyes drifted to his lips, set in a slightly quizzical line as he watched her watch him. She leaned up and lightly pressed her lips to his, lingering there until she felt his arms tighten around her. After a few more moments, she pulled away and met his eyes again. "Right."

"Huh?"

Annabeth laughed at his slightly dazed expression, before affectionately murmuring, "Seaweed Brain," and kissing him again. She pressed her palms against his chest, feeling his heart beat faster beneath her fingertips. His hand came up to cup her cheek, thumb tracing her cheekbone before his fingers tangled in her hair, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. Annabeth relaxed into him and that was the moment she realized things were different. It felt like an invisible barrier between them had come down. She hadn't realized that, before, they'd both been holding back a bit, knowing that there was a stopping point, a line out there that they weren't ready to cross. And now they'd crossed it. And even just kissing felt…different. Better. More, somehow. A feeling she couldn't quite put into words. But when they finally broke apart, it left her breathless and smiling.

"I love you," Percy said quietly, his fingers sliding from her hair, brushing along her neck and cheek. "I hope you know that. I mean, I know a lot of guys, um…but this wasn't just like a one time thing for me. Annabeth, you and I, that's…that's permanent." He ducked his head, a flush creeping up his neck. "If, you know, you want it to be."

Gods, he was sweet. And cute. And kind of making her heart race right now. "I know, Percy. I'm pretty sure you're the same guy who told me last summer that you were thinking about our future home and…and life. Besides, after everything, I'm not worried about you running out in the morning. Promise." When he gave her a relieved smile, she took his hand, lacing their fingers together again. "And I definitely want us to be permanent. I love you, too."

There was a very particular way Percy's eyes lit up every time she told him she loved him. It made a happy bubble bloom in her chest. So she kissed him again, leaning back into the pillows and tugging him with her, running her hands over his back and arms, letting him press her into the bed. When they finally surfaced, out of breath and a little more tousled, he whispered something in her ear that made her actually giggle. When she whispered something back to him, he grinned and kissed the tip of her nose. Then her forehead. Then her lips again. After a few more minutes of distraction, they finally settled back and curled up to watch the end of the movie.

Annabeth was finally starting to feel drowsy as she snuggled beneath the covers, lying half on the pillows and half on Percy. It was hard to remember why she'd felt so nervous before. After everything else they'd been through, it only felt right that they'd share this experience, too. Just one of the many benefits of falling in love with her best friend. She twined her fingers through his again and cuddled closer against his side. Percy's hand ran lightly up and down her arm, his fingers leaving goosebumps in their wake. Annabeth relaxed against him, soaking in the safe and comfortable feeling of being together, until she finally drifted off to sleep.