Hey, y'all!

I got so many reviews yesterday it's actually insane. Seriously. I am shocked.

Some of them were really random and funny but I don't think I should take up all that space and respond to all of them, so I'll just shout people out!

Alrighty, let's get started.

A major thank you to

Sus Imposter, MerlinIsAwesomeDon'tArgue, China be like, Oleander, FlatEarther, Dan, GetShr3ked, Churchill, JohnXina, Jim Jones, xXUrMomXx and SigmaMale for reviewing!!!

Another thank you to

MerlinIsAwesomeDon'tArgue and ffb93tomp47 for favoriting, and MerlinIsAwesomeDon'tArgue and KingJoeJoe101 for following!

Seriously, thank you.

3

Let's get to it!

(Disclaimer: I don't own these characters)

ANNABETH POV:

"Annabeth," Thalia said softly.

I looked up.

"If you don't go to him, you'll regret it."

I stared at her.

My insides were twisting and contradicting each other. One part of me screamed that she was right, that I needed to go right now.

The other said that it wasn't worth it.

One of them was louder.

I threw on my coat and hat and slipped on my boots, and grinned at Thalia in thanks.

It was snowing outside hard, and freezing but all that didn't matter in the slightest because the only thing that mattered was that I needed to find Percy, and at least tell him that I loved him.

I needed to try, because he had tried for me and he deserved to know.

I wanted him to be mine, I wanted to be his.

I wanted to love him for the rest of my life.

It made me feel sick that he thought that he might think it might be any different.

"I have to go, Thalia. Thank you."

She smiled. "You're so sentimental. Go get your man, Egghead."

I rolled my eyes and rushed out the door, looking around wondering which way I should go.

Where would Percy be right now? If he was sad and confused…

Water.

He always seemed to swim out all his problems. His connection to water was as adorable as it was amazing.

I silently thanked the gods that I knew the way to the gym. It was a mile and a half away, and it could be worse.

I didn't have a car, so sprinting would have to do.

I would run through a storm ten times worse and I would a thousand more miles if it meant I could be with him.

Or at least tell him that that was all I wanted. He was all I wanted.

I took a deep breath and took off. I squinted through the thick snow and took huge strides as I ran as fast as I could to get to him.

It was hard to breathe in the thin freezing air, but I didn't care.

I just needed to get to him.

I ran as fast as I could to Percy's gym, ignoring the snow creating a thick wall between me and my next step.

A couple of snowflakes got in my eyes, but I ignored them.

I was so glad that I did track in high school, giving it my all as I ran along sidewalks and across roads, barely missing cars and I made my way through the streets.

Finally, I saw the gym. I pushed out the last of my sprint that I had to make it those couple of steps until I could make it into the gym-

I was knocked to the ground. I had fallen directly onto a large patch of ice.

"Frick," I breathed out from the ground. I had a cut on my hand.

Who doesn't put salt on their sidewalks?

Who slips on ice only a couple feet from their destination? Me, I guess.

"Ow," I breathed out, catching my breath as clutched my hurt hand and tried to breathe through the pain. "Ow."

"Need any help?"

I looked up quickly to find Percy frowning above me with wet hair and a mix of anger and sympathy in his sea green eyes.

I cursed myself for having red cheeks and messy hair, and felt my face get even redder from embarrassment.

"Um…"

What the hell, Annabeth? Since when do you have nothing to say?

Percy frowned and held out his hand, and I took it, savoring the time he touched me as he pulled me up.

"Thanks," I whispered.

"Who doesn't salt their sidewalks?"

I could hear the barely masked pain in his voice, and it made me want to cry or run into his arms or run away or all three.

"That's exactly what I thought," I replied awkwardly.

We faced each other for a few seconds, staring at each other to see who would say something first.

"I-" I said.

"You-" He started at the same time.

Chuckling awkwardly, Percy started again. "You don't need to be here. We're okay."

I frowned. "What?"

Percy shrugged. "It's not a big deal, Annabeth. Really. You don't need to feel bad for not loving someone. It's not something you can control."

"Percy…" Say it, Annabeth. It doesn't matter how scared you are, you have to say it.

He gave me a small sad smile. "Don't worry, Beth. I'll get over you, and we can still be friends."

I was speechless.

He would get over me.

Right.

It was hard to fathom ever getting over Percy.

He was too perfect, and I was too in love with him to even think about a life where I didn't think about him everyday.

Oh gods, I needed to tell him now. But what if he didn't want me? What if he didn't forgive me?

What if I got hurt again?

Percy shrugged with a forced grin and made his way to his rusty old car parked a couple cars away.

I turned as I watched him walk away, and felt a tear slip down my cheek as I stood there in shock.

Percy was almost to his car.

I need to be brave.

He was close to walking away forever.

You're brave for the people you love.

He unlocked the door and opened it-

"Percy!" He turned with a frown.

I ran over to him and grabbed his forearms to get him to face me.

"Percy, I…" I tried to work up the courage just a little more.

"I have to go, Annabeth." His voice was resigned and I could feel him pulling away. "I need some time before I can-"

"I love you," I blurted out. "I'm in love with you, and I can't stand that you don't know that, but now I guess you do."

His eyes widened and he stared blankly at me, staying silent.

It made me panic.

"Oh gods, I'm rambling, aren't I? I do this when I'm nervous, and I'm so nervous right now. But you need to know, because I love-"

Percy kissed me. And it was perfect.

Snow whirled around us, the air was cold and his mouth was warm.

He pulled me closer to him so that our bodies were lined up perfectly with each other and took my wrists and placed them around his neck.

I ran my fingers through his hair and moaned softly as he massaged my tongue with his.

I couldn't get close enough. I couldn't get enough of him.

I had a feeling I never would.

I felt him smile into our kiss.

"I love you too," he whispered against my lips. I smiled back.

And we kissed, and kept kissing until our lips were swollen and bruised and we were panting heavily.

"I'm sorry," I murmured quietly when he pulled back, resting my forehead on his. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Wise Girl."

He pulled me into a tight embrace and I savored it with everything I had.

He tucked my head into his chest and placed his chin on my head. "My Seaweed Brain," I whispered into him.

He nodded over me. "Forever."

He clutched me tighter, and we held each other like that, for a long time.

Wow.

The end of an era. Not really.

Well it's not over yet! We still have en epilogue that I will post right after this, and then this will be complete.

Goddamn.

Still though, I have thank everyone here for reading and sticking with me.

I appreciate so much.

I love you all.

If you don't feel like you matter, you matter to me.

Thank you.

-wdw