Beep! Beep! Beep!

The sound of the microwave went off and as Percy pulled the door open, the sweet smell of popcorn filling his nose. He popped one into his mouth and headed back into his living room, flashing a grin at Annabeth who was sitting on his sofa.

"Hurry up," she said, gesturing for him to walk faster. "Peter's about to figure out which island Neal ran away to."

Percy chuckled and plopped down next to her, setting the bowl down on his coffee table. Annabeth really did love White Collar as much as him. They'd been going back and forth at each other's apartments when they had a spare moment, usually after work now that they'd been leaving a few hours earlier per Chiron's order in order to allot them more opportunity for their little side project.

Except he hadn't really been spending every waking moment thinking about it anymore. And judging from how intently Annabeth was focused on this show that she'd already watched at least five times before, she wasn't either.

The competition was becoming less and less of a priority, truth be told.

Of course, it was important to him and he still wanted to win, having been working hard on his design when they weren't together, it's just that he really enjoyed spending time with her like this. And it made him feel like a complete idiot because of how well they fell into tandem.

They could've resolved the issues and miscommunications between them easily if one of them had just sucked up their pride. Honestly, he should've just reached out, after a while of course when the sting became less and less. He was never one to hold grudges, especially not with her and over something like that.

If he had, perhaps they could've been like this years ago.

Maybe even something more.

"I thought this part was so smart," Annabeth commented, eyes glued to the screen with a little smile of wonder on her face. "Who even thinks about church bells during a phone call like this? And the fact that Peter remembered it."

Percy watched her fondly. And then, like he was in a trance, he just couldn't look away. She was wearing the comfortable clothes she had brought over, a baggy T-shirt and gym shorts. So naturally, his gaze slipped down a bit to glance at the smooth expanse of her creamy, toned thighs and mile long legs.

How could someone be so adorable and just straight up fucking sexy at the same time? She wasn't even trying. He quickly looked away, back at the screen, and ran his tongue over his teeth. Fuck, she was gorgeous.

He wanted to forget watching the show and pin her down to the sofa, kissing her and getting his hands all over her skin. He wanted to hold her down and spread her legs wide, kissing up her thighs and teasing her until she was trembling and crying out for him. Only then would he get his mouth on her, looking up and watching as he made her scream —

Percy quickly snatched up one of his sofa pillows and placed it over his lap.

Why did his mind have to go there right now? She definitely wouldn't appreciate thoughts like that.

"Yeah," he murmured, hoping he didn't have to get up anytime soon. "Mad smart…"

As the episode was wrapping up, Annabeth picked up the remote and paused the screen. He looked at her expectantly when she shifted to face him fully, legs crossed and a serious look on her face. Regarding her warily, he turned to give her the same attention, laying his arm along the top of the sofa's back.

"I have something very important to discuss with you."

Well, that wasn't at all ominous.

"You're not dying, are you?" He asked. "That's not a good enough excuse to get out of the competition."

She smirked, all dazzling and confident. "I'm not gonna make it that easy for you. No, I wanted to ask…" She built up suspense only to ask, "Who's your favorite love interest for Neal?"

Percy felt like this was one of those moments when a cartoon character suddenly face planted on the floor. He chuckled and shook his head.

"Drama queen. Okay, let's say it at the same time."

Annabeth nodded. "Okay. Three, two one—"

"Sara," he said at the same time she said, "Alexandra."

They regarded each other for a second that seemed to span a little too long.

"Okay, first of all, everyone calls her Alex, why're you saying her full name?"

"Because her full name is awesome."

Percy nodded, satisfied. "Good point." But her opinion was not so. "Alex was the second best for him, in my opinion. I mean, she was probably the coolest 'cause she was the most similar to Neal, but—"

"She is not second best!" Annabeth refuted vehemently. "Alex cared about him for the longest time and they would've totally been the power couple in the show. Can you imagine the crimes they could've committed together?"

"Sure. But just based on compatibility, I feel like Sara understood and cared about Neal the most. And their story is the most fleshed out of the bunch. Alex always had a lot of other agendas whenever she was with Neal."

"—Alex definitely understood him better…"

After a few more pretty valid points from both parties, it seemed they were at an impasse, firm in their ships. Percy couldn't help but smile, he loved their back and forths; she was always willing to meet his challenge at every point no matter the subject. It was fun and he enjoyed every moment of it.

"Well, as long as you hate Kate," Annabeth surmised.

He was only so happy to agree. "Oh, definitely. She was terrible for him, gaslighting and double crossing him like that after everything they'd been through. Such a shame."

"Yeah." Annabeth threw a handful of popcorn into her mouth. "There's something familiar to me about Kate's actress though. Alexandra Daddario."

"Hm, what's that?"

"I dunno. Probably some shitty movie she played in. I think there were two of them before the series got canceled but the name is escaping me."

"Oh." Percy hummed thoughtfully. "Heard she got engaged recently though. That's pretty cool."

"Good for her," she said, reaching over to resume the show. "Wait, you're not bored, are you? We can do something else if you want."

"I'm definitely not bored," he said, shooting her a reassuring smile. Honestly, he was having a blast. How could he not when he was with her? "Oh hey, this is when they sneak into the mansion…"

Hours went by as they talked and laughed while watching their favorite show. Time seemed to just fly on by whenever he was with her. He hadn't even glanced at the clock once since they'd come back to his place, but somehow it was already after midnight.

A spine rattling jolt went through his body as he froze.

Annabeth had just laid her head on his shoulder. She seemed content to stay there, which was completely fine with him. A brief moment of internal panic later, Percy relaxed and pressed his cheek against the crown of her head. She didn't appear to mind as she rested more of her weight on him.

They sat there, comfortable in each other's silent company for a while, watching the show go on, the smell of lemons and the tickle of her hair both very welcome sensations. It took Percy quite a bit longer than he'd like to admit to realize that she was in fact asleep.

Chuckling quietly, he gently held the side of her face and slid out from next to her before picking her up. His heart nearly burst at the feel of her snuggling deeper into his chest as he carried her to his room. He moved slowly so as not to disturb her and placed her atop his bed before covering her with the duvet. She made the most precious noise as she relaxed into his pillow.

Gone was the badass architect who could strike thunder with a glance, and in her place, the most adorable thing in existence. The lines of her face all smoothened as breaths left her in soft little puffs. Percy looked down at her with a little smile, and reached out, the back of his index finger skimming along her cheek as he brushed a curl away from her face.

"Sweet dreams, Beth," he whispered and left the room.

-xo-

"It's been way too long since we've gone out like this."

"I know," Annabeth sighed, smiling slightly at the sight of her best friend's arms full of shopping bags. "I've been busy."

"Yeah, busy fucking Mr. Hottie."

"Silena!" Annabeth hissed, cringing at how many people must've heard her. Queens Center Mall was always busy, especially now during the holiday season. "Have some class."

"Oh, shut up," she admonished. "This is New York, nobody cares. Now tell me, do you guys roleplay with your work outfits? Like—" she turned her voice more high pitched, mocking a secretary. "Annabeth Chase, Mr. Jackson will see you now."

Annabeth unwillingly laughed. "We're not fucking!"

"So you slept over at his place the other night doing what? Having tea parties while talking about buildings?"

She blushed remembering how she'd woken up on his bed and not the sofa. And soon had to struggle to contain her laughter when she found his tall form sprawled across the sofa, one leg up on the top ridge. They had made breakfast together that morning before she went home. The whole situation was far more domestic than she was used to, and it made her feel for him that much more.

"We were just watching TV—"

"Did he eat you out on his drafting table?"

The tips of her ears went pink. "You are so weird."

Silena ignored her. "I'll bet he has all sorts of belts and ties in that room he keeps locked. I never thought you'd be the type to like getting tied up, though. But Percy Jackson can certainly make you explore your inner inhibitions—"

"Silena, oh my god. Stop it!" Annabeth clamped her hand around her mouth, and she couldn't stop her with her hands full. She struggled, grousing a muffled geroffme against her palm. "You gonna behave?"

At another muffled sound of affirmation, she let her go. As she did, Annabeth couldn't help but think about some of the things Silena said. Scenarios similar to what she described were not very off kilter to picture. A low ache pulsed between her legs, heat pooling just below her navel as she pressed her thighs together.

And truth be told, she was rather curious about that locked room in his apartment, especially because he was transparent about everything else. It clearly wasn't a closet given the layout. She didn't ask about it though, maybe it was something private.

"So damn aggressive," Silena tsked, readjusting her bags. "Pretty sure Percy would love to fuck it out of you."

Annabeth swallowed roughly, her imagination hurtling into dangerous territory once more. She could vividly picture Percy's hoarse voice in her ear, murmuring filthy things; his hard muscled, naked form hovering over her with that sinful smirk of his, ready to take and devour all she had to offer—

Blushing furiously, she shook her head. "Don't you feel weird talking about him like that? He's your friend too."

"No," Silena said blankly. "I'll objectify men whenever I want. Except Charlie… sometimes… not really."

Annabeth sighed. Objectify probably wasn't even the word for it, but Silena had been saying things like that for a long time. But now that she and Percy were actually hanging out, it became a lot worse. When Silena caught wind of it, she was almost unbearable at work—pestering her every time she stopped by her floor. Annabeth only hoped she didn't say things like that to Percy as well.

Oh yeah, Silena was a graphic designer for the company. They'd started working roughly around the same time and had hit it off instantly. Practically sisters at this point.

"Yeah, well, keep it to yourself, horny little bitch."

"Hey, at least I own up to it," she said with a proud grin. "You on the other hand have some serious sexual tension with Percy that you refuse to acknowledge. I'm literally spelling it out for you and you're ignoring me."

"Mhm."

"You two need to fuck."

"Shut up."

"Just put me out of my misery and admit your feelings already."

"Okay."

"You two are literally made for each other."

"Uh huh."

"You really don't see it, do you?"

"That's nice."

Annabeth was indeed tuning most of her words out, suddenly distracted by something she spotted along the way. A kiosk. Would they have it? They should. If not, then she'd have to wait two days for Amazon to deliver one. Two days, huh? Not too bad. Thank god for Prime. But sometimes those two days turned into a week, and that would be really inopportune—

"Annie!"

"What?" She swiveled to face her again. At Silena's expectant (and scathing) glare, she groaned. Why'd she have to be friends with a hopeless romantic? And such a crude one at that. "Look, Sil, he doesn't see me like that and I certainly don't see him like that either. We're just friends. Why is that so hard to understand?"

Silena shook her head tiredly. "Oh, sweet summer child. Friends don't look at friends that way."

Well, part of that was technically true. Her birthday was in July. "Yeah, hold that thought," Annabeth murmured when the items in the kiosk became more visible as they got closer. "I'm gonna go buy something, gimme a second."

Annabeth shuffled over to the kiosk and eagerly looked over the selection below the glass. Her eyes locked onto one item in particular. Yeah, this would do nicely. Paying, she gathered up the small white bag and bound back toward Silena who was waiting with a questioning look on her face.

"Well, what'd you buy? A phone case?"

"No," Annabeth said, taking a box out of the bag and showing its contents to her. "It's nice, right?"

"Yeah, it is." Silena glossed over it with an appraising look. "Who's it for? You?"

"No, it's for Percy."

"Percy?" She echoed, surprised.

Annabeth nodded, explaining exactly what it was and why she bought it for him. The entire time she was smiling, gesturing animatedly, recalling the particular memories that gave her reason to make this purchase. Little laughs filled her recollection and for once her friend stayed silent until she was done.

Silena let out a breath and smiled, exasperated yet fond. "Just friends, huh?" A beat. "You're so full of shit."

She didn't bother to give that remark a response, too excited to see the look on Percy's face when she presented it to him. For the first time in forever, she was excited to go to work on a Monday morning.

And when that Monday came, the first thing she did was march straight into Percy's office. The man in question was sitting in his chair and had his back turned to her, feet propped up on the window ridge as he talked to someone on the phone. Annabeth smirked; her entrance hadn't perturbed him a bit, meaning he hadn't heard her enter. She took the liberty to occupy one of the two seats in front of his desk and waited til he turned.

"... Of course, man," he told the person on the line. He was always far too casual with most clients. "It's like watching the sun rise and set at the same time. You wouldn't want to face your panes any other way… Yeah… twenty five to thirty, maybe even thirty two… it's not cheap, but you're getting a better deal than at—yeah… alright, let me know what you decide. Yup, call me back whenever… Alright bro."

Percy swung his legs down and swiveled around, docking the phone. Idly, she noticed a faint smattering of what seemed like paint on the underside of his forearm. He was about to type something up on his computer until he finally took notice of her. He did a double take and she took great delight watching the strike of surprise enter and contort over his face.

"Hi."

"Holy shit!" Percy yelled, jumping out of his skin and to his feet. "Annabeth! What the fuck…"

Annabeth burst into giggles, shaking in her chair as she watched him slowly sit back down. She needed to do this more if this was the reaction she'd get.

"Scaredy cat," she teased, receiving a huff in return.

"You're just scary looking. That's all."

"So clever," she noted sarcastically. "You call your clients 'bro'?"

He shrugged. "I call everyone bro. So, what brings you to my office? Need some tips with your designs?"

Annabeth laughed. How was it always so easy for him to make her happy?

"In your dreams. I'd like my buildings to remain standing."

"Ha-ha," he mocked.

They shared a little grin.

"So, um, here." She brought up the white bag and slid it toward him. "I got you a little something."

"Annabeth—"

"Don't complain," she interrupted, holding up a stern hand. "Just open it."

Percy sighed with a little smile, burying his arguments, and withdrew a small black box. Glancing at her quickly, he pulled back the clasped lid, eyebrows rising at the sight of the object. Nervousness began to prick at her. Would he like it? Was it… overstepping?

"Beth," he breathed, sending a rush of emotions through her. He'd taken to calling her that when they were in private. "Is this…?"

"Yeah."

In his fingers was a ring. No, not engagement kind—

"I know we played at being married," he started, examining all of the ring like there was so much of it to look at. She should've known he'd say something like this. "But proposing might be taking the game a little too seriously."

Annabeth nudged his hand, laughing. "Just put the stupid ring on, you idiot."

"Okay, okay."

He adorned it on his index finger, an exact fit, thank god. Her estimation of his ring size had been correct. And it looked damned good on him, perfect for his nice hands.

It was an anxiety ring made of black stainless steel. His thumb moved to spin the blue twined curb chain inlaid along the middle, smiling at the smoothness of it. Annabeth had to smile too, it made him happy, and it was completely quiet.

"I remember you had one a few years ago. God, that thing was annoying," she said, templing her fingers at the thought of it. "It sounded like nails on a chalkboard whenever you spun it."

He shot her a sheepish look. "Was it really that bad?"

"You have no idea how many times I wanted to shove my pencil in your eye because of it."

"That's a lovely thought. It's a good thing I lost it then."

"Very good thing."

"I've been meaning to get another one, but I just haven't gotten around to it."

Annabeth grinned. "Good. That works out well for me."

Truth of the matter was, Percy was very fidgety when he got stressed. She'd seen it in person; they had a library room on the floor above where architects, mainly their juniors, could go to work on their designs and do research if need be, and whenever he was in there as opposed to his office, she knew he was feeling swamped.

Back when they were in lower positions, stuck without an office and forced to work in lame cubicles, they'd spent quite a bit of time together in that library. Not talking all that much, but just doing their work near each other in comfortable silence.

Silence save for that godforsaken screeching. His old ring had probably been worn down if it sounded how it did. And if he'd lost it, then dealing with his anxiety must've been just that much harder since then. So if this new one made the littlest dent in calming him, she was incredibly glad to have gotten it for him.

And also, blue was his favorite color.

"This is great," he said, still entranced by the little object. "Now I feel bad I didn't get you anything."

Annabeth shook her head, smiling. "This is a surprise gift. Stop being a do-gooder for five seconds and enjoy it."

"I will," Percy confirmed, making a show of spinning it one more time. She giggled. "Thank you so much, Annabeth. I love it."

"You're welcome." Smiling at him one last time, she got up and picked up her purse. "Well, I should probably go do some work. I'll see you later."

Percy nodded, a little reluctantly for some reason. "Yeah." When she reached his door, he called out to her again. He was grinning that handsome grin of his. "But, uh, hey—when are you taking your break?"

"Um," she looked down at her phone. 8:17. "Probably like two, two thirty."

"Great. Let's get lunch together."

Warmth filled her heart and mind as she agreed. "I'd like that."