Annabeth awoke Sunday morning already steeped deep in regret.

It sat somewhere around her gut, unlike the numerous sighs that usually occupied her lungs. It hung around her like a shadow all day as she tried to busy herself and focus on anything but her actions the night before.

She kissed Perseus Jackson. She kissed him.

And then he kissed her back .

She wasn't sure if that was better or worse.

And as for why she kissed him… Annabeth had theories. Theories she'd developed despite purposefully not thinking about it. They came to her as she did the dishes, as she showered the remnants of her makeup and hair spray off, as she sat cross legged on her couch, eating pasta straight out of the pot and watching trashy reality shows.

Theory one was a popular thought in her brain; she had actually lost her mind. The stress had gotten to her and she had suffered temporary insanity that resulted in kissing the one person from her work who had been unfortunate enough to have been close to her at the time.

Theory two wasn't nearly as exciting, but still a strong contender; it had been so long without kissing or touching another human, that like the insanity theory, she had a moment of lapsed judgment and had inflicted it upon the closest human being.

Theory three was deeply distressing; she didn't hate Percy as much as she wanted to.

Now as for why this was deeply distressing remained a mystery, but Annabeth's brain seemed determined to suss it out, even as she begged it to just drop the subject and let her have a moment's peace.

'We can figure it out tomorrow!' Annabeth protested as her mind spun like a hamster wheel with possibilities.

'Nope. Now.' Came the disappointing reply as she once again went over what exactly she didn't like about Percy.

He was… well, he'd been frustrating. He changed things. He talked about her without knowing her. But her focus grew hazy, and Annabeth carefully placed her pasta pot on the coffee table, flopped on her side, grabbed a pillow, and emitted the most pathetic scream she could muster into it.

Why was it so important to hate him anyway?

' He said I didn't like my job!' Annabeth reasoned.

'You don't like your job.' Her brain pointed out.

'He called me a crone.' She argued back.

'He didn't know that was you.' Her brain persisted.

'He said I had a stick up my–'

'Leo said that. Did you even hear Percy actually agree with anything he said?'

Annabeth paused, lowering her pillow slightly just in time to catch two reality show contestants smooching.

"Oh come on. " She complained out loud to no one in particular, "What about Casey?! She's been right there the whole– and you kiss Derek instead?! Ugh, Sierra better get voted off…"

'You're avoiding the question.' Her brain pushed again, and Annabeth threw her pillow at the tv screen, huffing and stalking back to the kitchen to search for an after dinner snack. She'd had enough of this annoying back and forth; even if it was with herself.

Monday came. Annabeth straightened her blazer, checking her reflection in a window before striding down the halls of the empty school, students having yet to begin trickling in. She had begged herself not to do anything special. It was just a regular day with a regular coworker, nothing more. Yet here she was, her lashes thick with mascara, her skin tone evened with a tinted moisturizer and her cheeks blushed. Her hair was clipped back messily, but an intentional mess, and she'd worn a skirt rather than slacks.

When she entered the office, Percy was already there, sorting papers. He looked up and smiled at her, which she did her best to not acknowledge as she slid into her seat and began pulling out her laptop, begging him to ignore her. Or notice her. Which did she want again?

She heard the wheels of his chair spin as he kicked away from his own desk and slid over to hers, grinning broadly once he had successfully glided up next to her.

"Hey."

"Hi." She didn't look at him.

"So about Saturday…"

"Mmhmm."

"We made out."

"Yes."

"We made out a lot ." He leaned forward, and Annabeth was unable to keep herself from turning to face him, their eyes locking, grey to green.

"And?"

"And I think we should do it again."

She snorted, "We're at work."

"I didn't say now, did I?"

"I'm busy tonight."

"I didn't say tonight, either."

Annabeth felt her brows raise, "So when did you mean?"

"Soon." He said simply.

"Soon." She repeated, trying to keep the incredulousness out of her voice with little success, "Unfortunately, I don't think that's a good idea–"

"Oh it's a terrible idea." Percy agreed easily, "That's why we should do it."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, turning back to her laptop, "And why should we do something that's a terrible idea?"

"Because last night was the closest we've ever come to getting along and I liked it." Percy rested his chin in his hand, his elbow on the edge of her desk, "Come on, Annabeth. Make out with me more."

"And is that all you want? To makeout with a coworker who doesn't even like you that much?"

He gives her a lopsided smile, "I think you like me more than you let on, considering you kissed me first. And I wouldn't complain if we did more."

"From what I recall, you're the one who put an end to that on Saturday."

He gives her a look, "Please, I'm not perfect but I'm not going to hook up with a girl who isn't sober. That's just…" Percy made a face.

"Right." For what it was worth, Annabeth didn't think she was that drunk, but she could appreciate the fact that he wasn't an awful human being. Someone had raised him right, at the very least.

"So…?" Percy looks at her expectantly.

"So what?"

"Do you want to fu–"

A knock on the open door had both their heads jerking, and Annabeth felt her face flush red, both wanting to hear the end of that sentence and worried someone else may have overheard their conversation.

Jason Grace smiled, holding up the rubber chicken, "Someone left this in my upstairs closet?"

Annabeth's jaw dropped, her eyes widening. How had they forgotten such a stupid thing?! But before she could panic too much, Percy was speaking from behind her, "Hey, man! Thanks for bringing that back, I was wondering where it went!" He laughed, holding up a hand to catch it as Jason tossed it over Annabeth's head. It squeaked pitifully.

"What were you doing in the closet, Jackson?" Jason's accent lilts through his words but it can't hide the curiosity. Annabeth looked back at Percy in time to see him shrug.

"No clue, that punch last night was way too strong. Is your Christmas party eggnog like that too?"

"Usually," Jason chuckled, "Those guys from the theater department actually usually provide the booze, I have nothing to do with it."

They chatted idly, and Annabeth turned back to her computer, trying to tune them out, trying to force her heart to beat a normal amount at a normal speed.

At last, Jason gave a wave, "See you Friday for the game, Percy?"

"Nah man, I told you, I have papers to grade."

"Right, right, well, next time!" And with that, he was strolling back down the hall, whistling cheerfully.

Annabeth turned back to Percy, crossing her arms, "Really? The chicken?! We could have gotten caught!"

"Why, you don't want people to know you made out with me?"

"Yes."

"Relax, I handled it." He tossed the poor abused toy back to his desk, "I think it could really help your reputation if people knew we were macking."

" Macking?! What, are you from the 70s?" Annabeth sighed heavily, rubbing her temples, "Listen, I… I just think we… should take this a day at a time."

"And this is…?"

"I don't… know."

Percy nods, "Alright, that's fair enough." He moved to roll back to his own desk but Annabeth caught his arm, averting her eyes.

"Look I… I just… it's been a while, that's all. This doesn't mean that we… that the two of us…"

Percy leans in, "Hey, it's alright, I get it. No pressure."

"This was a one time thing. It doesn't change how I feel about you."

Percy nods. She let go slowly, and he kicked his way back across the room. Annabeth gnawed on her lip, watching him in her little desk mirror. He seemed so… unbothered. Nonchalant. He was taking this in stride. Did he even think about her? Did he too spend the entire rest of the weekend agonizing over what they were, how they felt about each other?

Annabeth forced her attention back to her laptop, setting up for a day of classes, forcing thoughts of Percy from her mind. At least, she tried to.

If Annabeth Chase was good at one thing, it was avoidance. She'd perfected it, living in a home that saw her as always being underfoot. And yet wherever she went, this week, Percy Jackson was there. He was in their office, of course, this was expected– But when she thought she might go to the lounge instead, he was there too. When she braved the cafeteria for lunch for once, there he was in line for sushi. He was in the quad. He even poked his head into her class one day to ask if he could borrow Jesse.

They were more cordial than usual to each other, but Annabeth still refused to do more than that. She still tried to ignore him every chance she got, and for now, it seemed he accepted this and didn't push it. Part of her felt a twinge of disappointment, which she promptly shoved into a box and locked up tight deep inside her.

She needed a drink. Friday came far too quickly, and Annabeth found herself more stressed than when she started the week. Her home was too cluttered– there had been precious little time to clean recently between grading assignments and otherwise doing her job, and there wasn't alcohol there anyway, so she ventured out to one of the less crowded bars she knew of.

Retrograde was more of a speakeasy than a bar– its door was hidden in an ice cream shop, disguised as a fridge. It was a neat setup, and not too many people knew of it, so Annabeth took the 7 bus to Bonnibelle's Ice Cream, knocked on the cool steel door, and slipped inside once her ID was checked.

The lighting was dim, blues, purples, greens. There were spots of light at tables, lamps providing more visuals, in case you were the kind of weirdo who liked to actually see the faces of people you were with. Annabeth shrugged off her coat, beelining for the bar when she stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes fixed on a table in the corner.

Not again.

What was he doing here?!

Percy Jackson was tucked away in his booth, his table spread with papers, a laptop, and a drink, looking focused. He wore glasses– Had he always worn glasses?! Annabeth had just decided to turn tail and find somewhere else to go when his eyes flicked up and met hers. A smile spread across his face, the kind of smile that had Annabeth's whole body feeling hot and he gestured for her to come over.

She glanced around, confirming no one else they knew was there, before sighing heavily and slouching over to his table.

"Fancy meeting you here." He spoke as she draped her jacket over the back of a chair across from him.

"How do you know about this place?"

Percy quirked a brow at her, pushing his glasses up his nose, "Hello to you too."

"Hi. How do you know about this place?"

"A friend recommended it." He leaned back, running a hand through his hair and stretching, "You can't call dibs on a semi-public bar, you know."

Annabeth blushed, rolling her eyes as she sat, "Ha ha. Very funny. I just ask because it's kind of… hidden."

Percy smiled, "That's what I like about it."

She nodded, "Me too." She glanced at the papers and wrinkled her nose, "But who grades classes in a bar?"

"Ah, right, well…" Percy shrugged, "I like the vibe here. Helps me focus. You want a drink?"

"Oh, no, I can get–" But it's too late. He called a bartender over.

"What would you like?"

Annabeth sighed before ordering an Old Fashioned. Percy whistled as the bartender whisked away, "Classy choice, Chase."

"Well if it's on your dime I better not waste a cent."

He laughed, "You could order the trashiest cocktail you could think of and I promise I would not care."

"I would." She insisted, tugging out her phone.

"So what brings you out alone on a Friday night? Hoping to score a hot date?"

Annabeth glanced around the nearly empty bar– there were a few couples, a distinguished looking older man, a group of girls, who she had to admit were pretty cute but not really her type, and that was about it. She looked pointedly back at Percy, who took the hint in stride.

"Guess you wouldn't come here if that were the case, huh?" He chuckled, "Still, maybe you'll get a hot date anyway."

Her brow furrowed, "Who?" Then his implication struck her, and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes again, "No."

"Hey, just joking."

Her drink was placed before her and she thanked the bartender, reaching for it and taking a sip before responding, "Like we decided, it was a one time thing."

"Like you decided."

"As if you don't think that wasn't the best decision."

"In fact, I don't."

At that she does roll her eyes, "Please. We don't even get along. Hooking up would just lead to an embarrassing encounter where neither of us have a good time and we both leave feeling worse than before then we go back to hating each other."

"So you have imagined what it would be like!"

"Shut up."

"So you think it would be a disaster, then? Physically?" He studied her intensely, his green eyes reflecting the multicolored lights.

"Of course." She took another sip of her cocktail.

"And I suppose that night in Jason's closet was just… a fluke?"

"Naturally."

"Hmm…" He scratched his chin, then shook his head, "I don't buy that."

"Well why not ?!" Annabeth huffed, already frustrated with this conversation.

"Because I felt the way you kissed me, Princess." He smirked at her, leaning across the table. Annabeth's toes curled at the nickname, "And that wasn't a kiss between two people who don't click physically."

She sucked in a breath, forcing her heart rate to remain even, "What was it, then?"

"Do you really need me to spell it out for you?"

"Why are you so desperate to convince me that we should… do that again?"

"I wouldn't say I'm desperate. But I believe in pursuing things that are pleasurable. I'm not going to pass up an opportunity to feel good just because something like negative feelings might get in the way."

"Sounds self-destructive."

"I prefer hedonistic." He gave her that lopsided grin, and her heart skipped a beat.

Annabeth leaned forward, meeting his gaze, "And you're saying that kissing me was pleasurable enough to be worth it for you?"

"I'm saying… " he paused, gathering his thoughts, "I'm saying that you… you're… you're not hideous."

"What a glowing compliment."

"I try." He smirked, finishing off his drink.

Annabeth sighed, taking another sip of her Old Fashioned and rubbing her brow with her other hand, "Okay, so… what, you expect me to throw myself into your arms because you deigned to tell me that I am not hideous?"

"Not at all. But I think you find me to be not-hideous as well. In fact, I think you want me."

"In your dreams."

His smirk deepened, "You're the one who kissed me , Princess."

"Would you stop calling me that?"

"Why, you don't like it?" He looked unconvinced at her nod, "Okay, how about this; I'll stop calling you Princess when you're honest about wanting me. Deal?"

"You're impossible."

"I think I'm being very reasonable, actually." He waved for the check as Annabeth finished her drink.

She sighed, standing and pulling on her coat. She hadn't been here long, but her brief excursion outside of her apartment was already exhausting her. "This has been all very… enlightening, but I should probably get to the bus stop."

He nodded, "Want a ride home?"

"No, thank you." The last thing she needed was him knowing where she lived.

"Right. Well… think about what I said, at least?"

"Which part?"

"All of it."

Annabeth studied him, her hands resting on the back of the chair in front of her, "Why do you want this so badly?" Why do you want me?

Percy shrugged, "I don't know. You happened to be the first person to kiss me in a while, and this town is… well, I don't plan on dating anytime soon."

Ah. So she was simply filling a void, serving a purpose that almost anyone could do. At least that made sense to her. Annabeth could work with being a placeholder.

"Well… goodnight."

Percy nodded, gathering up his papers, "Night."

Annabeth turned and walked from the bar, out into the night.

Unfortunately, the night was storming.

She huddled under the awning, her coat far from thick enough to keep her dry were she to make the run for it to the bus stop– and then of course, she'd have to wait the fifteen minutes for the bus to arrive anyway. Annabeth gathered her courage, preparing to step out into the pouring rain, when Percy walked out the door, a laugh already on his lips.

"Oh you can't seriously be stubborn enough to turn down a ride now , can you?"

Annabeth huffed. She sure could be that stubborn, thank you very much. But another glance at the sky had her resolve wavering, and at last she sighed, giving in, "Fine, just… fine."

"I'm in the back." He nodded towards the side of the building, pulling his jacket over his head before walking briskly into the rain. Annabeth followed suit, the torrent immediately plastering her hair to her face and soaking her to the bone, but she rushed after him to the back of the building all the same.

His old Camaro was a familiar sight, and she picked up her pace, wanting desperately to get out of the rain.

"Can you believe this?!" He turned, a wild grin on his lips, water running down his face like rivers.

Annabeth open her mouth to answer that yes, she could believe it, they got rain like this often in the fall, but before she could get the words out she skidded on the slick ground beneath her, falling forward after a second of wobbling to keep her balance.

Percy's arms caught her easily around the waist, his jacket falling, and when she looked up they were nose to nose, their breath mingling in the wet air.

His eyes were wide, but after a moment, they softened and his smile was back, "We've got to stop meeting like this."

"...Shut up." Annabeth grumbled, moving to pull away, but his arms held fast. Their eyes met again. She sucked in a breath, feeling the cool air on her cheeks, the way his arms held her, the way he was looking at her…

'This is a bad idea.' She reiterated in her head.

'Is it though?' The voice whispered back.

That was all the pushback she needed.

Once more, Annabeth Chase found herself kissing Percy Jackson. And once more, he was kissing her back.

There were fireworks again as her eyes squeezed shut. His grip on her tightened. His lips were smooth, wet from the rain. She could feel water dripping down her nose, down her back, but she didn't care. Her focus was on one thing and one thing only.

Their mouths molded together like they were made for each other. Her breath hitched when his tongue swiped across hers, and Annabeth moaned softly, clutching at his shirt, taking a step forward to press him back against the hood of his car. He seemed to like that as his kisses grew more ferocious, more eager, and Annabeth had to be the one to pull back and ask, "Car?"

Percy seemed to understand, nodding as she took a step back. He stooped to grab his jacket off the ground before moving to open the passenger side door for her which she slipped inside easily. The rain could be heard thrumming against the roof and windows as he rushed around to hop into the driver's seat, tossing his things into the back. He smiled at her, that damned crooked smile that had her heart racing as he said, "Where were we, Princess?"

She didn't deign to answer that with words, and instead elected to tug him across the center console, their lips pressing together once more.

In the relative warmth of the car, Percy became more bold with his touches, one hand gripping her thigh, massaging it firmly as the other came to cup her face, tangle in her hair. She moaned again, softer this time, but of course he heard it. She felt his lips grin against her, felt the tickle of his breath as he whispered, "Where?"

She wordlessly reached for the hand on her thigh, gliding it further up her leg. Her other hand took the one that touched her face and brought it down to her chest, where he very eagerly cupped her breast, rubbing at her through the layers of fabric.

Annabeth's body was on fire. She gasped, all of her desires distilled into a single need; Percy. She needed him, needed more and she shrugged off her coat, refusing to break the kiss, the contact as she did so.

Percy let his fingers trail up and down her inner thigh, getting higher every time. Annabeth whimpered as he ghosted over where she wanted to feel him most, finally reaching down and pressing him insistently to touch her there. He obliged, another low chuckle leaving his throat as she rolled her hips against his hand because oh God, yes…!

Her own hand found its way between his legs, and Annabeth rubbed him in slow but firm strokes, listening the the almost imperceptible changes to his breath, his voice, the way he exhaled through his nose and his grip on her became rough. It felt good. Amazing even.

Annabeth hadn't dated in a while, it was true, but the need she felt in Percy Jackson's car behind an Ice Cream shop in lower downtown…? It was unlike anything she remembered experiencing before.

Percy groaned into her mouth, and she parted her lips, inviting him inside. Instead, he pulled back, his eyelids low, his lips red and his face flushed to match. "Look… if we go any further we'll… We won't stop. And I don't think… well I…" He cleared his throat, and for the first time, it occurred to Annabeth that he might be nervous too. Finally, he seemed to gather his thoughts, "Your place or mine?"