Annabeth finds competition to be absolutely thrilling.

It comes with the environment, a crowded room with people around her age. It's in the haughty smirks at the other teams, and the adrenaline rushing through her body when she realizes she had known the answer to nearly every single question presented to her. It shoots through her fingers and toes, making her restless as they await the results.

It's definitely there when Annabeth's friend says, "There's no way we're going to lose."

Annabeth looks at Piper with a chastising smirk. "So humble."

"Like you're any better?"

"At least I didn't say it," Annabeth says, grinning. "But, yeah. We're going to win."

Annabeth knows to anyone looking in, it would look like they're stuck up. And they might be, just a little bit, but it's only fair given that Annabeth has won every single competition since she started years ago. She'd been eighteen back then, and being unofficially crowned smarter than everyone else had certainly done something to her ego. She supposes that's why she finds herself stuck here now, in a collegiate science competition about to win for a third year in a row.

"You've been studying anatomy since the beginning," Piper muses, and she leans back into her seat. Annabeth would do the same, but she hadn't been so lucky getting a seat with a back to it, so she'd end up falling onto the floor. She takes a look around, wondering if she could drag her partner off to a different spot in the awards room, but all she's met with is the overwhelming color of team t-shirts. The bright blue and gold of her own university is nauseating, and she feels no better wearing it, but she's smug knowing that she's about to be the one on stage with a gold medal. "I'm not sure who's sane enough to go up against you."

"You almost were."

"And I chose the safe option of being your partner instead," Piper says. "Plus I get a free medal."

"It's so cute they think they stand a chance."

"They don't even look smart," Piper adds, egging Annabeth on. "Morons."

"Morons," Annabeth repeats, smiling. She brushes a strand of hair out of her face, frowning at the knot she finds. She attempts to comb it out with her fingers. "The test was so easy. The endocrine system? I'm insulted."

Annabeth is mainly messing around. It had been easy for her, but at this point, most things are. She's not so sure why, but she's managed to do well in school, and competitions like this only fueled her desire for success. She wanted to come out on top, to watch everyone else scramble for second place or throw her cheeky grins thinking they actually stood a chance when, in reality, they never had.

"I don't think I've ever seen someone with an ego as big as yours," a voice says.

Annabeth turns her head to her right and spots a guy her age, giving her an amused grin. He's a bit to Piper's left, two feet of space between them, and he's leaning lazily against the plastic cushion of the seat, arms crossed and eyes on her.

"I'm all for confidence, but what are you going to say when you lose?" he asks.

"When I lose?"

Annabeth finds she doesn't appreciate the way his green eyes trace her up and down before landing back on hers with a devilish grin. He's from the same school, wearing the familiar blue and gold NYU shirt, but she doesn't recognize him.

"You're competing in anatomy and physiology, right?"

"I am," Annabeth says, "but competing is a strong word. There's hardly any competition."

"You're going to be surprised when I steal that precious gold from your hands, then."

Annabeth laughs incredulously, turning her body entirely towards him. She forgets Piper is even there, watching the two of them like it's a career. "I definitely would be surprised if someone won over me. Especially if it's someone like you."

"Someone like me?" he asks, laughing. "Someone that's…what? Not full of themselves? Stuck up?"

"You seem pretty stuck up to me," Annabeth says bluntly. "Who even are you?"

"The person about to steal your medal."

"I'll kill you."

Annabeth doesn't know what prompts her to say that to a stranger, but she's too distracted to care. He's fueling her, and this iswhat she loves about competitions.

"I feel like saying that could get you disqualified," he says. He sits up properly now, standing for a moment to move closer to the table and sit down again. "It would be a shame, wouldn't it? Losing to me all because you threatened murder?"

"You going to report me?" she says, sarcastic. "Suck it up."

He ignores that last part. "I might report you if I was threatened, but I'm not. I want to win fair, anyway."

"It's going to be fair and square when I kick your ass."

He leans his elbows onto the table, hands locking in front of himself. "What makes you think that's what's going to happen?"

"It's happened every other year," Annabeth says, refusing to be the first to look away. He doesn't look away either, so they wind up staring at each other, daring and mischievous. Somehow, she doesn't mind that he's teasing her.

"This is the first year I'm here," he says. He tilts his head, quirking his lips up. "Things change."

"You're definitely not winning if it's your first year."

"You did."

Annabeth pauses.

"I've heard about you, Chase," he says. "Impressive, I've got to say."

"And you decided to compete against me?"

"Had to see if the legend is true," he muses. "From what I see, I stand a chance."

If he hadn't been lingering on her face, eyes tracing strands of her gold hair, leading down her neck, she would have been insulted. He's messing with her. "And from what I see, you don't."

He bites his lower lip, and the grin he gives her is far more attractive than it should be. Annabeth's never taken well to people doubting her, but she's realizing he might be the same way. He's watching her with a fire burning in his eyes, and Annabeth doesn't want to look away.

"And what do you see?" he inquires.

Annabeth leans onto her own elbows, and their faces are inches away. "I see someone that's about to be severely disappointed."

He straightens, smiling. "Funny how I see the same thing."

She wants to continue, to taunt him some more and have him do the same, but she doesn't get the chance. The award ceremony is always a buzzing moment, and she's lost in the feeling of it all. Different people from different categories walk on and off stage, but she doesn't miss the way his eyes linger on her.

When anatomy and physiology rolls around, it's hardly a surprise that she wins first place. She makes sure to give him a bright smile and flip him off with both hands, to which he only bursts out laughing.

"Your ego is still so big it defies the laws of physics, Chase," he says, later, when they're off stage. He'd managed to find her in the crowd with her own teammates, and his words are nearly lost to the sounds of excitement. "Don't count me out next year."

"You're sticking around?" Annabeth asks, turning to him. He's taller than her, and looking down at her. "Would've thought I scared you off for good."

"Someone has to be the one to take down Annabeth Chase."

Annabeth lifts her chin, a haughty grin plastered to her face. "Oh, yeah? And who would that be?"

"Me," he says, smiling. He extends a hand. "Percy Jackson."


Annabeth is good at a lot of things. She's good at math and science, and winning gold medals. She's even good at baking desserts, as long as she follows the directions. She is significantly less good at waking up early.

Her eyes open exactly fifteen minutes before she's supposed to be in class. The panic doesn't set in initially, but when it does a few seconds later, she nearly trips getting out of bed. It's not fun, racing against time as she tries to make it to her class. Of course, this one is all the way across campus, so she doesn't get the chance to change from her sweatpants. She's just glad she managed to throw on the first sweater she saw and not forget her bag on her way out the door.

She thinks she needs to get out of her dorm more because she should not be this out of breath, but that's a problem for later. The sidewalks are irritatingly crowded, and at some point, she gives up apologizing to people she bumps into. By the time she makes it to her building and into the lecture hall, nearly all the seats are taken. She makes her way closer to the front, and she slides into a random seat on the left side of the room, dropping her bag by her feet.

Annabeth doesn't have time to be concerned with who she ends up sitting by. She's much more focused on trying to control her breathing before someone nearby grows genuinely concerned.

She supposes that's why she doesn't notice the familiar eyes staring at her, an amused smile plastered to his face.

"You could've just asked me to save you a seat," he says. "You didn't need to physically slam your body into it."

Annabeth scowls at Percy, but she can't imagine it looks malicious in the slightest. "What are you doing here?"

Percy raises a brow. "I was here first."

She groans, turning her back to pull a notebook out of her bag. She can feel his eyes on her back, and she confirms it when she turns back around. He's watching her, face neutral, and he's twirling a pen between his fingers. It's…attractive, to say the least. She'd send the pen flying across the room.

"Are you okay?" He pauses the twirling of his pen. "You look like you're about to pass out."

"I just woke up," she says. "Had to run across campus."

"Not a morning person?"

"Not at all."

He resumes twirling his pen. "I can tell."

Annabeth's jaw drops. His eyes just light up.

"I'm kidding," he says, laughing. His eyes trace her up and down, lingering on her hair dropping to her shoulders. She runs her fingers through her curls. "You look very science-y. I like it."

"Looking like a mess is scientific?"

"It's like you were up late studying chemistry," he tells her. "Very hot."

"What about chemistry is hot?"

"Understanding it," he says, shrugging. "Exothermic reactions."

"If you're looking for someone who understands chemistry, you are looking in the wrong place."

"Where's that conceited attitude you had a month ago?"

"My winning attitude is reserved for when I'm winning."

"I wouldn't call it a winning attitude. Arrogant, maybe."

"Alright," Annabeth says, standing and picking her notebook up. "It was lovely seeing you, but you're annoying and I'm moving seats."

Percy laughs and his pen drops to the table top with a quiet thud. He wraps his hand around her wrist before she gets the chance to move, holding her in place. "I'm kidding. Come on. Stay."

Annabeth never intended to really walk away, but it's nice to hear him ask her to stay. She pretends to think for a few moments, but he seems to read right through her when he drops her wrist so she can sit back down. Despite his teasing, he doesn't seem to be that much of a morning person either, if the way he's dressed was any indication. He looks like he'd just rolled out of bed too, his hair messy, but it goes with his whole trouble-maker vibe.

"So," he begins, leaning back in his chair. There are a lot of people chattering in the room waiting for the professor, so she has to move closer to hear him properly. "We've been in this class for a month, and you're just now stopping in to say hello?"

Annabeth blinks, lips twitching up. "You didn't say hi to me either."

"I said hi last time we saw each other."

"To be fair, I didn't know you existed at that point. You were, like, no one, and then you were this rattling voice in my ear bragging about how you were going to win, which you didn't. I hated every moment of meeting you."

Percy laughs. "Every moment?"

"You're right," she relents. "I did like beating you."

"It was an honor to lose to Annabeth Chase."

"Fan behavior."

"You mistake my apathy for admiration."

Annabeth smiles, giggling. "What was that you said? A minute ago? Stay?"

"It's all a big part of my plan."

She tilts her head. "Your plan?"

"If I can get you to sit next to me, I can win the competition next year."

Annabeth snickers.

"It all starts with you becoming my friend. We begin to study together, and I slowly feed you wrong information. You fail your first exam and begin to doubt yourself. The second exam follows, and when we get to the competition, you're nothing but the shell of what you used to be." Percy grins widely. "It's called sabotage. Heard of it?"

"What happened to winning fair and square?" she taunts.

"All's fair in war."

"In love and war."

"If you say so." He presses his elbows to the table, resting his chin on his intertwined hands and looking at her, lips quirked up. "That's the second part of the plan, anyway. To get you to fall in love with me."

It's not at all what she expects.

He's looking at her earnestly, green eyes staring into hers. His smile is subtle on his lips, like he knows her thoughts. It's impossible. She doesn't even know her own thoughts, too distracted by the slight quickening of her heartbeat.

Annabeth laughs in his face. "Falling in love with you? Good luck with that."

"I think it's entirely possible. I'm smart, and good at chemistry, which means I'm hot—"

"—Those were your words, not mine—"

"—and you chose to sit next to me. You're definitely in danger of falling in love."

"I don't fall in love with the competition," Annabeth says.

"I thought I wasn't competition?"

"I'm going to take that pen and jab it in your thigh."

She can practically hear Piper in her ear, reminding her that threatening bodily harm is basically a form of flirtation. Annabeth would disagree, but she's gotten herself into similar situations that have taught her guys definitely see it that way. Not that Piper would be upset about that. She definitely wouldn't.

Percy could say a lot of things. He could acknowledge that she's not saying he's not attractive. He could tease her over the idea that maybe he is competition, that he does pose a threat to her pristine record. So many things to choose from, but he chooses to give her a lopsided smile and sit in silence.

He's different from other people she's met. Half the people she knows view her as arrogant, as someone whose vocabulary does not include humble, and maybe he does too, but he doesn't mind. He teases her over it, sure, but he seems to take joy in their mindless bickering.

"I would study with you, but I wouldn't want to hurt your feelings," Annabeth says.

"I'm a tough boy," he says. "I'll be alright."

"You won't be saying that when you're sitting in the fetal position sobbing over the skeletal system."

Percy shakes his head, laughing. "You are such a prick."

"Yet you want to study with me."

"I want to study with you," he agrees. "Remind me again. Am I digging my own grave here?"

He's biting his lower lip, pleased. She's suddenly not tired anymore, skin hot under his gaze. She hates his knowing grin, his laid-back attitude and amusement with her arrogance. She hates that she's beginning to think he might just win after all, that maybe she is not as unbeatable as she thought.

She hates that she doesn't care.

Annabeth leans back in her chair. "Oh, please. Your life is just beginning."


"Do you normally start studying this early?"

Annabeth doesn't bother looking up from her position at his desk. She's made it her own, her papers spewed all around, and she'd feel guilty if Percy hadn't done the same to her desk a week before. "It's six in the afternoon."

"It's also September," he says. "Competition isn't until May."

"Gives me more time to screw you over."

Percy rolls his eyes, and she hears him shift over her shoulder. "I thought I was the one supposed to screw you over."

"Someone's screwing someone," she mutters, before she realizes how it sounds.

Percy's giggle is a little too cute for her liking.

She scoffs, still rummaging through the papers. It's a little overwhelming, the thick stacks sitting before her, but she knows she'll be able to memorize them at some point. Chances are she already has a large portion of them memorized from previous years.

"Can we take a break?"

"We don't take breaks when we're trying to win," she says, but she finally lifts her head to turn and look at him. He's laying on the bed in his dorm, a few papers scattered about and some already on the floor. "Are you even working?"

"I stopped working an hour ago."

She groans, but turns the spinning chair around to face him. She stares him down, but he just smiles innocently and shoves some of the papers to the side.

"Have you really not noticed?"

"I've actually been working, so you could say focusing on you wasn't necessarily a priority. Remind me again why I agreed to study with you?"

"I'm not sure," Percy says. "I made fun of you being a prick at the competition, something, something, and now we're here."

"What a joy," she deadpans.

"What's not a joy is studying on a Saturday in September."

"Do you think people win without practice?"

"Not without practice, but I did almost beat you, and I started studying, like, a week before."

"Almost is a strong word," she tells him, playfully insulted. "You may have done better than everyone else, but you didn't even come close."

"September."

Annabeth laughs, kicking her leg out towards him. It doesn't quite reach him, but he gets the point. When he doesn't say anything else, she takes to looking around his room. She's been here a few times, but only in passing on their way somewhere else. The library is their usual study place, but it had been closed for renovations that day, and her roommate was home, so they ended up here. It's the first time she's really gotten to look around.

It looks exactly as she would have expected. There are few decorations in the small room. He has an uno card taped up to his wall, undoubtedly some inside joke, and his bed is flush beneath it in an attempt to give more walking room. It doesn't work—she's nearly tripped on something at least three times in the last hour—but it's still homey enough. There are a few accents she's almost certain his mom put there, like the stuffed octopus on his bed and a framed picture of him as a child and his mom sitting on his dresser.

"You're being nosy."

Annabeth brings her attention back to him.

"Want a room tour?"

"I can touch both corners of the room at the same time," she says. "I'm not sure a room tour is necessary."

"What else are we supposed to do, then?"

"You already know my answer."

"So you're just going to spend the night terrorizing my desk?"

"At least someone is using it."

"I study in it!"

Annabeth raises a brow.

She knows him well enough to know that's a lie. Percy's the type of person to barely lift a finger and still get the highest marks. In the little time they've been friends, it's definitely gotten on her nerves, the effortlessness with which he lives, but another side of her has to admit it's…

It's really fucking hot, okay?

"Sometimes," he amends, sitting up. A few papers crinkle, but he just lazily shoves them off the bed. She watches, amused, as they fall straight to the ground, before dragging her eyes back to his. He pats the bed beside him. "Come sit."

"I like where I am, thank you."

"If you're going to force me to study, you can at least study with me." He pats the space beside him again, more pointedly, and she thinks about refusing just to mess with him, but then he's looking at her with pleading eyes, and she gives in.

"You're a horrible influence," but she's already lifting herself from the chair to force her way onto his bed. Her back rests against the wall, crossed legs hanging over the side of the bed. She can see out the window from there, not that it's a particularly interesting view. His bedroom faces another tall building, only a sliver of the road full of people walking along the sidewalk visible. Sunlight filters in, almost blinding in her eyes, but she also feels inexplicably warm.

Percy's index finger taps her thigh twice, and she can't deny the feeling it sends shooting through her. Something about sitting in his bed, the two of them drowning in sunlight, is more intimate than it should be. Everything about them seems to go that way, from the very moment they met. It's easy not to mind his teases when his fingers are grazing her skin like he doesn't even care if he wins. He's her opposite, laidback and playful, and she thinks that might be the reason she finds herself leaning into his touch, smiling softly at him.

"Let's do something else," he proposes, green eyes trying to gauge her reaction. "I can't study anymore."

"Oh, you are such a baby."

"I've never needed to study before," Percy says, smiling widely at what he's about to say. "Some of us have natural talent."

He's goading her. She rises to the bait.

"And your talent led you to…what? Win second place? Wow, what an accomplishment."

"Second place is great, excuse you."

Annabeth laughs, kicking his foot. "Aren't you embarrassed? If you had just tried a little harder, maybe you could have won at something for the first time in your life."

"I win all the time!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"I still won a medal."

"Second place is as good as a participation award."

"I won my second grade spelling bee."

Annabeth holds a hand over her heart, cooing. "Your second grade spelling bee? I should just give up right now, then."

"You really should!" he says, laughing. It's a bright sound, brighter than the sun filtering through the clear glass, and she kind of doesn't want it to stop. "What can I say? You never stood a chance."

She reaches slightly to her right to pinch him until he yelps. "Against the great Percy Jackson? Duh."

"I am great."

"And arrogant," she adds dryly.

"Where do you think I learned it from?"

"Who, me? I would never."

Percy laughs again and shifts on the bed. He moves one of his legs up, scooting closer to her. "You probably would teach people a lot, but not me. My brain is practically overflowing with knowledge. It's exhausting."

"The only thing your brain is overflowing with is seaweed."

"That's your type, isn't it?"

Annabeth blinks, tilting her head. "People with seaweed filling their skulls?"

"Intellectuals," he clarifies. "You strike me as the type to want that."

"To want what, exactly?"

Percy sits back, staring at her. His lips quirk up, showing that beautiful dimple on his cheek, and she knows he's about to read her to oblivion. "You've never had someone to challenge you. You want someone that'll push you to your limits."

The room suddenly feels darker, and she can't look anywhere except at him. It's harder to breathe, and she's forced to take shallow breaths.

"You pretend to be annoyed that I keep saying I win, but I think a part of you wants me to win. That's what keeps you going, right? Competition? You want to win, but you also want to know that you might not."

She did not need to be clocked like that.

Annabeth bites her lower lip, stifling a grin.

She's never thought of any of it, but she doesn't think he's wrong. Electricity shoots through her fingertips, and she feels the same way she does when she watches him work. She knows he's caught her staring as often as she's caught him. It's usually when they're in the library late at night, all sense of boundaries gone to the wind. That's when she allows herself to trace up and down his back through his snug t-shirt while he's leaned over the table explaining the specifics of stereochemistry. He does the same, thinking she doesn't realize he's watching her wander through the bookshelves, pulling a few from the wood and opening to a random page to pretend to read so she can pretend she isn't imagining what those same wooden shelves would feel like digging into her back.

"How accurate is this so far?"

"I just have one question," Annabeth says, dizzy from the feeling of his skin against hers. He smells clean, and she nearly melts when he chuckles, deep in his throat.

"Hm?"

"Who would this be?"

Percy's face is close to hers when he whispers, "I think you know."

She's not sure who moves first. All she knows is that his lips are on hers and she never wants to leave. He's gentle with her, praising her lips with each kiss, and she finds that it fits the scene. It fits the way they're covered in orange light, teetering between daylight and nightfall, a delicate situation for a delicate moment.

He pulls away once to tease, "I knew I was right."

Because she is who she is, she can't help but say, "Says the boy who can't even name all the bones."

Percy nudges her nose, offended. "I definitely can."

"Oh, yeah?" She tilts her chin up, letting her feelings take over. "Prove it."

And he does.

He starts at her ankle, tracing his fingers down the skin revealed by her shorts. It sends a shiver through her, and she has no complaints when he tries to get her to lay her back against the bed.

His lips tickle against the inside of her ankle, pressing for a few seconds before whispering, "Tibia."

He drags his lips to the outside of her ankle next, a quiet, "Fibula," before working his way up her leg. He doesn't lift his lips, and she feels hot all over. She can't quite breathe right, and she seems to forget how to think when he passes over her knee, nudging her legs apart to fit between them before he murmurs, "Femur."

This shouldn't make her feel the way it does. Or maybe it should. He'd known exactly what to say to end up in this position, and she wonders how he had known. She thinks it might be because he's in the same position, thinking the same thoughts. He's a reflection of her and the exact opposite at the same time, and he knows what she's thinking because it's the same thing that is passing through his mind.

Percy moves higher, and he twists the hem of her shorts to reveal a bit more of her skin, and he traces over her hip. "Iliac crest." He kisses above the button of her denim shorts before he finds his way back to her mouth, capturing her lips. She pushes herself closer to him when his arm snakes along her back, recalling the parts of her spine—cervical and thoracic and lumbar and then lower—and she knows he's right.

Annabeth wants to win, but she wants to know that she might not. Percy poses a threat, but she welcomes it with open arms. Every part of her burns, and she wants to know him inside and out. She wants to know if he's as similar as she thinks he is, or how far he can really push her.

She laughs when he makes a remark about a mandible while kissing her jaw, and this feels impossibly right. He's such a boy, studying in his own way, teaching her how to sit back and not worry about the future. It turns out he can teach her something she hadn't known how to do before. It's a mutualistic relationship, two academic rivals that aren't really rivals at all.

Annabeth used to never be able to imagine a day where she wouldn't come out on top, but now…

Now she can't wait for the rest of their study sessions and late nights in the library. The thought makes her smile into his kiss that takes her breath away. As thrilling as competition is, this might be even more. Sliding into bed with the competition drives her close to a thin line that they both walk. They help each other, dragging each other closer to the finish line, and are still on opposing teams at the same time.

What could be better than that?


Later, when the sun is long gone, she lays curled in a ball on his bed and he sits in the chair at his desk, eyeing her amused.

"Are you even paying attention?"

Annabeth wipes her eyes, tiredly. "No."

He falls silent, and when she opens her eyes to look at him, he pauses shuffling the flashcards. The flashcards are on the skeletal system, ironically, and he'd been trying to quiz her for the better of thirty minutes, but she kind of wants to curl into a ball and sleep, if she's being honest.

She's wrapped in his sweater now, having pulled it over her head an hour before while they both got dressed, and she'd taken residence on his bed, kicking him to the desk after having spent hours in that same chair earlier that day.

"Should we give up on the cards, then?" Percy waves them in her face playfully and she follows them with her eyes.

"Probably."

Percy laughs but pulls out another card. "One more."

Annabeth groans.

"Tell me about the leg bone."

"The leg bone's connected to the hip bone."

"Oh, dear god."

Annabeth smiles, pulling his blanket up to right below her eyes. The blanket is nice and warm, and he'd thrown it over her after listening to her whine about being cold for a good ten minutes. It's only fair though, after the sun is gone and she no longer has the warmth of his body pressed against her. The blanket is a close second, though.

"You talk a lot of shit for someone refusing to study," Percy says, but he's smiling adorably.

"It's a Saturday in September," she mocks, offering a horrible rendition of his voice.

"Just a few more flashcards."

"I'm tired of flashcards."

"I never thought I'd hear those words from your mouth," Percy says, shuffling through the cards. They sit in comfortable silence, and she could pass out like this, the only sound being the subtle thrum of the city and her own heartbeat. It's odd, the feeling of warmth passing through her with nothing more than his gentle gaze. It's the same feeling that rose with the quick pass of his hand along her back.

"You're right. It felt unnatural." Annabeth kicks her leg halfheartedly. "Go on. Flash me."

Percy grins.

"You know what I meant," she groans.

"I mean, if you're asking for it…" he teases, but he flips one of the cards and calls out the word on it. It goes in one ear and out the other.

"Nevermind. Let's do something else," she says suddenly, sitting up on the bed. The room feels stuffy, and the dark night sky through the window becomes more compelling with every second. "A walk?"

"Can I have my sweater back?"

"Hmm. No."

He rolls his eyes, but he's the first to stand anyway. He leaves the flash cards resting on his bed, and she's sure that they'll end up back here to finish the rest of them soon enough.

She'd expected more people to be out, but she doesn't mind the extra space on the sidewalk. They walk side by side, and everything feels the exact same. It's a breath of fresh air, the second they walk out the door to his dorm building, and she loves every second of it.

"There is not an ounce of fresh air here," Percy laughs, bumping her shoulder. "Nothing but toxic chemicals and carcinogens."

"Smells great."

"It really does," he agrees. "I mean, physically, it's kind of awful, but it's home."

The wind blows subtly, and it sends chills running down her back. She shoves her hands into the pockets of her (his) sweater, only to remove them seconds later when a few strands of her hair are blown in front of her eyes.

"Did you grow up here?" she asks.

"I did," he says, spreading his hands as though to say, welcome to New York. "Born and raised."

Annabeth snickers. "I should've known from that accent of yours."

"I don't have an accent."

"You have the thickest city accent I've heard."

"I could say the same for you," he reminds her.

She shrugs, stifling a grin. He doesn't bother hiding his. "You could, but you'd be a liar. I was born in Virginia."

Percy throws his head back, groaning. "I should've known."

"Is that an insult?"

"Yes."

Annabeth elbows him, prompting him to grab her arm and pull her in close. She doesn't try to leave his side after that.

"You've just got that rich girl attitude."

"I do not."

"You do! It's okay. Everyone knows Virginia is for the rich."

"One would argue New York is for the rich."

"Yet here you are," he says, knocking lightly on her head.

"You're just mad I said you have an accent."

"Do you like the accent?"

Annabeth blinks. "What?"

"What do you think of my accent?"

She can tell he's teasing her, like he somehow already knows her answer. "It's alright," she settles for.

"You love it."

She rolls her eyes, but from the way he tugs her by the waist into his side, he reads right through her.

"Where are we going?" she asks.

"Somewhere for fresh air," he says.

Annabeth stops walking, and he follows a second later, turning around to face her. "I thought there was none?"

"I guess you're going to have to find out."

And so she does.

It takes quite a bit of trusting him, but it's not difficult to do when he grabs her hand and leads her along. He looks over his shoulder, throwing her a beautiful smile, chiding her for her impatience but somehow not caring at all.

The city sparkles, the lights screaming into the sky. She wonders why they ever bothered spending the day inside when this was out here waiting for them, but she figures it's better now than never. That's what she tells herself when he leads her through the back of a tall building through somewhere she's fairly certain they're not supposed to be, judging by the no trespassing sign.

They're definitely not supposed to be here, apparently, because it's not long before Percy's hurrying her along, laughing in her ear and whispering for her to shut up before they get caught. She finds she likes the position, wrapped in his arms and hiding behind a door while a couple passes by.

"You're horrible at being subtle," Percy whispers. His lips brush against the curve of her ear, and it sends shivers down her back.

Annabeth snickers, popping her head around the door when it's safe. Percy doesn't seem to agree with that, giving a pained noise and pulling her back around. She lets him, finding herself against the door, Percy giving her a chiding look.

"You're going to be the reason we get arrested."

"Where are we going that warrants arrest?"

Percy smiles but doesn't answer. His eyes flicker down quickly before settling back on her eyes, and she thinks he's going to kiss her in the middle of the crowded city.

He doesn't.

"Come on," Percy says, tugging her through the door. "It's nothing bad."

It turns out nothing bad is subjective. Nothing arguably immoral, sure, but taking over twenty staircases in five minutes isn't exactly good either. It's about at that point that she thinks she would've preferred staying in his stuffy dorm reciting flash cards about systems she learned before she could even walk.

"No."

Annabeth blinks at his sudden words, out of breath. "No to what?"

They're leaning against the railing, Percy eyeing her and waiting for her to catch her breath. He's also biting his lower lip, raising an eyebrow challengingly.

"You have your thinking face on, like you're thinking about something miserable, like, the anatomy of a flower."

"You couldn't possibly know that."

"I do," he says. He comes up to her side, hand rubbing against her back as she stands. "You do this thing. You look up, not really at anything specifically, and you bite your lip. It's cute."

"I don't do that."

"You do it every single day," he tells her. "You're not too hard to read."

"People used to say the opposite, actually. I've always been told that I'm difficult to read."

Percy smiles. "Then maybe I just know you."

He leaves it at that, and she's grateful. It's easier than admitting that he knows her better than he should for someone she met a few months before. It's easier than telling him that she loves that he's able to know what she's thinking, that he's not afraid to tell her exactly what he thinks.

"You're not going to pass out on me, are you?"

Annabeth smiles and takes his hand. "Not a chance."

She should've known that he's a city boy at heart, and she should've known he would have a collection of places close to his heart.

"I can't say I've ever seen a city like this," Annabeth says, in awe. She can't tear her eyes away from the skyline, and the glimmering skyscrapers lining the distance.

"I figured," he calls from somewhere behind him. "It's probably the closest you'll get to fresh air."

Annabeth hums, but doesn't refute it. The air feels cold against her skin, like a shower of ice that's finally able to clear her mind. It's like a moment where she's able to forget everything in life, to simply exist in this particular second, a second where she's not falling in love with the person that's about to steal the only thing she's ever prided herself on, a second where she doesn't have it in her to care.

Percy's chest presses into her back, and she feels content in his arms.

"You're a little close to the edge," he murmurs, barely audible over the sounds of the night. He blocks out the cold, and his low voice ignites flames instead.

"I'm enjoying the fresh air," she taunts, captivated by the hope of it all.

"So you like it here?"

"I have to say," she starts, turning in his arms, "never thought I'd say this, but it definitely beats those flashcards."

"I did."

She tilts her head. "You did what?"

"I knew you'd say that."

Annabeth laughs. "Of course you did. Is this all part of your plan to get me to fall in love?"

Percy kisses her nose. "Always."

And so she turns back to the city, staring off at everything. Her fascination bursts to life, and she's unable to keep her eyes glued to one spot. People look tiny from up here, and it's hard to believe that they each lead their own lives. The buildings glimmer and the wind blows her hair, which he uses to brush behind her ear and caress her cheek.

The sky almost appears navy, a beautiful deep blue painted golden with the flickering lights of the city. It feels reminiscent of them, and of the very first night they met in those ugly blue and gold team shirts.

"What are you thinking about?" Percy asks, warm lips on her cold cheek.

Annabeth smiles gently, leaning into his touch. "I'm thinking about how I'm so going to beat you again."

And Percy kisses her once. "Not a chance."


"Where are you?"

Percy laughs across the line, and she can practically hear him rolling his eyes. He groans like he's leaning back into a chair after working for hours, and she doesn't doubt that he has been. "I'm in the library."

"Without me?"

"You said you were busy."

"That wasn't an invitation to study without me," she says, but she's smiling at the way he laughs again. It's like he's trying to be quiet, to avoid the stares in the library. "Can I meet you?"

"Finally got bored without me?"

Something like that, she thinks.

Annabeth really did need to work on a project for a class he isn't in, as much as she wanted to spend a Friday night with him. She'd finished as fast as she could, probably ignoring half the things her poor partner said, so that she could see him. They hadn't gotten to hang out much at all the past few weeks, Percy busy with his own life, but it's the week before finals in December, and she decides to make time to see him.

"Are you going somewhere?"

Annabeth moves to the side on the sidewalk, letting a few people pass. "How did you know?"

"I can hear you out of breath."

"Maybe I'm exercising."

"You sound like you did when you were late to class. I feel like you'd be on the ground heaving if you actually exercised."

"Haha, you ass," Annabeth drawls. She shifts her phone, pressing it between her ear and shoulder so she can tighten her coat around herself. She feels like she should be used to the cold of New York, but this part never gets any easier. She's already smiling thinking of finding him later that day, of forcing herself into his arms and curling beneath the blankets. It's their own little safe haven, a world where their rivalry melts into something softer than the sun settling over the horizon. "It's cold outside."

"You're always cold," he says. "It's kind of annoying."

She bites her lower lip and holds no regrets. It's amusing, pressing her cold feet to his ankles or grabbing him by the neck after they just got to the library after walking outside. That's how most of their days have gone recently, and it's not exactly what she would've expected from someone playing with her ego, but it feels right.

Somehow, they've ended up here, not studying as often as she would like, but she never really gets to ponder that when she's too busy fighting back giggles when his lips tickle against her neck. She must admit that it's a nice distraction from the way things normally go when she's by herself, living a mundane life.

"Where are you going?"

"I finished the project early," she says, wiping her nose in the cold. "I was on my way to you."

"You finished that fast?"

Annabeth shrugs. "We were productive."

"You terrorized your poor partner," he says. "I just have a feeling."

"How do you think productivity happens?"

Percy laughs. "Well, listen, as much as I would love your company, I'm not sure today is the best day."

Annabeth furrows her brows and continues walking. "That's not what you said this morning?"

"This morning was ages ago," he jokes. "I'll stop by tonight instead before heading home, okay?"

"Why can't I come to the library?"

"You can, but I'm with a friend right now. I wouldn't want you to feel out of place."

Annabeth doesn't quite understand the sentiment. She's seen his friends before, and they've never had a problem any of those times.

"I don't mind, but if you don't want me there, then…"

Percy sighs. "Annabeth, come on."

"What?"

"You know I do. I'm just busy right now."

A stab of something foreign shoots through her. She isn't sure why she's so bothered by this. It feels like breaking something that was so delicately put together in the first place, and it's such a subtle shift, more than likely nothing at all, but it makes her sad.

"I was two minutes away," Annabeth says, dropping her hand to her side.

He laughs, gentle like he's trying not to alarm her. "Two minutes? Missed me that much?"

"I did," she says. "Must not have missed me at all, though."

"I would never miss you," Percy says. "Never. That's disgusting. I can actually breathe without your ego suffocating me."

"You're so funny."

"I am, aren't I?" Percy makes a noise of content. "Come to the library, then. I'll just finish up here, and we can leave together."

"You're suddenly available?"

"You don't give me a choice when you pout your lips and get all sad."

"You can't even see me."

"Don't have to," he says.

Annabeth smiles. "Fine. Be ready in two minutes."

"I'm always ready for you." A beat passes, and he murmurs something to someone off the phone. "I'll see you soon, alright?"

Her goodbye is quick, and she's desperate, shoving her hand and phone back into the pocket of her coat.

Annabeth thinks this is her favorite time of day. It's the moment where the sun is almost entirely down, only the remnant orange cast far on the line where the sky meets the cityline, and the sky isn't quite black yet, but it's getting there. It's comforting, a very fine line, and she wishes Percy was already here to hold her hand and warm her from the cold.

She never has enjoyed walking by herself, but it's easy to forget when she's on her way to Percy. He has a special way of making her feel complete, and he jokes that it's all part of her plan, but she knows neither of them planned to end up here. Annabeth certainly hadn't because she plans every detail of every day and spending time with a guy like Percy would never in a million years be written by hand. Percy may not have expected to wind up here, but she thinks he didn't not expect it either. He goes day by day without a plan, never one to shut any possibility out. Maybe that's the reason he said those first words to her forever ago, something about an enlarged ego, and had been more amused by it than anything.

The warmth of the library is almost overwhelming, burning against her cheeks. It's mostly empty, except for a few people similar to her, wasting their time withering away behind shelves covered in dust.

She likes the environment, and she lets her fingers run over the spines of the books on her way to the tables her and Percy typically occupy. It's in the far end of the building, so she gets a bit distracted by a particularly interesting book, plucking it from the wooden shelving and fanning the pads of her fingers over the pages. It's only when she gets a text from Percy that she remembers where she is.

The book never does end up back on the shelf, instead clutched beneath her arm as she continues down the hall. It doesn't take long for her to spot Percy. She sees him before he sees her, and her smile falls from her face.

He's sitting next to someone she doesn't recognize. She's cute, red hair pulled back messily and dressed in paint-covered overalls like she really doesn't care. It wouldn't bother her if it weren't for the fact that Percy's eyes had been on her.

"Hey," Percy calls out, breaking her attention away from the girl. "Took you long enough."

Annabeth takes a step forward. "Yeah, I just got a bit distracted."

"I can tell," he muses, nodding towards her arm. "What do you have there?"

"Something about neurons," she says, voice drifting off. "Thought it could help later."

Percy has a look on his face, accusing and a bit concerned, but he doesn't say anything. Instead, he turns to his friend. "Annabeth, this is Rachel. We were going over how to prepare for the competition, since it's getting kind of close."

Annabeth forces a smile. "Preparing for the competition?"

"She's my partner."

Annabeth knows he has a partner that isn't her. She knows it isn't either of their choices, but it doesn't stop the uncomfortable pit from settling into her stomach, from an ugly green-eyed monster rearing its head. It's worse because the girl is smiling kindly, and Annabeth doesn't want to be rude so she is left with no choice but to smile back.

She's distracted as Percy packs his things to do, sliding the book onto the table for a moment, and she's not sure what he says to Rachel. She's not sure she wants to know.

He stands and grabs her hand a few minutes later, lacing their fingers together, and he waves goodbye to his friend before they leave together.

It's silent at first, and as they walk out of the building, the loud sounds of the city still aren't enough to drown out her thoughts. There's something unsettling about seeing him with someone else, even if he's not looking at her. It's almost made worse by that, actually, because he doesn't notice the way his partner was looking at him. He never does notice, but it's difficult for her not to.

It's not the first time this has happened. Annabeth's definitely not the only person whose eyes catch on him, but she's usually the only one who catches him back. It's delicate, and she likes it that way, but delicate things are the first to break.

Percy elbows her lightly, and she's suddenly pulled back to the feeling of his hand in hers, the feeling of the callus of his thumb brushing against her skin, the sting of the air on her blushed cheeks.

"What's going on inside that pretty head?"

"No thoughts. Mind empty."

"Yeah, right."

Annabeth frowns but doesn't say anything else. Percy doesn't press, and she almost wishes he did.

They're together, but at the same time, they're not really. She sees him nearly every day, and they spend more time together than they probably should. They're in the library most of the time, but when they're not…

She's in his room, laughing at his stolen kisses while she tries to focus on the movie he put on. They never finish the movie, choosing to focus on other activities that all involve things better left unsaid, and she loves every second of it. The problem is that neither of them mention it outside of their haze, even if it stays there, racing between them. She's sure he hasn't done anything, but it doesn't stop the uncomfortable feeling from settling in her bones, realizing that he could have.

"Seriously," Percy says. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You sure?" he asks, hesitant. "You were fine over the phone, but you seem frustrated now."

"You saying that is making me frustrated."

He says nothing else for a moment, and she thinks that's the end of it, but then he says, "This is why I told you I would meet you later."

Annabeth drops his hand and stops walking. "I'm sorry?"

"I knew you would react like this."

"React like what?" she asks, incredulous. "I haven't said anything."

"You don't need to."

That's the downside to this. For as many words as they know, there aren't many exchanged between them. Their words go unsaid, somehow always knowing what the other is thinking, like right now.

"She's my partner, Annabeth. I have to work with her at some point, but believe me when I say I'd rather be with you."

"I know," she says. "It doesn't mean I'm not sad about it."

Percy analyzes her, tilting his head and eyes sparking in amusement. She doesn't think he means to offend her, but she's not particularly fond of being laughed at.

She snaps, "What?"

"You're jealous. It's cute."

"Jealousy? What's that? Not in my vocabulary."

"That's more embarrassing than admitting that you were jealous."

"I will never admit that I was jealous over you."

"It's a good thing I know you better than anyone else," he says. "You don't need to tell me. I know."

And she wonders if he knows the way she feels when she looks at him. If he knows the way he sends her heart racing, the way she finds herself staring at him and never wanting to look away. If he realizes just how much his plan had worked, just how easy it had been to fall in love with him, to fall into a love that she can hear in the silence.

He grabs her by the hand and pulls her in closer. When he pulls her in for a sweet kiss, she melts into him. He holds on tight.

"You made me forget my book," Annabeth whines quietly, shoving her nose into his neck.

"Oh, boo-hoo," Percy teases, kissing her one more time. "You'll be alright."

He knows.


It's a week from competition and Annabeth wants to cry.

This is her least favorite part, knowing that the timer is counting down to the day she's supposed to sit and take a test that doesn't really matter to anyone except her in the first place. It's her own standard, one that she prides herself on, and she's worked enough to know it can't go badly, but it doesn't stop her from worrying and pouring in hour after hour until the sun is nearly peeking through the clouds again.

It's her fourth day of fewer hours of sleep than she would care to admit, and perhaps that's the reason she finds herself staring at a stack of books on the far end of the library, counting the spines instead of focusing on what's in front of her. It's a weird haze, and everything sounds far away, and there's not enough time for her to finish everything she needs to do, yet she still can't bring herself to move.

The problem with filling her life to the point that there's nothing left for her to do is that she always seems to forget just how painful it can get. The competition falls around finals, as it always does, and it feels like her chest is filled with the weight of stones, rendering her unable to move.

Annabeth glances at her phone, grimacing at the time that reads 3:47 and a painful lack of response from Percy.

She decides to call him.

He picks up on the third ring, and all at once, everything comes falling down.

"Hi," he says, voice slow and tired, like he was sleeping moments before. He was. "What's up?"

Annabeth wipes her nose with the sleeve of her sweater. "Hi."

There's an instant change. She can hear him shift over the phone, and she's filled with guilt. She doesn't want him to have to deal with this. She's not even sure what this is. Still, she doesn't hang up.

"Are you okay?"

Annabeth recalls a time in high school. She's always butted heads with certain people, and those people sometimes included teachers. The thing about her is if she's right, she's going to make it known, but it never works out when she's arguing with someone in a position of power. Her teacher had told her she was insufferable, that no one wanted to work with her, and she was hurt, but she managed to keep it together. She had put on a smile through the class like she wasn't hanging by a thread, and after, she had walked through the halls to find Piper. She'd thought she was okay, but the second she'd locked eyes with Piper, her walls had come crumbling down. She couldn't stop the tears from falling, and she thinks it was something about coming home to the person she trusts.

This moment is a lot like the past.

The second she hears his concern, she cries.

"Annabeth?"

"I'm sorry," she says, breathing in. "I didn't know who else to call."

"It's okay," he promises, slightly panicked. "Annabeth. What happened?"

"I don't know." Annabeth swallows and rubs at her eyes. She knows she's not thinking straight, and she shouldn't have called. "I'm sorry. I can call back another time."

"No. What's going on?"

"I'm in the library," she says.

"It's almost four in the morning?"

She gives a wet laugh. "I know. I was studying, and then it was just overwhelming, and…I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing," he says softly, like he doesn't want to scare her. "Go home. Go to sleep."

"I have so much to do," she whimpers. "I can't."

"Those things will still be there tomorrow."

"That's a day of studying lost."

"You're insane," Percy says, laughing tiredly. "You could never study again, and you'd be perfectly fine."

"I can't get a bad grade."

"You can get a bad grade. You can afford it, but you wouldn't either way."

"You don't know that."

Percy ignores that. "What are you working on?"

"I have a biochemistry final in two days. I'm not prepared. I don't understand anything, and I don't know what to do."

Percy sighs.

"What?"

"It makes me sad that you can't see how brilliant you are. You're not going to do badly. You never do."

"Because I always end up in the library at four in the morning preparing for it."

"And it's four in the morning now, so you can go home."

She doesn't want to go home. She could go back to her room, sure, but it's not the same. It's almost worse than sitting in the library because she's reminded of the fact that she's truly alone. The thoughts are easier to escape when she's here, surrounded by books so she's slightly less alone.

"I don't want to go home," she breathes.

"Then what do you want to do?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" he jokes. "That's new."

"Shut up. There's a lot I don't know."

"Like what?"

Annabeth lifts the study guide in front of her. "Biochemistry."

"Oh, please. We both know you're going to take the exam, come crying to me about how you failed it, and then get an A."

"I don't do that."

"You always do that," he says, laughing. "Come on. Don't tell me you don't see it. Every damn time."

"Well, that's not happening this time," she says. "I'm fucked."

Percy mutters something under breath that she doesn't quite catch. She doesn't get the chance to question it before he says, "If you're that worried, you can have all my notes. Take my back tests for all I care."

Annabeth blinks. "You have the back tests?"

"I took it last semester."

Annabeth's mouth drops open. "Why aren't you here helping me?!"

"Because it's four in the morning!"

Annabeth bites her lip in a smile. She's stopped crying, and right now, all she wants is to see him. Still, it's the middle of the night, so she goes, "Go to sleep. I'll be alright."

"We both know I'm not going to do that."

"Why not?"

"You're more important to me than sleep."

He says it so simply, and she knows it's true.

"Come to my dorm," he says. "No more studying."

"And where am I going to sleep?" she muses, knowing what he's going to say.

"I have this lovely thing called a bed. Heard of it?"

"That tiny thing?"

"I'll sleep on the floor."

"We both know I'm not going to let you do that."

"Then I guess we'll have to share," he sighs.

Annabeth hums, which only makes Percy laugh. Still, something rattles in the back of her mind. It's quiet, but it's the reason she's always here. Things will probably be alright, but what if they're not? What if she's not what she thinks? One thing could go wrong and it would probably be okay, but what if it destroys her. She can't afford to mess up.

"What if I don't do well?"

"You will."

"What if I don't?"

"Then that's okay too."

"I'm terrified," she admits. "I always am."

"I know."

"You know?"

"I don't think someone gets to where you did without being scared. Like, you're constantly running because you're afraid of what happens when you stop, but that's okay."

"I know the whole point of this friendship—" if that's what she can call it, "— is for you to try and win, but if I don't win, will you still stay? You would have gotten what you wanted."

There's silence, and then…

"Do you really think I'm going to love you any less if you don't win?"

She's stuck in a midnight blur where all she knows how to do is cry.

"It's me and you, okay? No matter what happens."

That's what he says.

A lot goes unsaid. He doesn't say that he loves her. He doesn't say that she's in his dreams, haunting his thoughts during the day. She doesn't say that she somehow fell in love with him, that he is the only home she has. None of it goes said, but they both know. It would be impossible to not know.

"Come over," Percy says.

"You don't mind me waking you up in the middle of the night?"

"If it was anyone else, maybe, but you? Never."


i got a 96 on biochem

YOU ALWAYS DO THIS SHIT

proud of you❤️


"Please don't drink that."

Annabeth blinks at Percy from above the rim of the disposable cup. He looks genuinely alarmed, but also slightly amused.

"You're practically vibrating. I don't think you need another cup of coffee."

"Competition is my caffeine."

"In that case…" Percy reaches to grab the cup from her hands, but she holds on tighter, snatching it away. "Annabeth, seriously."

"I didn't go to sleep."

Percy snorts, and reaches for the cup again. "I know that's a lie because I watched you sleep for two hours."

"You were watching me sleep?"

"You took up the whole bed because you don't know how to stay in one spot."

She jerks the cup away.

"Stop it!"

"Get your own drink," she says, but he manages to wrap his fingers around it, tugging it away. She chases after it with her lips for a last sip, but it mainly spills down her face and onto the floor.

"Go talk trash with one of the other teams if you're bored," Percy says, tossing the cup in the trash. He wipes her face before he presses his palms to her shoulders, and for once, she's appreciative of the difference in height. He smooths her hair down. "Excited?"

"What do I have to be excited about?" She feigns a yawn. "Same thing as always is going to happen."

"Oh, really?"

"Definitely. You don't stand a chance."

"When I said talk trash with one of the other teams, I didn't mean me."

Annabeth shrugs, grinning. "So you don't want to hang out with me, then?"

"If I didn't want to be with you, why would I spend every waking moment with you practically shoving facts down my throat?" he murmurs, pressing his lips to her forehead.

He looks away for a moment when someone calls his name, but his hands stay in place. She uses that moment to look him up and down. He's wearing the same shirt as her, that ugly blue and gold team shirt for NYU that she's grown to love. It never made sense to her, having a blue shirt for a school that should be purple, but it reminds her of the night she spent on a rooftop in love with the world, and she finds she doesn't mind it at all. It's a size too small, but just perfect enough for her to appreciate his arms. If they were anywhere else, she'd wrap herself in them.

"Need to go?" she asks, looking in the same direction.

"Not yet," Percy says.

Somehow, it's already the end of May. She remembers meeting him here a year ago, that arrogant smirk on his face that matched the one on hers. It's almost bittersweet, knowing how fast the time flew, how close they've grown. She wants to live this forever.

"Get your hands off me," she jokes, but she makes no effort to move. "I can't be seen fraternizing with the enemy."

"An enemy," he repeats, squeezing her shoulder until she yelps. "That's all I am?"

"Today, yes."

"What about when I helped you study last week? At four in the morning?"

"You volunteered."

Percy chuckles, rubbing her cheek with his thumb adoringly. "When do you go?"

"In an hour."

"Aw. Sad I don't get to watch you take your test."

"It's a good thing," she promises, smiling in his face. "Otherwise, you'd get so nervous you forget to fill out any answers, and then you'll never stand a chance!"

"Still arrogant as ever."

"You love it."

"I do. More than you will ever know."

Annabeth smiles, and more than anything, she wants to kiss him and his beautiful smile. Today feels almost like turning a page. She doesn't want to read the last page of this story, but another part of her tells her this isn't the last page.

"Quiz me," she says suddenly, bouncing in front of him.

"Leg bone?"

"Connected to the foot bone," she says mechanically, rolling her eyes. "Be serious."

"I am not helping you today. You're on your own."

"Sabotage."

"That was never a secret."

He helps her anyway. They're both in different categories, but he stays by her side anyway, and she loves him for it. Time moves slowly, and she can't find it in her to be nervous. He's done a good job reassuring her that he's not going anywhere, and as much as she wants to win, she thinks she'll be okay.

They're sitting on the floor of one of the competition buildings, Percy in a stray bean bag with his hands full of flashcards, and she's about to answer another of his questions when her own partner appears behind him, glaring at Annabeth.

"You're helping him?"

"Nice to see you too, Piper," Percy says without looking up from the cards.

"I don't have to greet you. You stole my partner."

"That's funny," he says, looking at her now. "She seemed more than happy to come with me."

Piper ignores that. "We have ten minutes," she says to Annabeth.

Annabeth sighs. "I should probably go, then."

She stands, wiping her hands on her jeans. Percy stands with her, and he's looking at her so earnestly she wants to melt on the spot.

"You go in forty minutes?" she asks.

"I'll be in before you're done."

It's weird, being at this moment she's worked for the past year. It feels miniscule in the grand scheme of things, when she's drowning in his sea green eyes and hoping she never gets saved.

"You're going to do great," he says, and for good measure, he adds in, "Maybe not as great as me, but…"

"Shut up," she says, but she laughs and steps into his open arms. She presses her nose to his neck. "I'll see you after."

And she pulls away and is about to leave, but Percy catches her eyes, and she knows he's about to say something that's most likely going to leave her mortified and slightly more in love.

"Don't I get a kiss for good luck?"

Annabeth can hear Piper's playful gasp, and she knows she's never going to hear the end of this.

All she can say is, "Come back with a first place medal, and then we'll see."

It seems to be a good enough answer for him, and the last thing she sees before she turns around with Piper to walk away is his brilliant smile and heartwarming eyes that always seem to have more confidence in her than she has in herself.

All things considered, the test isn't so bad.

She'd spent enough time in Percy's room late in the hours of the night memorizing everything she possibly could that it comes rushing back easily. Piper isn't entirely useful, scribbling one of the few answers she knows before setting her pen down to watch Annabeth fill in the rest. Halfway through, Piper mumbles about being excited to win a first place medal without having to do any work, which Annabeth would probably find more amusing if she weren't too busy thinking about Percy with that gold medal around his neck.

She must admit that it would definitely be a sight, that medallion hanging from his neck, resting against his chest, and what if would feel like pressed to her stomach when her back is pressed to the door, or the cold contrast the metal would leave against her skin when he's against her, whole and warm and perfect, and…

Annabeth moves onto the next question, which happens to be labeling a diagram of bones. It doesn't do much to divert her attention because all she can remember now are the bones he'd traced with his lips one September night, or the way his fingers curved against the ridges of her body, ruining her for anyone else.

She's always been attracted to intellect, so she wouldn't mind Percy with a gold medal she's spent her life chasing, but she's sure Percy would be just as enthusiastic gazing at her in that position, so she figures she can at least give him that.

Annabeth lives for competition, so is it really a surprise when she wins?

They both know it's going to happen when Percy gets called for second place. He looks just as good in silver, and he seems to appreciate her dressed in gold. They don't get to say anything right then, being called off the stage for the next round. Everything moves fast, the way it always does in moments like these, so it's not until after that he finds his way to her side.

"I'm so proud of you," Percy says into the top of her head, the first to wrap her in a hug. "I also really want to say I told you so."

"You're so jealous," she teases, but she doesn't want to move from his arms. Not yet.

Percy laughs and rubs her back. "Maybe I am. I'm still proud of you." He pulls away then to tug at the medal around her neck. "You look good in gold, Chase."

"And you look good in silver."

"I think you'd look even better in silver, but I'm biased, and a little jealous."

"And proud?"

"Definitely that."

Annabeth laughs and shoves her face into the crook of his neck. She feels euphoric, vibrating, and perhaps that's the reason she says, "I love you."

She should've known that he would break into a smile. "Looks like my plan worked after all."

"Except for the part where I still won."

"You falling in love with me? Who's really winning, here?"

She knows he's playing, but it's a funny thought, him trying to make her think that his goal was to win when it was really to make her his. From the moment he saw her, he knew what he wanted, and because he's a mastermind, he got her.

"I love you," he says back, because there was never any avoiding this moment. "More than you will ever understand."

And there they are, kissing in a crowded room. They're academic rivals wearing matching blue and gold team shirts, but they're not really academic rivals at all. There are a lot of people around, so she thinks her friends are laughing at her, but then fifteen seconds later, they're cheering too, and this is all she's ever wanted.

"You sure you don't want my medal?" Annabeth teases, pulling away for a second.

"I can always try again next year," he says, tugging her closer. "Until then, I have you. That's all I need."