Percy was sweating buckets. He thought he was nervous for his date with Drew, but this? This is a thousand times worse.

"Dude," Jason said, watching his friend pace around his room. "Relax. She isn't gonna cut your head off."

Percy just shook his head and continued pacing.

"Percy, you should really get going," Grover said. "You're gonna be late if you don't leave right now."

"Okay... okay. I can do this," Percy mumbled before straightening his tie one more time.

He waved at his friends nervously before heading towards the roof.

Good Gods, what was I thinking? Should've picked her up from her room.

He thought back to the crumpled up heap of paper in his room that he cleaned up this morning as he felt too guilty for letting Lee clean up after him every day.

Should've gone with the 33rd one... No I wrote 'love Percy' on that one. Like who writes 'love' on the first date?!

Percy internally groaned. He was so screwed.

He nodded to the guards who phished open the giant glass doors that led to the roof. He walked towards where he knew a few servants were setting up for the date. It was right at the centre of the roof, surrounded by a few potted plants. A small round table was set up with a vase of peonies (Annabeth's favourite) at the centre. As expected, a few maids were adding the finishing touches to the scene. They bowed when they noticed him.

"Thanks guys," he said, "This is beautiful. I'll handle it from here. You guys wait near the chrysanthemums and bring in the food when I signal, please."

The maids all nodded and scurried off. Percy surveyed the set up again nervously and ran a hand through his hair. Maybe he should've made the table cloth a banana yellow, she would it better than the flax yellow he chose. And Gods, what if she didn't like the blue peonies in the bouquet? He knew he should've stuck with the pink and white ones only!

Percy contemplated between cancelling the date and jumping off the edge, when he remembered that he was supposed to greet Annabeth at the doors and rushed towards it. Gods he was doing a lot of rushing today.

He had just straightened his yellow and white striped tie when he heard footsteps down the hallway. He leaned forward to check whether it was Annabeth or not and oh boy...

His eyes widened, his body froze, his breathe hitched and his brain stopped functioning.

"Annabeth," he breathed. Said girl caught his eyes and smiled widely.

Heartbeat.

She just seemed to get more and more beautiful by the second. She literally had gone from Beautiful to Goddess in one night. And Oh Gods, kill him now, her hair was down.

She walked up to him and grinned. "Hey there."

"Annabeth," he repeated... It was the best compliment he could think of.

"Percy," she chuckled.

"That's me."

She gave him an odd look. "Um, yeah I know. Are you okay?"

Percy shook his head and cleared his throat, trying (and failing) to look collected.

"Y-yeah. Um...you uh a-are beautiful." So much for collected.

Annabeth blushed deeply. "Yeah... I've been told."

Percy felt a scowl take over his face. He was supposed to tell her that first.

"Really?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah. It was you."

"Oh!" Percy exclaimed, suddenly remembering the first day of the selection. Annabeth's shy smile, her bright eyes and her cute blush. "You looked gorgeous. I- I mean you a-always look gorgeous- like right now- a-as always." Percy just won 'Who Is Redder' against a tomato.

Annabeth pursed her lips to suppress a laugh, but could do nothing to hide her blush.

"Thanks," she chirps. "You look great too."

Percy chuckled thanks through his blush and held out his elbow to her. She looped her hand through it and smiled up at him. He led her to his little set in a comfortable silence. Annabeth let out a little gasp when she saw the place.

"Percy... This is beautiful!"

The Prince smiled down at the girl. "I try." He led her to the table and pulled out her chair for her to sit before sitting himself opposite to her. "I-I am sorry I didn't pick you up from your room."

Annabeth shrugged, bringing her bare shoulders to Percy's notice. Its official now, she is trying to kill him.

"So," she said. "Why did you ask me out?"

Percy blinked at her, once, twice and she blinked right back.

"D-did you not want t-to come?" Percy stuttered out. "Cause you didn't have to come if you didn't want to. I mean it would sick but i don't want to force you to come, like you're free to reject, I wouldn't-"

"Hey shh!" Annabeth cut him off. "I didn't mean it like that. What I am saying is that, we talk in my room every day, why did we have to use the fancy setting?"

Percy swallowed harshly. What was he going to say? Oh you know, cause I'm kind of i love with you, have been for several years now, and I just suddenly got a burst of courage yesterday and here we are! He did not think it was gonna make her very happy.

"Umm... well you know... just cause... I wanted to... like... show how much I... appreciate you and our friendship... and that you are very important to me... so...", He gestured around them at flowers and table and everything.

Well, it wasn't a complete lie.

Annabeth smiled and ducked her head. "You are very important to me too," she said softly, but he couldn't help but notice a twinge of disappointment in her voice. But maybe he imagined it.

They talked for a few more minutes before Percy beckoned the maids to bring their food. Everything was going smoothly, and Percy was happy with it... until, he messed up.

He didn't mean to spit his drink out at her, never. It's just that when she says that she thought he looked hot at the summer ball this year, his brain kind of short circuited and... Well the result was sitting right in front of him, staring at him with wide eyes, mouth agape.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry I'm so sorry I'm so sorry sorry sorry sorry," Percy stuttered out, waving his arms around, spilling a few more stuff in the process of doing so.

And suddenly, before he could even comprehend what was happening, a tomato hit him, straight on his nose. As it slid down his face, he was met with a wheezing Annabeth, holding her side.

Her smile was bright and, not to sound like a sap, but her eyes looked like they held the stars within them. Her nose was scrunched up in the cute way that made him want to place a kiss on the tip of it.

His lips spread into wide smile as he watched her laugh her heart out and then, to make this more fun, he picked up a piece of lettuce from his plate and threw it at her. And then he was having the best laugh he'd had in a long long time and he just felt so happy and giddy and he never wanted this to end. Percy felt right at home as his best friend and long-time crush threw food at him and he threw some at her and he felt like a carefree kid.

After half an hour, they were both too happy and drunk with giddiness to stand straight and were leaning on each other for support and they laughed their butt of. Percy's cheek her like hell and his throat was hoarse and he just couldn't stop laughing.

"Gods, I love you." Annabeth wheezed out through breaths of laughter and she probably didn't mean it like that, but it still sent his heart beating out of his damned aching chest.

"Yeah," he said wistfully, finally able to put down his laughter. Annabeth too, swallowed down her snorts and plopped down her chair.

"Thant was fun," she said cheerfully.

Percy hummed and sat down opposite to her. "So," Percy said smirking. "You think I am hot, huh?"

Annabeth blushed a deep red, but raised an eyebrow. "Are you gonna spit at me if I say yes?"

"Hey!" Percy protested. "You took me by surprise, okay?"

"Be honest," Annabeth said. "Did you spit at every Selected you went on a date with?"

"Wha- No! Only this- You." Oh great, the 'Who is Reddest' game again.

"So you just spit at me. Oh, you make feel soooo special, Percy!" She was about to start laughing again.

"Yeah, yeah I get it, I'm an idiot. What's new?"

Annabeth chuckled and shook her head. Percy smiled too, but it faded away when he saw Grover approaching them. It was time to go.

"What happened here?" Grover asked looking around at the place, which was covered in fancy food, which did not look fancy anymore. "Wait, don't tell me. I don't want to know." He shook his head, a small smile playing at his lip.

"How did he mess this up?" He asked turning to Annabeth.

"Hey!" Percy protested weakly.

"He spit at me."

Grover laughed loudly before saying, "Well, I hate to end this, but our dear Price I-Spit-On-My-Date has a meeting to attend."

Percy sighed. "At least let me walk her to her room."

"Yes, you do that and then change please." Grover walked out, almost slipping on a piece of cheese. Percy sighed again and stood up to offer his arm to Annabeth.

Thankfully, there was no one to see them as they walked down towards Annabeth's room. A few guards and servants gave them weird looks, probably because they looked like they threw up on each other.

Once they reached her room, they paused outside the doors.

"I really had fun today, Percy. Thank you for the amazing morning." She smiled softly up at him and he had to do everything in his power to not lean down and kiss her.

"Yeah. Thank you for coming."

She stood on her tip toes and placed a soft kiss on his cheek before opening the door and slipping in, waving as she went.

He stood there for a while before rising is hand to where she had placed her lips on his skin and muttered softly to himself.

"I love you too."