A/N: Hey guys! A little shy!Annabeth for you guys today! I just liked this concept,

Hope you enjoy:

Just once.

Just once would she build the courage to say hi to the cute guy who always sported a wide smile. Not that she had much of a choice, he was her partner and the project had to get done.

"Hi, I'm Annabeth, your partner for the project."

"Percy, it's nice to meet you!" The smile was contagious, she felt a small smile making its way up her face.

"So," he continued, "Got any ideas for the project?"

And so it went, and they worked on the project, presented it, got good grades, and that was the end, right?

It would have been if Percy didn't decide over the course of three weeks that she was his new friend.

Just once.

Just once would she allow herself to open up to another person, to spill the words she kept carefully hidden inside her.

"I want a cat someday."

Percy turned to look at her in surprise, she didn't normally blurt things out like this. He took it in stride and turned back to the math problem he had been working on before.

"What kind?"

She set down her book and leaned against the tree they were sitting under. "I don't know."

"I've never had a pet before." He kept the conversation going as he mimicked her movements.

"Pets are great." She paused for a minute, glancing at his face to see he was waiting for her to continue, "Pets are like a constant in your life. They stand by you, love you no matter what, without judgement or hesitation. You can always go to them and they'll always listen."

Maybe that had said a little too much then. But Percy's face softened and he tentatively reached for her hand. She didn't resist.

"You know," he said softly, "I can do that too."

Something changed when she opened up to him, but it wasn't bad. Dare she say it, it might have been the start of something really good.

Just once.

Just once would she open her heart to truly feel love. To let the warmth overtake her as she tried to calm the fluttering in her chest. She felt like she had never smiled so much before.

"Thank you for tonight."

Percy reached out to brush a strand of hair from her face as they stood outside her door. She felt herself blush at the motion, even though they had just returned from an amazing date.

"Thank you," he whispered, "For making it special."

She smiled up at him, the pink tint on her cheeks even more visible now.

"Your smile is beautiful," he was looking at her with pure adoration. "Hell, you are just…" He stepped forward and brought his hand to cup her face, she leaned up to meet him halfway. The kiss was short and sweet and perfect. They pulled away and Annabeth could feel shivers run across her body.

"Beautiful." he finished the thought.

When she closed the door after he left, she felt another smile on her face and giddiness in her chest. She was most definitely in love.

Just once.

She realized one day, sitting on the couch with a warm cup of tea in her hands, that Percy had broken every barrier that she had previously set up. And she had allowed him to. Because of the leaps of faith she had taken when she allowed herself to do something out of her comfort zone.

When she told herself that she was only going to do it once.

Percy was her "just once."

And looking back at it now, she realized that she only had to do it once.

Just once when he had the mischievous look in his eyes and wide grin as he pulled her towards lake at night.

Just once when he pulled her in for a deep kiss and she nodded as he gestured towards the bedroom.

Just once when he got down on one knee.

And just once when she said, "I do."

A/N: And there ya go, what did you think? Some soft Percy and shy Annabeth cause why not.

And maybe this will show that sometimes taking that leap of faith, getting out of your comfort zone, or even just trying something new can lead to so much more. You can just try it once and no matter how it ends up it will be an experience. I don't know, I try to write things that cause people to think or something they can take away from, and maybe this is what you can take away from this fic? Who knows, just think about it.

Please Review! I'd love to hear your thoughts! And as always, thanks for reading!

See ya! :)