A/N: Takes place after ToA when Annabeth and Percy are attending college in New Rome.

Disclaimer: Disclaimed: I own nothing

Jealousy

It was common knowledge that Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson were simply meant to be. Having grown up together, participating in numerous quests and missions, fighting in two wars, to say they were destined was equivalent to saying water is wet, or the sky was blue...it was just an obvious conclusion that needed no confirmation.

After five years of getting to know each other, become camp mates, friends, allies, then best friends, they finally confirmed their commitment, completely and solely to one another. It had come as a great celebration among their friends of Camp Half-blood, many proclaiming their frustration of the continual 'will they/won't they' direction of their relationship. In fact, there had been a betting pool in place, courtesy of the Stoll brothers, of when that first kiss would happen. In the end, Thalia won the pot, as Annabeth had confessed to her that she had kissed Percy under Mt. Saint Helen's before he caused it to erupt.

But in many ways it had been the Second Giant's War that built the evolution of their relationship. They had become weary of the prophesies; tired of the constant life and death battles forced upon them that forever threatened to tear each other away from the one person they treasured above everything else. But Tartarus had been the breaking point, the moment in which Annabeth knew that if they survived the war, she would abandon everything in her life to be with Percy. She would agree to move to and live in New Rome with him, a city where they could share their life and grow old together, raise a family and be protected from all the evils this world threw at them. If the Fates were truly benevolent, they would never be separated again.

So it was that they had come to this city, to attend college without fear of the constant monster attacks and, more to the point, to share their life together and live as normally as two extremely powerful and equally famous demigods could. That was not to say New Rome was perfect, far be it. But that largely had more to do with Percy and Annabeth themselves rather than the Roman demigods. For being two of the heroes of the Prophesy of Seven, they were...celebrated in the eyes of the New Roman populace. Yet, being veterans of the Second Titan War, made them legends. So it came as no surprise that when news came that Percy and Annabeth were coming to live in New Rome, the Roman Senate passed ordinances to provide a stipend to celebrate the heroes of the Great Prophesy. This extended to all the heroes of the Prophesy, as land was dedicated to begin construction on estates positioned within the Fields of Victory, close enough to the city to be readily convenient, yet far enough from the thoroughfare to ensure their privacy.

Annabeth had designed their new home, and it has already been confirmed that ground had already been broken for construction of their manor. Apart from Frank and Hazel, it was thought that the other heroes of the Prophesy were unlikely to ever visit the gifts New Rome would provide, but it was still a mark of respect to honor the heroes who saved the world. As such it was determined that Percy and Annabeth's home would be ready when they graduated college, a new home to begin their new lives, and gods willing, raise a family in the safety of this city. And thus, no matter where the two young lovers traversed within the city limits, they were flocked by admiring and adoring citizens clamoring for autographs or stories from the pair. This of course, took considerable effort to accommodate the apparent hero-worship, especially given the two Heroes of Olympus were excessively modest when given their accomplishments.

However there was another component to their fame neither were particularly adept at dealing with. While Percy and Annabeth were certainly among the most famous heroes on the planet, many of the young demigod residents of New Rome had targeted the two heroes in pursuits of romantic conquest. It wasn't difficult to understand why, many people would love to boast that they had seduced the heroic Percy Jackson or tempted the beautiful Annabeth Chase into a romantic encounter. Despite the naivety that anyone could come between these two, it did not deter their innumerable admirers who continued to foolishly believe they would be the ones to break up Percy and Annabeth.

It was that part of their lives in New Rome, the endless stream of students and young adults seeking to romance the two that led to the current situation. Percy and Annabeth had arrived at lecture hall early, preparing their notes and supplies while waiting for the class to begin. This was the only class they took together, mostly because it satisfied two general studies classes, and because having no classes together was tantamount to torture. So while the professor had enough foresight to separate the two, this only seemed to entice their classmates confident enough to challenge, and of course fail, to break the bond of their relationship.

Thus while Annabeth was sitting quietly, reviewing the next couple of chapters of the lesson in preparation to help Percy when the time came to review the content, her boyfriend was being propositioned by an extremely attractive young woman who did not seem to pick up on the cues of Percy's discomfort.

He had attempted to take this time before the start of class to review the notes Annabeth had prepared for him, unaware of the platinum blond with the sultry eyes, hungry smile and low cut top that slid into the desk beside him. She had unsuccessfully attempted to attract his attention several times before finally closing his book and demanding his notice, to which Percy was quite startled to say the least.

For her own part, Annabeth was oblivious to the happenings of the back row, her attention devoted to taking notes that would be essential for the next few weeks readings. The class itself was quite interesting, Modern History, that explored the Roman and Greek efforts to defeat the Titans in the second war, as well as the Second Giant's War. While she and Percy had lived through the experience, it was really enlightening to know what other actions were being taken by groups other than the seven heroes to stop Gaea, and to read about the Titan war from the Roman perspective. The one caveat to being allowed to take the class was that Percy and Annabeth would need to provide a report, sharing the events of their travels with the class. This of course was agreed upon, with the exception of discussing the journey through Tartarus.

"Hey," Annabeth's classmate Beth said, sliding into the desk beside her. Beth was a very pleasant girl, with mousy brown hair and a cute, roundish face. She was a legacy child of Ceres and never ceased to find amazement at the city of New Rome, but still struggled at the reality that gods and monsters exist in the world. While she was a third generation demigod, meaning any powers she would have inherited were minute, she was still able to see through the mist, making her an otherwise easy target for monsters that would love to devour helpless demigods, thus she was granted permission to live in New Rome. "A-are you okay with that?" Beth asked, craning her head to look at the back row where Percy was obviously attempting to be dismissive of their classmate without being overly rude, to which the girl seemed to take no notice.

"Huh?" Annabeth asked, turning her head towards her friend before following the direction of Beth's attention to the scene playing itself out in the back row. "Oh, sure, whatever," she said, shrugging in disinterest as she returned to her book and continued filling notes in her notepad.

"Seriously? That's all you have to say?" Beth asked in shock at the dismissal of the obvious attempt at their classmate trying to seduce Percy, before lowering her voice in a conspiratorial tone. "Annabeth, that's Lizzie Tanner, daughter of Venus. She's broken up more couples on this campus than there are couples on this campus..."

"That, doesn't seem mathematically feasible," Annabeth reasoned, never taking her eyes from the task at hand. The passage she had just read was quite interesting and she was in the middle of recording the information.

"Annabeth, she's going to steal your boyfriend!"

At this, the blonde demigod set her pencil down and offered a slight chuckle as if the idea amused her. "She's welcome to try."

"Annabeth, you have to take this seriously!"

"Why," Annabeth asked with indifference before heaving a sigh at the stunned look on Beth's face. At this point she decided it was best to ease her friend's mind about the nature of her relationship with Percy. "Beth, do you know how many girls have tried to break us up since we got here? Forty-Seven. It's almost like a game or some kind of right of passage for some of these people. But they just don't understand it's never going to happen. Anyway, look, this school has 219 students, of which, 108 are girls, so that means 44% of the female student body have tried to get between us, and 4% of the guys. Now, keep in mind, that's just the people trying to get with Percy, there have been another 39 boys and 17 girls who have hit on me. And just in case you get any ideas, I'm flattered but I'm not interested."

"What?" Beth asked as if the comment disoriented her mind. "NO! Why would you even think..."

"Well, you never can tell."

"I think you can, I've never flirted with you once."

"Hey, Nico never flirted with Percy, didn't stop him from being gay." Annabeth continued as she shrugged her shoulders, "Besides, at this point it just seems easier to assume everybody wants one of us."

"That's kind of...arrogant isn't it?"

In response, Annabeth heaved a sigh and collected her backpack. Unzipping the front pouch, she pulled out a handful of notes and folder papers and slapped it on her desk. "These love letters, are just from today..."

"Wow, that must suck for you," Beth sarcastically replied, resting her cheek on her hand as she looked longingly at the notes that Annabeth had continuously received, Beth secretly wishing she had a fraction of the attention her friend got.

"It is when your spoken for," Annabeth said as she stared at the letters as though they offended her very existence. Seeing that Beth had still turned her attention to the back row, Annabeth felt the need to elaborate on the nature of her relationship between her and Percy. "Anyway, the point is Beth, you are familiar with the stories about Percy and me, right?"

"Are you kidding? There's nobody in New Rome who hasn't heard of the two of you," Beth stated as she began recounting all the stories she had been told. "Being part of the Prophesy of Seven, saving the world, falling into...uh...you know. You finding the Athena..."

"Alright, alright," Annabeth stated to silence her friend before she said too much that would only lead Annabeth to feel self-conscious. "But you have to understand, that's only part of the story. Most people don't know what we accomplished before we were part of the Seven. Percy and I have known each other since we were 12, we were best friends for years before we even got together, and in that time, we went on a lot of quests and missions that proved our dedication to one another. For instance, a lot guys might brag that they'd move heaven and earth for you...Percy has actually done that for me."

"In what context are we talking here?"

"Beth, you perv," Annabeth recanted, yet a mischievous smile led little to the imagination of just intimate Percy and Annabeth's relationship was.

"What? I have to live vicariously through my friend's love life...gods know I don't have much of one myself..."

"Your friends' love life? Beth, Percy and I are your only friends."

"Which just means my options are pretty slim." Beth said, propping her cheek on her hand as she gazed at Annabeth.

"Uh...anyway, back on topic." Annabeth stated as though not sure how the conversation took a weird turn. "What I mean by the moving heaven and earth is that a few years ago, back during the second Titan War, I was captured and taken cross country. Percy forcefully involved himself in a quest that he wasn't a part of to rescue me, in doing so, he had to hold up the sky."

"Are you for real?" Beth asked, her eyes growing at the revelation.

To this, Annabeth merely smiled at the memory, "Yeah, well actually, and this is a long story, but I had to hold up the sky also."

"H-Holy Juno," Beth's eyes grew wide at hearing this, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that her two friends had taken such a burden. "What was that like?"

"Well," Annabeth stated as she scratched her chin. "Percy likes to describe it as having your spine forcefully shoved up through your mouth hole the hard way. All things considered, that's probably a pretty good comparison."

"I-is there an easy way to shove your spine..."

"No, no there isn't," Annabeth interrupted before continuing "The year after that, Percy and I were checking on the forge under Mount St. Helen's for Hephaestus, when we got cornered by some monsters, and Percy had me escape. To give me enough time to get away, he caused it to erupt."

Beth's mouth fell open at the news. She remembered the eruption of Mount St. Helen's and how all the geologists were scratching their head how the mountain had actually erupted. But more than anything, she was gaining a better understanding of Percy and Annabeth, and why she was not worried about Lizzie Tanner or any of the other gaggle of girls trying to move in on Percy. "So when you said move heaven and earth for you...you were being literal." she said, feeling desperately in need of having a relationship that devoted. "But even still, Lizzie is trying really hard to snipe your man."

At this Annabeth waved off the concern with another smile, "when your boyfriend is willing to fall into Tartarus with you, its for keeps."

"So then, tell me about all these guys sending you these letters, are they not as forward about it as Lizzie?"

"Oh, that's because Percy's not as subtle or patient as I am. Anytime some big, burly guy actually comes up and tells me that he's the man I'm meant to be with, Percy just threatens to sever and artery or shove 38 gallons of water up his nasal cavity. Not sure where he got the idea, but he seems convinced that's the amount of water needed to make a human head pop..."

"O-kay..." Beth said, feeling out of sorts at the lengths Percy is willing to go to to stop anyone from openly flirting with Annabeth. "But, I mean, come on, you're not a little jealous?" She said, looking back at the laughing Lizzie who had moved her chair closer.

"Nah, not really," Annabeth remarked as she reached once more into her backpack and retrieved a blue notebook. Opening it up, she began leafing through the pages before stopping on the one she sought. "Let's see, Lizzie Tanner, 5' 8", brown hair, though she bleaches it blond, oh, unique eye color, orange...don't see that every day. Moderate athletic skill, high end academic potential, though she tends to rely on her looks...spent some time as a model. Daughter of Aphrodite...I mean Venus. Hmm...slut, better put that note in there."

"Oh my gods...you have a hit list?" Beth hissed out between her clenched teeth.

"What? Don't be stupid, this is a tactical assessment portfolio."

"Why was my name in that notebook?!"

"It...its wasn't."

"You hesitated, why did you hesitate?"

"You know, forget the notebook..." Annabeth replied, returning the book to her backpack and moving the bag to the other side of the desk, noticeably away from Beth. Any further conversation about the statistical summary of every girl who ever flirted with Percy fell to the wayside at the sound of Percy's exasperated voice calling out, "The perfect woman is in the front row, right there. Now please leave me alone."

"See? Loyalty." Annabeth smiled as though her point was proven before she turned and watched momentarily as Lizzie reached her hand out and rested it on Percy's forearm, still flirting and ignoring the protests of the object of her efforts.

"Oh no she didn't," Annabeth stated, her eyes narrowing at the hand resting on Percy's arm. "Fine, fine, I can take a hint," she said finally, standing up and gathering her opened text book, Annabeth casually walked to the back row were Percy was trying to scoot his desk away from Lizzie who just continued to inch closer. When she reached the pair, she snapped her book shut, startling the two. Lizzie glared at Annabeth as if she were hording in on what the bleached blond predator had already claimed as her own. Percy just smiled at his girlfriend, part in relief, and part accusatory, as if silently asking what took her so long.

Without so much as a word, Annabeth tossed her textbook through the open door and looked at her boyfriend. "Percy, my love, I seem to have left my textbook in the hallway. Would you be ever so kind and retrieve it for me?"

"Of course," Percy said happily, relieved he was out the situation that was making him extremely uncomfortable as he stood up and kissed Annabeth full on the lips. "Mostly because I don't want to be party for what's about to happen."

As soon as he left the room, Annabeth's jaw set as she turned and narrowed her steel gray eyes at the foolish little wannabe demigod princess. "What the hell did I just see?" She had kept her tone neutral, but the words left no mistake how angry she was.

Not picking up on the cues of what the Olympian hero was capable of, Lizzie replied with her usual snarky attitude. "What's the matter Annie, afraid of a little challenge for your boyfriend? I mean, we both know he can do better. But it's not my fault you can't keep your boyfriend on a tighter leash. Maybe he's tired of dating a skank and is looking for a real woman. You know, someone he knows can give him everything he wants."

"Oh you did not just..." Annabeth started before lowering herself to lean on the desktop. It was always this way, with people who tried to get between them. Attempting to belittle them, denounce their famed heroics as if it was meaningless without ever knowing the nights of waking up screaming from the nightmares, only to be comforted in each others arms. The fear of dying, the fear of losing each other, everything that they fought so desperately for, all for that small hope that they could finally be together. No prophesies, no monsters, no gods meddling in their lives, just the hope that they could live long enough to share all the love they held for each other.

It was one thing to play at attempting to come between Percy and Annabeth, it was another to belittle all they had overcome to be together. No one would take that from them.

"Let's get something straight here bitch," Annabeth snarled, her eyes dangerously stormy, the way they get when someone threatens what belongs to her. "As for competition, I've killed monsters bigger than this school, you aren't even a warm up for me. And if I wanted it, I'd separate your jaw from the rest of your face. And you, slutty little whore, think you can give him everything he wants? I'm everything he needs.

"But since you're probably too stupid to take a hint let me put it to you bluntly, no one takes my man. If I ever see you try something like that again, I swear to all the gods I will personally drag your dumb, bubbly ass to Tartarus and bury you up to your neck in Minotaur shit.

"Now you get the hell away from my boyfriend, before I ruin your day."

Lizzie had never known fear, had never faced the monsters and demons that Percy and Annabeth had, so she had never known what evils lurked in the world. In her pampered, spoiled life, she was accustomed to getting whatever she wanted. But now, she had seen that fear and knew if Annabeth had willed it, she would crush her like an egg. The daughter of Venus stumbled from her chair and rushed to the other side of the room and sat down.

"And as for the rest of you, you need to get this through you heads!" Annabeth stated as she marched up the aisle to her desk and snatched the love letters that had been secreted to her by her many admirers. "Percy and I came to New Rome to start our life together. Key word...together! So all you stupid little frat boys who think you can score with Annabeth Chase, and all you sorority girls wanting to put another notch in your make up case by getting with Percy, it'll never happen.

"Because Percy and I know exactly where we stand with each other, and that is shoulder to shoulder, like every threat that's ever challenged us. We are not here for you to crow about your reputation as some Lothario Adonis, we are not here for your imaginary hook ups, we are not some mark in a singles bar that you think you can score. So get it through your heads, and stop wasting your time, and more importantly, ours.

"As a courtesy, I'm giving you this one warning, Percy and I have been though more horrors in two weeks than you'll ever see in your entire lives. All we want is start our life together; peacefully, quietly, but if you want to play these games...keep trying to get between us, thinking you're somehow a better fit for us, then the gloves are off. We are here for each other, not you, and we are done with your stupid little games. But you want to push it, you want to think this is some kind of challenge to you, then you try it, because we will no longer hold back from the people who try to take us away from each other, and we will show you what the Heroes of Olympus can do!"

Silence filled the room after Annabeth's tirade, most simply too afraid to comment. It was only when the soft cough behind her caused her to turn and face Percy who had retrieved the book and was standing behind her, his eyebrow raised.

"Oh, thanks love," Annabeth said as though nothing had happened, but Percy held the book firm, refusing to allow his girlfriend to retrieve it.

"I am so hot for you right now!" he groaned quietly through his clenched teeth, as if restraining the urge to pull her to him and make love to her right here and now, regardless of who might be watching. Annabeth however smirked as she grabbed the front of Percy's shirt and pulled him into a crushing kiss that rendered both of two young lovers into near boneless heaps.

"Later," she purred into his ear before taking her book and heading back to her seat.

"Oh sure, you're the subtle one," Beth remarked as Annabeth returned to her chair. Beth was busying herself leafing through the pages of what had drawn her attention. "Really glad we're friends, because Annabeth, you are scary." Stealing a glance over her shoulder she replied, "But you know, he's still just standing there."

Looking back and regretting it the moment her eyes fell up those emerald irises, Annabeth cursed herself silently. He'd never be able to concentrate in class now, nor for that matter would she. "Oh the hell with it, it's later." She said, grabbing up her backpack and taking the tactical assessment portfolio that Beth was absently thumbing through and shoving it into her bag. As she stood over her friend, studying the legacy, Annabeth snapped her fingers and held out her hand, causing Beth to lean to the side and retrieve the folder paper of the page she'd torn from Annabeth's notebook and handing it to the taller girl.

She'd have to add nosy to Beth's entry. But now there was somewhere else she needed to be. "If the professor ever shows up, tell him we had a family emergency."

"Family emergency, what, role playing doctor and patient?" Beth smirked, and though Annabeth just glared at her friend, the look in her eye made Beth realize she had just given her an ideal. "Oh for the love of...just go."

And without any further words, Annabeth marched to the back of the room, took Percy by the elbow and dragged him from the class.

End

O/C. Just a fun little story that had been bouncing around in my head. As always, if you're kind enough to read, please be kind enough to review.