Hi everyone! I'm back :) This chapter is pretty intense so I really hope you'll enjoy it. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think! I love reading your reactions.

I do not own anything from Percy Jackson.

Chapter 9

"So, you two fell asleep on the same bed. And nothing happened. Not even a kiss?" Piper asked as they looked for a file on Annabeth's computer. Her coworker had rolled her office chair to her place purely for work motives, and they ended up talking about her graduation day. Even the part where she spent the night on a student's residence.

"Nop. Nothing" Annabeth, replied finding the file and sending it to Piper's email work account. However, her friend didn't make a move to return to her post.

"And did you want something to happen?" Piper asked, raising her eyebrow. Annabeth sighed. Thalia had made her the same question when she had returned home last Saturday afternoon.

"No…" she gave her the same answer she had given her best friend. Piper snorted and some guys at the office turned to look at her unladylike sound. "What?" the blond friend asked with irritation.

"Annabeth your eyes shine every time you talk about him. You love being at work, but when Percy calls for you to meet, you bolt out of here without looking back. So, I call BS. Besides…"

"Okay, okay." She interrupted her before everyone at the office could have enough gossip for a lifetime. She lowered her voice "Maybe I wanted something to happen. But he had just broken up with Rachel! If I just kissed him and he kissed me back, I would have been taking advantage of his fragile condition. Besides, I'm the one who fell asleep first. Not that he could do something about that."

"How would you know he would have kissed you back only because he felt sorry for himself? Percy doesn't look like the kind of person to do that. He would have kissed you back because he likes you back. And maybe, just maybe, …haven't you thought that he might have he broken up with Rachel because he started having feelings towards you"

It was Annabeth's time to raise her eyebrow. "How many Rom-Coms have you seen lately? Or is it just the honeymoon stage with Jason that's making you all romantic"

Piper put her hand under her chin and made a clicking sound with her tongue. "Probably the second one. But I might not be entirely wrong! Jason says Percy talks a lot about you when they meet with their friends. That, and how caring he has been with you for months, surely means he's feeling something too"

"He's just being a good friend"

"Oh, my gods Annabeth. Why are you being so reluctant with the idea of you two, liking each other more than just friends?"

"Because it would never work Pipes" she finally said putting her glasses on top of the desk. "He and I have so different goals and priorities in life. Percy has no ambition at all. He doesn't even know what he wants to do after he graduates in June, and I know he thinks I'm a workaholic that always puts her job before her family. If we already have fights about that, I can't imagine how would it be if we were in a relationship. I just don't wanna waste my time or risk getting hurt by something I know it's destined to fail"

"You won't know that until you try it, Annabeth" her friend kept pushing. Just then, they heard the distinctive pitchy voice of Aurora calling Miss Chase to her office.

"Have you already told her that you want to be an architect instead of her assistant?" Piper asked as she watched her friend standing up and fixing her skirt.

"No…but that's what I'm gonna do right now" Annabeth rolled her eyes at her friend's excitement.

"Finally! And, after you're done, you'll have to tell me what happened when you woke up in Percy's bed"

Piper smiled mockingly at her, as Annabeth walked into Aurora's office. She frowned when she noticed her superior reading a gossip magazine, which Aurora herself usually labeled as superficial and unimportant. The assistant waited patiently for her boss to address her until finally, she heard her sighed.

"Miss Chase, care to tell why I've been getting several calls from the media for the last two hours?"

"Uh, no ma'am. Should I investigate why?" Annabeth tried to dissimulate the look of confusion on her face.

Instead of answering, Aurora slid her the magazine she was reading a few moments ago over her desk and she stepped forward to look at it. Her mouth hung open when she read the front page and looked at the cover photo.

In the picture there was the restaurant her father had invited her for her graduation. A blond woman was standing on the sidewalk, looking at her cellphone, while a tall handsome guy wrapped a coat around her.

"Triton's New Mystery Woman: the lucky girl who finally won the oceans' heart" her boss read out loud, while Annabeth tried to digest the news. "Well, not that mysterious now. Apparently, they did their research and found out you worked for me. Thus, the number of calls I've getting asking about you"

Finally, Annabeth took her eyes from the cover and looked at her boos expecting to see her infuriated by the whole situation. But Aurora looked calm, and she dared say that her superior even had a certain shine on her eyes. As if she had a brilliant idea. Nevertheless, Annabeth felt the necessity to explain.

"Aurora I am so sorry. This was clearly a misunderstanding, and I will personally call all the papers and magazines to tell them the truth. I swear this won't happen again"

She distressingly waited as her boss tapped her fingers on her desk, with a thoughtful look on her face.

"You could do that, or we could take advantage of the situation" she finally said, looking at her assistant with determination. Annabeth blinked, even more, confused than before.

"How?"

Her boss stood up and looked at the window as she spoke.

"Triton Jackson has a lot of contacts, Miss Chase. Powerful ones. It would be unprofessional from my part if I asked him to introduce them to me. And Poseidon always evaded my intentions. But with you, being Triton's girlfriend…yes, that would change the cards"

"But I am not his girlfriend Miss Williams. As I said, that was just a misunderstanding" Annabeth clarified. "Besides, I really don't feel comfortable using him"

"Life is full of tough choices Annabeth. And if you want to be a renowned architect, you should be surrounded by renowned people" she sat back on her ergonomic and expensive chair. "And let me be the first one to show you how. I have a proposal for you" Annabeth felt her heart beating faster and faster. "If you manage to get us one important job with one of Triton's powerful associates, I will make you second-head architect of said project. And we will work together to make a masterpiece"

Annabeth stood frozen. Her throat was dry, and her head was spinning. She really didn't know what the hell was happening. Was her boss bribing her to do an immoral job? Was it really immoral? Second-head architect to Aurora for an important project, that would surely give her fame. Besides, Triton was a douchebag in Percy's words, so it wouldn't be that bad. He had surely played with far more girls, so…did he deserve it? Was he even interested in Annabeth? Was she seriously thinking of doing it?

"You don't have to answer me now," she added seeing her assistant's internal struggle. "Think about it. But I do suggest you make your decision before the Spring Charity Ball, where all the big guys will be reunited" her boss finished, going back to her computer. A clear sign that she had discussed everything she needed to and Annabeth was now an annoying wallflower in her office.

Annabeth walked out of the room in a dazed state. Her boss had offered her the opportunity she had been waiting for years, however, she needed to date a guy she didn't like and use him as her VIP phonebook. Assuming Triton was interested in her.

Her chain of thought was interrupted by her sighting of an overly exaggerated bouquet of red roses on Piper's desk. Everyone in the office was looking at it, and Annabeth allowed herself to smile mockingly at her friend.

"Jason really overdid it. I didn't know he was that kind of guy" she said walking to the flowers and reaching for the small note. She frowned when Piper gave her back a teasing smile.

"Oh, this is not for me. They were brought to Miss Chase. Last time I checked my last name was Mclean"

Annabeth narrowed her eyes and read the note mentally:

Did you know? We are rocking the tabloids

Shall we give them more to talk about?

You know where to find me.

T.J

"Well? Is it from Percy?" Her friend asked, hopefully.

Annabeth grimaced. "Close, but wrong Jackson"

Piper snatched the card and frowned when she finished reading it.

"T.J?"

"Triton Jackson"

Piper made a sign of disgust, then threw the card into the trash bin.

"I heard he's a jerk, Annabeth. Don't waste your time"

Annabeth returned to her desk and looked at the roses, thoughtfully. Well, he did seem interested in her, but…she hated roses.

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"Quit"

"I can't quit Thalia"

"Why not?"

"Because"

…

"She crossed a line"

"Thalia don't push it"

"You should report it to HR"

Annabeth sighed for the hundredth time that night. "I'm not gonna do that"

"She's blackmailing you," her friend said laying on the couch, while Annabeth folded her laundry.

"She's not. Aurora just offered me a deal. It's not like she said do it or you'll lose your job" She found Percy's shirt on her basket and folded it neatly, before putting it with her sleepwear pile.

"Still, she knows how much you want to design stuff. She's bribing you. It's just not right Annabeth"

"You're exaggerating Thalia," she said rolling her eyes. Her cellphone rang beside her basket and she saw Percy's name on it. She kept folding and the ringing stopped.

"Why don't you answer him?" Thalia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I just don't feel like it"

"Aha…What happened last Saturday, Annabeth?" her best friend asked bluntly.

"What do you mean?" The blond girl finished folding and took the piles to her room. Thalia followed her closely.

"You've been acting weird around Percy since you came back that day. So, something must have happened. And don't play dumb with me. I know you since you were seven"

Annabeth sat down on her bed and looked at her friend.

"Fine. I'll tell you" Thalia sat next to her and signaled to continue. "When I was in his bed, I kind of felt cold in one moment of the night. So, I moved closer to Percy who was irradiating incredible heat. And somehow, next time I opened my eyes I was all over him. I had my leg wrapped around his waist and my hand over his chest. The worst thing? I stayed like that until his alarm rang, he left me "asleep" in his bed and went to swimming practice" Her friend exploded in laughter and Annabeth just covered her face with her hands. "I practically harassed him, Thalia! I was so embarrassed"

"Now you're the exaggerated one". She tried to calm down when Annabeth gave her a murderous look. "It's okay Beth. I'm sure he enjoyed it too" Her cellphone started ringing again. Thalia stood up and headed to the door saying "Now answer him or he'll think something's seriously wrong"

Annabeth sighed and pushed the green button on the screen.

"Hey" she greeted softly.

"Are you and Triton dating?" he answered sourly. Annabeth's heart stopped. Percy didn't read magazines, at least not that she knew of, so…how did he find out? Although she was kind of angry at him for slashing out.

"Wow, Percy. Manners" When he remained silent, she decided to continue. "No, we are not dating. That was just a misunderstanding from the day at the restaurant…the encounter that I told you about. The media decided to screw things up with it"

The next time he spoke his voice was softer.

"Oh, right"

"And what if I were dating him, Percy? What would you have told me?" she asked, harshly.

"He's an idiot Annabeth!" he said, regaining his angry tone. "An after everything I told you about…It would have been like a punch in my face"

"So, you're saying I should put your feelings first over mine. Besides, he might be a jerk to you, but he hasn't been to me" Annabeth knew what people said about Triton. And, after their small encounter, she knew he wasn't her type. But she was so pissed at Percy for him being mad at her over that.

"I've worked with him, remember? I know how he treats people in general. You barely know him at all. And I didn't mean it that way…It's just that you deserve something better" He made a noise of exasperation. "Why are we fighting about this? You're not even dating him!"

Annabeth's heart stopped again. But for a different reason.

"Then who do I deserve?"

She felt him taking a sharp breath.

"I don't know Annabeth. Just not him. Okay?"

She didn't like that answer.

"Percy, I'm pretty tired. We'll talk another time. We still need to arrange Poseidon and Malcolm's trip to San Francisco to inspect the complete first stage of the building"

"Eh, sure. Bye"

"Bye"

HeythereimalinebreakenjoyyourdayHeythereimalinebreakenjoyyourdayHeythereimalinebreake

March wasn't Annabeth's month. Every day, Aurora asked her about her decision, and Annabeth saw the look of disappointment on her eyes when, each time, she said she didn't have an answer yet. Thalia was pissed at her for not turning down the proposal right away, and Luke had insisted on seeing her every time he had the chance. Triton had kept sending her flowers to her office and even managed to give her his number on the card of one of his deliveries. He was too egocentric to call first.

And there she was. Spying her ex-boyfriend through the coffee shop's window. She had run out of excuses to not see him and they had agreed on meeting that day on Annabeth's favorite coffee place. Luke Castellan sat on the place Percy usually occupied and was tapping his phone nervously. She took a deep breath and stepped into the small shop.

Coffee usually comforted her, but nothing could alleviate the pain in her chest as Luke stood up and gave her a small hug. They sat on the table and Annabeth accepted the coffee he had ordered for her, even it was almost cold already.

"You still like cappuccinos, right?" he said, putting away his phone, as he watched her with his baby blue eyes.

"Well, I'm more an expresso and macchiato girl now. But I still like it, though. So, thanks" That was an unnecessary comment, but she felt he needed to show him she wasn't the same girl he thought he knew.

They stayed in silence before Annabeth's patience ran out.

"Why are we here Luke?"

He shuffled nervously.

"I wanted to apologize in person. I hurt you Annabeth and I've been regretting it every night. And I-I…I wanted to hear from you. I know it's not an excuse, but I really wished things went back to normal. When we broke up…things got bad. I did things I'm not proud of and I hung with people who would just bring out the worst in me" He looked at her reaction and she just motioned him to continue. "And I blamed you Annabeth, for leaving me alone, for giving up on me"

"I didn't give up on you Luke. You cheated and we weren't exactly healthy for each other" she interrupted. Luke raised his hand to stop her.

"Just please let me finish" Annabeth took a deep breath and let him talk. "And then I realized I wanted to show you I could be an incredible person without. So, I tried to put my life in order for you, and, somehow, it worked. I am much better now and, that night, I just wanted to show you what had really happened between us"

"And what really happened Luke?" she asked, carefully awaiting the answer.

"We need each other Annabeth. We work better when we are together. That's how it was in high school and we both fell apart when the other stopped being the priority…"

"But that's exactly what was wrong Luke! We are not supposed to need each other. It created an unhealthy dependence because when the other wasn't around we would become dysfunctional. We are supposed to be our best selves all the time and not put on the responsibility on another person"

"We are human beings Annabeth. We depend on the other! You weren't with me when when I developed an auto-destructive behavior and I wasn't there for you when you started your unhealthy obsession for studying and working…"

"Unhealthy?" Annabeth was boiling with anger now.

"Yes. You only cared about that. Thalia called me once concerned because you stayed up two full days studying for your psychology class. Hell, you even preferred organizing your notes into categories than having sex with me…"

"Don't you dare blame my devotion to study as the reason why you cheated"

They were half-yelling now and Annabeth noticed some curious stares from the tables next to theirs.

Luke ran a hand through his hair. "I am not saying that. It's just that you were sacrificing things that made you happy, for some worthless grades. If you give us another chance, I swear I can show you how to be happy again. Like you used to be in school"

Annabeth threw her hands into the air. She didn't care if she was making a scandal.

"Working makes me happy!" she yelled.

"No, it doesn't! We both know you developed this obsession because you think the mother who abandoned you will come back if she sees how successful you are" he yelled back. The entire coffee shop stayed silent for a few seconds before everyone resumed their conversations quieter than before. Luke reached for Annabeth's hand.

"I can fix you Annabeth. Just like you fixed me"

She had had enough. The blond girl took her hand away from his as if it was a mousetrap. She didn't even care for the look of hurt on his face.

"I am not broken Luke" she stood up and took her bag. She spoke quietly and sourly. "And I'm glad you feel better with yourself. But that doesn't give you the right of telling me how to live my life. People change, and their priorities with them. Ans it's clear to me that we are not meant to be with each other anymore. Have a good life" she said before turning around and exiting that place that used to be her favorite coffee shop.

She started heading toward Oceans' Enterprises to meet with Percy and discuss the second stage of the project. It was on the subway where a kind woman asked if she was okay, that Annabeth realized she was crying.

She was furious with the world. Why did everyone think her focusing on her work was a bad thing? Thalia, her dad, Luke, Piper, and even Percy, assured her she was not happy doing what she loved. She knew herself. And she would show everyone putting her work first, was what really made her happy.

She got her phone out and looked for the number she had added a few days ago. She closed her eyes and waited patiently for him to answer. He picked up on the fifth tone.

"Hi Triton, it's Annabeth. I wanted to talk"

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"So, Poseidon says he'll love to have a Zen Garden on the tenth floor. Can you talk to Malcolm about the possibility?"

"Uh-huh"

"He also said there were some materials he needed to approve again"

"Okay"

Silence.

"Have you eaten anything today?"

"I'll ask"

"Ok…my hair is on fire"

"Sure"

"That's enough" Percy finally said, putting his favorite pen down and taking away Annabeth's meticulous folder from her eyes.

"W-What?" she asked confusedly as she saw him turning off his computer and putting his notebook on his left drawer. He leaned forward and his sea-green eyes found hers.

"Annabeth, we've been working for three hours and you've barely been paying attention to me. What's wrong?"

She blinked and looked around. The office was completely empty except for them. She had been too busy thinking about her conversation with Luke and had actually let Percy take control of their meeting. Something pretty unusual on her. She avoided his gaze and cleared her throat.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just tired" she said, putting her elbows on his desk and resting her head on her hands. Percy narrowed his eyes at her.

"Sure…" he stood up and grabbed his coat. "Stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes"

"Ok…" she said as he gave her a troublemaker smile and headed towards the elevator.

While he was gone, Annabeth decided to review her folder. Unfortunately, her mind was somewhere else. Should I tell him? Will he hate me? Did I screw up? No, I did it for work. It is worth it.

Twenty minutes passed before a very small paper cup was put in front of her along with a bag from Percy's favorite burger place. She didn't know she was starving until she smelled the heavenly aroma of fries. But first, she grabbed the cup and felt all the problems go away when the taste of expresso filled her mouth. She heard Percy's chuckle.

"Don't choke. I wouldn't know how to do this project without you"

Annabeth finished her nectar before smiling gratefully at him.

"Thanks, I really needed that"

He smiled knowingly.

"I know. Now let's eat while I tell you how Estelle managed to convince her whole classroom, that mermaids were real"

By the end of their meal, Annabeth felt she could breathe again. Percy had managed to get a good laugh from her, talking about his experience bumping into Batman from Times Square and getting colorful commentaries from the night vigilante. By the time they were done, Annabeth found herself looking at the picture on his desk one more time.

"We should go," Percy said while she collected the trash on his desk and threw it into the bin.

"Where?"

"Montauk," he said with sparkles on his eyes. "I'm sure you'll love it. And we'll deserve some huge vacations after this. So, we should grab our friends and go"

Annabeth smiled warmly.

"That sounds nice" Percy returned the smile excitedly and she looked at her folder trying to hide her blush. "But first we need to survive the Spring Charity Ball" she continued.

"Right," he said and then smirked. "So, you better start learning how to dance"

"I know how to dance! Besides I'm an assistant. I don't get the right to use the expensive dance floor on the MET" she replied, laughing

"It's a ball, Annabeth. Everybody gets the right to dance. You're just embarrassed because you don't know how" He reached for his phone and started shuffling through his playlist. "And, I'm gonna teach you how" He stood up and offered her his hand.

"Now? Percy, we are in the middle of the office" she argued, but her stomach had a billion butterflies flying around.

"What a better place to start practicing?"

Annabeth shook her head and accepted his hand. She felt like a high schooler on her prom again. They spun around the empty desks as they dance to the different beats Percy had on his phone. She apologized every time she stepped on his foot or her curls crashed against his face whenever she twirled. She tried putting her hair into a ponytail, but Percy forbade it. He jokingly said she needed to learn how to spin without getting her hair on her partner's faces, but she suspected he preferred her hair that way. They finished dancing one of Armstrong's hits when a familiar sound caught Annabeth's attention.

"I know this song," she said, as Percy pulled her closer, giving her a rush of adrenaline through her body. She secretly liked how he put his arm a little closer to her lower back, now with the confidence to do it. She waited a few more seconds until she finally recognized the sound.

"It's from La La Land! The scene on the Planetarium. So, you actually liked it" she smiled triumphally, as Percy gave her another spin.

"It was…nice. I am not a musical guy, but I liked the story"

They dance quietly for a few more seconds. She felt every part of her body touching him, and that gave her a sense of happiness and tranquility.

"How are you so good at dancing?" she asked, deeply aware of how close their faces were.

"My mom. She said that women loved to dance and that I would have better luck with them if I knew how to do it" She giggled imagining little Percy and her mom dancing across the living room. He raised his eyebrow. "So, is it working?" he asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"What?"

"Am I having luck with you?" Annabeth felt her face grow hotter and surely, it was as red as a tomato too. Percy was a puzzle to her. He could be such a caring and kind gentleman, and suddenly he would flirt with her as if it was nothing. She thought about Triton and wondered if it was a Jackson gene.

"Well, you would have if I liked dancing. Problem is, I don't" she found herself saying. She noticed her head getting closer to his.

"You don't?" he smiled amusedly. "That's really a problem for me. Now I'll have to investigate what you're into, so I can become an expert on it" He faked sighing. "You're definitely not making things easier for me"

"I warned you" she whispered, but her mind was only focused on his lips. If I lean forward just a bit, our lips would meet, she kept thinking. She was aching to do it, but instead, she shifted her arms, so they were surrounding his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, while he put his hands on her waist. And, when the music had finally stopped, she closed her eyes. They both halted their swaying, but Annabeth kept herself in the same position and Percy didn't make a move to separate himself either.

"What happened today, Annabeth?" he asked softly. She pressed herself closer to him and Percy surrounded her back with his arms, so they were in a sort of embrace. And, she told him everything about her encounter with Luke. She couldn't see his face, but she felt his body stiffen as she told him their discussion.

"And I know you agree with him, Percy. I just…" she continued, but was quickly interrupted.

"Annabeth" he called her as they finally separated from each other. "If you are completely sure working hard makes you happy, then I support you"

Was she completely sure?

"Thanks," she said, trying to ignore the huge wave of relief his words had had on her.

"Now, let's go back to work," he said, giving her a small smile and headed back to his desk. Annabeth's chest was aching from not having kissed him before. Percy made her feel calm, strong, and…happy. He had become one of the most important people in her life. She owed so much to him.

Which is why she felt like crying when she got Triton's text on her way home.

10:38 p.m. I can't wait to see you tomorrow. I promise you won't regret it.