A/N: Yeah I know I'm supposed to be on hiatus, but couldn't help but post this. Also wanted to try an Annabeth POV, with the Athena wisdom seeping out every now and then. I'm not trying to make Annabeth a know it all.

So how'd I do? R&R please!

All rights to uncle Rick

"An idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it makes a better soup."

― H.L. Mencken

There is truly nothing like starting your day as an idealist. Imagining all the possibilities the day holds, all the endless chances and probabilities, a paleboic approach to the butterfly effect.

I lay on Percy's bed. We were staying with his parents this weekend, since Sally insisted on some 'mother-son' bonding time. We couldn't disagree, given that he had, in fact, been kidnapped just a few months prior, by his aunt, nonetheless.

Besides, I was here with him, anything he (adorably) messed up, I could (hopefully) remedy.

Speaking of Percy- the smell of a soon-to-be-burnt pancake wafted from the kitchen. When I crept down into the kitchen, it was business as usual.

Percy was attempting to free his blue pancake from the apparently romantic relationship it shared with the pan. Try as he might, there was no respite. The pancake stuck to it's current placeholder like it's life depended on it. Apparently, as I had found out, pulling the pancake out was too risky, since the smallest infractions to it meant that he would not count it a 'Sally level' pancake.

In other words, perfection was a must.

Percy was too busy, however, trying to ease the pancake out, that he neglected to notice that he had, in fact, left the stove on, and that, if he was not careful, he would be eating the charred remains of what was a pancake, whether up to his mother's level of cooking or not.

"Seaweed brain, you've forgotten to turn off the stove."

"Ah! Styx!"

In hindsight, perhaps I should not have crept up on Percy. We were, after all, recovering from a war. The effects on one's neural system were, significant, to say the least.

But I never promised to make things easy for him.

"Annabeth! You half scared me to death!"

I smirked. "Maybe next time, focus on your surroundings? It's hard to believe a person this oblivious was instrumental in defeating Gaia." I playfully poked his bicep.

He pouted. "I'll have you know that this oblivious person is the savior of Olympus."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

Percy grinned and wrapped his arms around me. He buried his face in my hair.

"Hmm. Still lemon. Do you ever change the way your hair smells?"

"Would you like me to?"

Percy frantically shook his head. "It was just a question! I love the lemony smell. It's so...you."

Lemons. Citrus limon. I hadn't told Percy I never switched shampoos because he loved the smell of lemons (or so he claimed), and I was glad I didn't. I refer to switching shampoos.

"You're such a dork."

"You love this dork."

"Maybe so, but you're still a dork."

"But doesn't that mean you are a bigger dork for falling for-"

I leaned forward and kissed him, effectively shutting him up.

A few minutes later, Percy sighed, and leaned back. "Well, I must be the luckiest dork alive, then."

'I would agree. Besides, your dorkiness is balanced by my need to strategize and-"

This time Percy leaned forward and returned the favor, effectively cutting off my train of thought.

We just stood for a while, enjoying each other's company.

Well, mostly.

My mind went on autopilot, scanning the kitchen, criticizing the edge of the stained wallpapers, the horrible Michelangelo sculpture at the corner (apparently it was a gift from a relative that should never be offended), the various jars of food, the potential danger in the cutlery, the open window, allowing a possible sneak attack from-

"Annabeth, you're doing it again."

I snapped back to reality.

War tended to make me even more cautious than ever, Even now, I was planning out the best route out of the apartment (through Percy's window, jump to the next balcony and down the fire escape) or where the sharp cutlery was. It was something I had been doing from the time I was a girl. Analysis of my environment was more than just a survival instinct. It was a necessity.

"Athena always has a plan. For that, she must be a step ahead of the others, at all times." I remembered my mother's words.

Now with the Giant (both literally and figuratively) war just over, who knew what kind of trouble would stir up? And Percy, being Percy, would most likely be in the thick of it.

In other words, I had every reason to think ahead, even now.

Percy, however, had different ideas.

He grabbed my chin and forced me to look into his sea-green eyes.

"You've got to chill out, Wise Girl. The war is over. Now it's time to relax!"

"You sure? The last time you said that, you ended up being kidnapped by an insane goddess, managed to wake up the Earth and we ended up in another war."

"No more wars, Annabeth. I promise. Heck, even if, I don't know, Apollo shows up at my door with a quest, I'll just drop him to Camp Half Blood and head straight back. No more life-threatening adventures. At least for a while. Cool?"

"You promise?"

"Yeah." he nodded.

I felt reassured. Albeit, it was but a small guarantee, I believed Percy would do his level best not to find trouble. The problem was that it, funnily enough, always managed to find him, pinpointing his location with the accuracy of a bloodhound.

"Good. It's college in New Rome for you."

He groaned. "Don't remind me. You promised to help me with Calculus, don't forget. Ugh. You'd think they'd allow their former Praetor some leeway, but no, 'It is Rome, only the strongest survive' and yadda yadda."

I tapped his chin. "I've got you, Percy."

"And I've got you, Annabeth." he said, his arms still around me.

We stared at each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity, enjoying the reflections we saw of ourselves in them. The hopes and dreams. And the love. Finally, I spoke up.

"I love you Percy, and I'm glad you've got me. But who's got the burnt pancakes?"

A/N: If you liked it, do review

Edit: I can't reply to the reviews if you are a guest user. But on that note, thanks a ton to the guest viewer who left a review!

I do not mean to offend anyone with PTSD, my sincere respect to all who have it, in some form or the other.