The night was peaceful. Crickets chirping. Dragons roaring. The occasional screeching of harpies.

Speaking of which, he was so glad the harpies didn't bother to check the stables for straggling campers. What camper in his right mind would sneak out of his cabin late at night and head towards the stables?

Percy ran his fingers through Blackjack's mane. If horses could purr, the pegasus was surely doing so.

Keep doing that, boss. I haven't been combed in weeks.

Percy frowned. I'm not going to groom you, Blackjack. I didn't come here to groom you.

And he didn't. In fact, he had gone there for no other reason than to calm himself. The Battle of the Labyrinth had been over a week ago, yet he still couldn't forget the screams of his friends as they were attacked by the hordes of monsters emerging from the maw of the maze. He shuddered as he remembered how Castor died that day, along with many others, none of whom deserved their fate.

A soft whisper scared him out of his wits. "Hey."

Percy shrieked and backed himself against his pegasus. Blackjack neighed in fear. The expletives that came out of the horse's mouth were worse than he'd ever heard anyone say.

"Di immortales, Annabeth! What are you doing here?" Percy whisper-yelled.

Annabeth swung her Yankees cap around on her index finger. "I saw you sneak out of your cabin. I wanted to see what you were doing."

He buried his hands in his hair. "Couldn't you have ditched the cap?"

"And get eaten by harpies? No thanks."

Whoooooo, Blackjack exhaled. Gods. I think that scare calls for a donut run.

Percy turned to Blackjack. "It's the middle of the night, dude. Why now?"

Blackjack replied, When you gotta go, you gotta go. You coming or not?

Annabeth knitted her eyebrows. "What's he saying?"

Percy relayed the information to Annabeth. "Donut run. You coming?"

Begrudgingly, she got onto the pegasus behind Percy. He gulped as she wrapped her arms around his waist. Her warmth fled into his body as her chest pressed against his back. He ignored the part of his subconscious that marveled at how good it felt.

Blackjack took flight with a flurry of loud wing flaps, drawing the attention of the cleaning harpies. By the time the harpies reached the stables, however, Blackjack was already on the roof of the nearest Krispy Kreme.

Thankfully, it was a couple minutes before closing time. Percy got in, got a half-dozen donuts, and climbed back onto the roof within no time. He and Annabeth enjoyed a donut each, his with chocolate and blue sprinkles, hers simply glazed. The pegasus ate the rest.

Blackjack burped. Powdered sugar caked his muzzle. Thanks, boss. I owe you one. Where can I take you guys? A short little getaway.

Percy stroked his chin, feigning deep thought. "Hmm. How about the Bahamas?"

Uh, no. My wings will fall off before I get there.

Percy looked mischievously at Annabeth, who was staring confusedly at Blackjack, trying to decipher his neighs. "How about the top of the Empire State?"

Now that, I can do.

As Blackjack took off, Percy recalled spring break, when Paul had taken him and his mom to the mortal top of the Empire State. Yeah, it wasn't nearly as spectacular as the view from Olympus, but it was still absolutely breathtaking. And weirdly, Percy had imagined Annabeth beside him, commenting on the architecture and dreamily gazing at the view in front of them. It was if her memory would never leave him.

His thoughts immediately transferred to something else. That kiss on top of Mt. Saint Helens.

He badly wished he could return the kiss, but he could never build up the courage. Annabeth seemed to tolerate Percy at best. If he made a move that she wouldn't appreciate, it would ruin the bond they already had. And he would never risk their friendship, not for the world.

Blackjack touched down on the very top of the Empire State building, avoiding the security guards monitoring the area. Percy got off of his pegasus and helped Annabeth down.

She gave him a sideways look. "Why did you bring me here?"

Why did he bring her here? Percy knew exactly why, but at the same time, he knew he wouldn't be able to do it. It was too scary, too many things could go wrong, and everything could fall apart if he did what he wanted to.

So for once, Percy forced himself to keep his impulse at bay and act logically. To do what Annabeth would do, and nothing more.

"Because I wanted to," he simply replied.

He guided her to the edge. They sat down together, legs hanging over the platform. As they gazed up, they noticed the night sky was starless due to light pollution (poor Pan), but the buildings themselves were like glittering constellations. Twinkling 'stars' lit up the streets to the horizon and back. Beacons of all shades cast their glow upon the night sky.

Annabeth's hand twitched against the cold, hard floor. He eyed it cautiously. He could take it. He could wrap her hand with his and feel her calloused skin against his own. But would it be too much? Was it unacceptable for friends to hold hands?

Before Percy could answer his own questions, Annabeth placed her hand on his knee. "It's beautiful, Percy."

He smiled at her. Gulping, he brushed his fingers against hers. When her smile widened, he conceded himself the pleasure of taking her hand.

As she peered open-mouthed at the view in front of her, his eyes traced the contours of her glowing, bright-eyed face. Her long eyelashes. Her elegant cheekbones. Her plush, pink lips. His gaze rested at the bottom of her slender throat, where Annabeth fiddled with an owl necklace. She looked like a goddess under the city lights.

Someday, he decided. Someday, he would tell her how he really felt, regardless of whether she felt the same way. But for now, he was content. Their hands intertwined as they sat shoulder-to-shoulder, their eyes admiring the same midnight sky, their hearts beating as one - that was all he needed in his life.

Percy couldn't ask for anything more.

Thank you for reading! Please review, and feel free to request anything you want me to write about!