Hi. Im warning you: This story shall end before March. I have spoken.

Chapter 37

"Morning, Wise Girl."

The doors creaked open just as Annabeth opened her eyes. Percy had stayed with her all night, as far as she could remember. She fell asleep on his shoulder as he hummed a quaint little tune to her, setting the oil lamp from a bright burn to a dim flicker. He must've left at some point, but that was okay with her- he needed the rest.

Annabeth's gazed moved to the door where Percy was just closing it behind him. The young knight still wore the same clothes as he had the previous day. His hair was disheveled and uncombed, but his eyes had that wonderful gleam and he had his signature grin plastered on his face.

He had in his hands a wooden tray that carried a bowl of heavenly-smelling soup, a slice of freshly baked bread, three cookies, a spoon and a bread knife and a glass of fruit juice.

He set the tray on a small table placed over the princess's outstretched legs. He set the food up for her, although she insisted that she could do it herself. Soon, she was eating her breakfast with gusto, relishing the taste.

"Mm… this… this is good!" She exclaimed, slurping up the remains of the soup and moving onto the bread, completely ignoring the knife and her table manners. She didn't care. She hadn't eaten for three days and she was hungry.

Percy chuckled, watching her with amusement. "Careful there, you might get as overstuffed as Farmer D.'s pigs." He said.

"Shut up." She muttered and took a big bite out of the first cookie. "Almost as good as Aunt Sally's baking…mm…"

"Can I have some-" he started for the cookie platter, but the princess slapped his hand away.

"No." She growled. "My cookies. Besides, you had an entire bag of these yesterday!"

"Exactly. That was yesterday."

"I don't care. A bag's a bag."

Percy let her finish her breakfast without anymore interruptions, except for laughing when she spilled some of the juice on her clothes. He eventually took the tray and table away, placing them on the nightstand. She fished her some fresh clothes from her closet and left for a while to put the used dishes back in the kitchen and to let her change in private.

When he came back he found her on her bed in fresh clothes, legs folded beneath her. She looked up at him, eyes sparkling, and he swore his heart stopped beating for that one millisecond.

Percy sat down on the edge of her bed as he did the day before and took her hand.

"You know that… that letter up on the Tree?" he asked.

Annabeth blushed lightly. "Oh, yeah." She said. "You… you read it?"

"Yeah but… can I ask you this one thing? I mean if you don't want to it's fine but," he added the last part hastily and paused. Annabeth raised her eyebrows, What is it?

"Can you read it? For… for me?"

The princess smiled, an immediate yes. She took the folded parchment from Percy and untied the blue ribbon. She cleared her throat, eyes flickering to him for a moment before beginning to read.

"Hey Seaweed Brain,

By the time you open this letter, I'll probably be gone, and you'll miss me like I miss you. I saw you in that tent each day… dying, coughing up blood. I want you to live. I hated seeing you suffer and my only wish is that you'd stop suffering any longer. So please, don't punish yourself when I'm gone.

Remember when we were kids? Remember the pond? You were the first person to ever make me smile in years. You were my only true friend, my best friend. And I guess now I look at you as something more.

No matter what happens, don't ever forget me, as I will never forget you. Stay my Seaweed Brain forever and I'll stay your Wise Girl. Remember your promise, okay? Lift up your chin, smile. And I promise that I will always love you."

She looked up at him, setting down the parchment. She cracked a grin.

"You're crying."

"Am not!" He growled, furiously wiping at his eyes. It was Annabeth's turn to laugh.

"But honestly," he added, sniffling a little. "That was an awesome letter. I love it."

"Really?" she beamed.

"Just like I love you."

"Cheesy."

"Shut up."

They laughed and looked at each other. They held their gazes, inching closer and closer to one another. He cupped her cheek, pulling her closer.

"You know I meant that, right?" he whispered, making Annabeth's skin tingle. He was so close to her now, only a lip's distance. Their foreheads touched and she could see every bit of green and a tad flicker of gold swirling in his eyes.

"Meant… what?" she whispered back, her heart doing five hundred jumping jacks a second.

"I love you." He closed that distance between them. Their lips pressed softly against one another, and that fleeting moment seemed to last for an eternity.

And it was over.

They looked at each other, grinning stupidly. Well, at least Annabeth felt like she was. All she could process at the moment was that she kissed Percy Jackson and it felt amazing.

"We'll stay together, forever." Percy whispered, voice low.

"I promise." She smiled, and with that their pinkies wrapped together in a sacred bond that can never be broken until the end of time by the oath of the two who made and protect this sacred promise.