The first time Percy had taken Annabeth out rowing, it had been on a pair, two seats, two oars each. Annabeth had given up halfway through. Not something she usually did, but rowing was harder than it looked, and it hurt more than she thought.

Percy had let their oars drift, and had turned around so she looked directly into his sea-green eyes.

"Rowing's not for you," he'd decided, and that was that.

She wanted to tell him that if he didn't want her in this part of his life, then he should just tell her, but something held her back.

She'd been startled he'd asked her in the first place. Rowing, canoeing, sailing, that part of his life was his to share with his dad, even when they weren't together. He'd told her once on the Argo II that when he was in a boat, he felt closer to his dad, sometimes closer than when Poseidon was right in front of him.

"I can tell his mood, help him, I'm closer in some ways than if he's right in front of me, because he can lie, and smile, and it doesn't help me, but I know when I'm on the water. I know what's happening. It helps. He lets me know he loves me, even when he's acting distant. That's why I was so shocked on the Princess Andromeda. Luke was … perverting that in a way. It just felt wrong," he'd said.

The second time he took her rowing, she wasn't even pulling an oar. Instead, she had two strings with knobs that were supposed to control the boat. Percy had coached her in all the technical terms, and it felt, surprisingly easy. She could call out instructions, yes. But the thing that really caught her attention was that she could easily call out the wrong ones, and they could crash into the banks of the Little Tiber where they rowed. But she knew her crew (Frank, Jason, Hazel, Percy) trusted her not to.

So she smiled, and encouraged them when they got tired. And when Percy gave her a tired grin at the end of their last session, she felt warm down to her toes.

The third time Percy took her rowing, it was the race between the Reconciliation and the other crew's (Piper, Leo, Calypso, Nico, Will) boat, the Hellfire.

Annabeth had run the race course a million times, thinking. But, when Reyna called Attention, row!, her plans fled. So she just said what came to her.

"Three-quarters, half, three-quarters, full, full! Come on guys, we can do this! Subtle Percy, subtle! Come on Frank, it's not far! Jason, the winds! Your job! Hazel, feel the oars! You can do it!"

Later, when they'd won the race (obviously), Percy had come up to her and smiled.

"You're a natural, Wise Girl. Want to do it again next week?" Annabeth grinned.

"Of course!"

The fourth time Percy took her rowing? Well … it was amazing. It was the first time they'd done it in the lake at Camp Half-Blood, and the Naiads were eager to "help".

Yeah right.

They'd pushed their boat to the middle of the lake, and wouldn't let them get back to the shore until Percy and Annabeth kissed. Jason shot up into the sky, hiding in the clouds. Frank had taken off as an eagle, taking Hazel with him. Percy, well.

Percy grabbed Annabeth and leaped into the lake, calling up a water bubble. Annabeth grinned.

"Same again?" she asked curiously.

"Same again," Percy told her, and they pressed their lips together.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

So, first time I've written fluff. Also first time I've finished a story, but it's just a two-shot.

Please, tell me what you think.

-Queen of the Rings