A/N: Hey, guys. I've been having major writer's block lately, so sorry that this chapter took so long to write. Hope you enjoy!

Thanks again to believeinthegods and Kioko for looking over my story!

The song doesn't have much to do with the chapter, but it's really pretty and I listened to it while writing. =) So…

Song: More by Tyrone Wells

Forever and Beyond

Laughing, the couple walks along the sand of a beach. What an interesting word that is—couple. What exactly does that mean? A couple of friends, a couple of people, a couple of confused teenagers, a couple-couple. They are all of these.

Their hands are entwined in each other, as is the position they seem to revert to by nature these days. In her right hand, the girl holds onto a pair of flip-flops, soaking wet. They had walked, ankle-deep, into the water, allowing the sea to lap at their feet. In his left hand, he holds a pair of sneakers, perfectly dry. Of course.

"Percy?" She breaks the silence. She's never been one for being alone with her thoughts.

He, however, has to be broken out of his reverie. "Mm?"

"What are you thinking about?"

The silence crawls back. She drops her question, letting her head to drop as well, onto his shoulder. She smiles.

"Annabeth?"

She looks up to meet his eye. He still isn't all that much taller than her—only a few inches. His face has aged over the last few months, but he still has boyish features—slightly rounded nose, untamable hair.

"Yes?"

"Nothing."

"What?"

"Nothing."
Annabeth cocks her head. "But you said my name."

"Yes. I did."
"What were you going to say?"

"That was all."

"My name?" She doesn't quite understand what he means.

"Yep."

"Um…why?"

He blushes a little bit. That tends to happen when Annabeth is around. "I don't know. I just love your name. I like saying it."

"Oh." The word is barely audible when it comes out of Annabeth's mouth. She sets her head on his shoulder again. "Okay."

A few minutes pass. She sighs.

"Percy."

"Mm?"

"That's all."

"Are you teasing me?"

"Only a little."

"Okay. I'm okay with that."

The night is simple, with no tension, no wondering, no confusion. Just them.

"I was thinking about you."

"What?"

"Earlier. You asked me what I was thinking about."

"Oh." She had forgotten about her question.

"Um…yeah. So, to answer your question, I was thinking about you. Us. And how happy I am to know that you're here. I've known you for four years now, and I've never trusted someone more. I'm…well…I'm thankful, Wise Girl."

There is a silence.

"Gods, Seaweed Brain." Her response is slightly pained, as if he was being melodramatic.

That is so not the reaction he had been expecting.

"What?" he asks, a little put-out. He had just basically spilled his heart out to the girl of his dreams, and now she is acting as if he's a complete dunder-head.

She starts laughing.

"What?" His confusion is growing.

"It's just…" She composes herself and stops laughing. "Nothing. That was sweet. Thank you. I just wasn't expecting it."

"Oh. Okay." They keep walking. He has a hard time covering his disappointment.

"So, um…what are you thinking about, Annabeth?"

Silence.

"Annabeth?"

She smiles, and wraps her arm around his waist. He doesn't think she's going to answer, so he drapes his arm over her shoulder and walks in step with her. The sun has begun to set, and their footprints snake along the shoreline for what seems like forever and beyond.

The couple—whether they are a couple of friends, a couple of people, a couple of confused teenagers, or a couple-couple, keeps walking as she says, "I was just wondering when you got to be so dang perfect."