A/N: Yey! We're now on the downside part of the roller coaster. I couldn't say anything more but thank you guys. And we're almost nearing the end of this story. Ugh. Thanks for everyone who reviewed, you SUPER Awesome people.

Anyway, this chapter is supposed to be angsty and moody, and if you didn't feel it then I suck.

Warning: Contains swearing. Ugh.

If Annabeth had the power to melt into a pee puddle, she would've been absorbed by Percy's passenger seat by now, therefore making her presence disappear.

But she didn't have that power, and whether she liked it or not, she's stuck inside Percy's car, drowning metaphorically in a sea of awkward silence.

Annabeth shifted uncomfortably, choosing to look over the window and keeping herself away at least a foot from him. Actually, before this awkward silence had begun filling up the car, they had managed to talk about Calypso, about what really happened and how Annabeth knew the girl. She answered him with short, clipped sentences with her gray eyes darting almost everywhere but him. Percy was acting the same too. And it seemed, in that time, it became an unspoken agreement not to talk about the kiss. Annabeth was sure it was a matter that demanded their attention but she chose not to mention any of it. It's not like it'll relieve any awkwardness from them. The kiss basically started it all.

And even though Annabeth tried to steer her mind away from that topic, it kept popping and popping in her mind, filling her with desperate and confusing thoughts. It's not like she chose to relive the memory of Percy's lips against her own. Really. But, she couldn't help but feel tingly and giddy and elated all the same, especially when she kept hearing his words: "But the kiss? It was my pleasure." She really didn't know what to make out of those words. Annabeth wasn't sure if Percy was just being goofy or he was effing serious about it. A certain part of her hoped that it was the latter, yet after some while, she'd smacked her head internally for thinking so. She'd kissed Percy and that was a clear violation of being Jason's girlfriend. But then, hadn't she violated that rule a long time ago by lying to him about her feelings?

For the first time that night, Annabeth tried to sneak a glance at Percy, only to be surprised that he was looking at her too. They held gazes for a second, before both looking away with a not so subtle blush on their cheeks.

Annabeth tried not to notice the rapid increase of her pulse and the unnecessary blood overflow on her face. Her hands were clammy, a clear sign of her nervousness. But, why was she nervous? It's not like Percy was a serial kis- killer, she meant.

After a few more awkward minutes of sitting with Percy, the car stopped and Annabeth found herself in front of her apartment. Now, she just had to open the door, say thank you and walk back.

It was not as easy as it would seem.

They sat inside the car, unmoving, neither of them wanting to look at each other in the eye. Annabeth cleared her throat. She saw Percy glance at her through the corner of her eyes but nothing beyond that.

And where words should have been present, all that was left there was an air of uncomfortable silence.

Percy coughed and that made her attention shifted back to him. Still, no one talked.

But, when it came apparent that no one would actually try to utter a word, Annabeth finally made a move to get up.

"Uh. . ." She heard Percy say. She stopped.

"Um?" Annabeth mumbled questioningly. Their voices were near hushed whispers of midnight conversation.

Percy raked a hand through his hair. "Yes."

"Yes?" Annabeth raised an eyebrow at him. "I didn't say anything."

"Right. Uh, I mean- well. . .Ugh." He banged his forehead on the steering wheel. "I'm hopeless."

Annabeth tried very hard to stifle her chuckle but it came out anyway. Percy was now looking at her, curiously. "Why are you laughing?"

"Nothing."

"Annabeth, you're not making this easy."

"I never said this was easy."

He whined. "Annabeth. . ."

She laughed again and bit her lip hard to stop it when she saw Percy's annoyed face.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Am not."

Percy stared at her incredulously. "Seriously? You bite your lip everytime you-"

Fudge. Wrong move.

His gaze shifted towards her lips and- Oh My Gosh, Annabeth was seriously beet red. Her laughter finally ceased until no sound could be further heard aside from their breathing. They were now fully aware of what was happening: his stare on her lips and her eyes trained on his face.

The moment was tempting.

Soon, they both found themselves leaning slowly, closer, closer-

Annabeth could now feel his breath hovering above her nose, her lips and-

Before they could even touch, she retracted back.

She clenched her fists tightly, her eyes casted down on her lap. Percy sat back on his seat, pulling frustratingly at the strands of his hair.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, quietly, that it was almost just a blew of air from his mouth.

They're sitting close, with the car lever the only thing separating them; but the distance felt like a stretch of miles, of light years, of forever. It didn't seem to matter anymore that she could see him, hear him, touch him.

Annabeth flinched when she heard his words. Why was he sorry? She closed her eyes and swallowed the guilt from her words. "That didn't happen."

She shivered when she finally felt the cold intensity of her words. Percy tensed beside her too, almost too aware of what was she implying. How could something as big as a kiss didn't happen, especially for almost the second time around? She knew he was also thinking of it, and she secretly hoped that he would object. That he felt something different with that moment too. Annabeth knew that what she felt for Percy was, by far, the greatest and happiest feeling she'd ever experienced. And somehow, she wondered how she'd ever lived her whole life without ever breathing him in to her heart like she does now.

And the reality of her disappointment when he nodded his head was far more painful than she imagined, much more when he said: "Right. That didn't happen. We're just pretending, after all."

She moved slowly, hoping that he'll change his mind and retract his words back because they were hurting, crushing and breaking her heart as they forced their way into her system. They would come and knock, uninvited, seeping and thriving until they completely fill her mind, until she couldn't think anymore. She didn't know if she'll still have the energy to go inside her apartment before completely breaking down.

Unfortunately, he didn't say anything more, and Annabeth was already out of his door when Percy finally had the courage to mumble, "Wait."

When Annabeth left him (not his car, there's a difference, mind you) that night, she didn't know she took his heart with her as she walked out of his door.

Annabeth sat on her bed that night, feeling nothing but a frozen numbness that settled at the pit of her stomach. She couldn't even bring herself to sleep even though she was supposed to be bone-deep exhausted and tired, with all the hardcore trainings they were having. In fact, her steely gray eyes were wide-awake, but now devoid of their usual confidence. It was the second time that she couldn't sleep because of Percy, but for a completely different matter.

No matter how she wanted to, she couldn't force herself to cry. Not even a single teardrop. From where she thought she felt pain, there was nothing but an empty space, a vacuum of emotions. And she so badly wanted to hate herself for being like this, for being so numb that she couldn't even feel what's right and wrong anymore.

She pulled and teared at her hair, pinched and slapped herself but there was nothing.

It seemed as though everything stopped making sense right now.

"What happened?" Thalia asked once they entered Annabeth's apartment. During the training, the punk had noticed that Percy and Annabeth were steering away from each other, not even wanting to be around a place where the other was there. Heck, Thalia had even agreed to a date with Nico, just to extract a reaction from them. But, all of her sacrifices had fallen on deaf ears.

The blonde didn't answer.

"Seriously, Annabeth what happened?" Thalia demanded from her, blocking her way in case she tries to escape.

"Nothing," Annabeth said simply.

"Nothing?" Thalia stared at her, exasperated. "Are you kidding me, Annabeth? Do you expect me to believe that there's nothing going on when you and Percy avoid each other like a curse?"

Annabeth stepped to the side and sat herself at the couch. She didn't look at Thalia. "Thalia, I told you it's nothing."

"Yeah, sure." The punk laughed without humor. "Keep on pretending-" Annabeth tensed at the word, "-that avoiding each other was as normal as a sunnyday. What the hell, Annabeth? I wanted to help you but you aren't saying a word to me!"

"Just get out!" Annabeth yelled.

Thalia fumed. She seriously didn't like what was happening to her bestfriend. "Get out? What the fuck is wrong with you? I'm your bestfriend, Annabeth. I'm not getting out of your place until you tell me what is your fucking problem with my damned cousin!"

"Okay, fine!" Annabeth looked at Thalia dead in the eye. "You want to know my problem? Here's my fucking problem: I kissed your damned cousin and everything about us feels so shitty right now!"

Thalia stared at Annabeth, her pent up anger seemed to have dissipated. "You kissed Percy?"

"Yes," Annabeth replied in a small voice. She sunk back to the floor, with her knees tucked against her chest while leaning her back on the couch. She fisted on her hair so hard that her knuckles turned white and the cold, numbed feeling was slowly melting from her stomach and spreading all over her body.

Thalia sat in front of her and pulled her hands away from her hair. She placed her palms on Annabeth's cheeks and forced her gray eyes to meet her electric blue ones. When it was hollow before, Thalia could now see the emotions slowly revealing themselves in her eyes.

With a steady, careful voice, she asked, "Annabeth. Do you love him?"

Annabeth looked down, refusing to meet Thalia's eyes. She knew that if she stared at them, the truth would reveal itself and that's something she didn't want to happen. She didn't want to acknowledge the truth no matter how much it bugged her.

"I don't."

"Look at me, Annabeth," Thalia commanded. She did.

"Be honest. Do you love Percy?"

"I. . .I don't want to." Thalia's gaze was piercing right through her, searching the truth and honesty within her eyes. It was unnerving, and Annabeth found herself accepting the truth for the first time. "I don't- I shouldn't want to, Thals." She took a deep, shaky breath. "But, the thing is. . .I do. I-I. . .I love your cousin, Thalia."

Thalia smiled a little, almost teary-eyed. "You have to accept and acknowledge the truth, Annabeth. You love Percy. And you couldn't just ignore, deny and un-want that."

"Fuck." Tears began pooling around Annabeth's eyes, the cold, icy feeling now defrosted when she finally admitted the truth. She felt light-headed after she announced it, like a big unsolved riddle that was now cracked. "I love Percy."

Annabeth was openly crying now and so was Thalia. She melt into her bestfriend's comforting embrace, while letting out all the pent up pain and hurt she should have felt in her room last night. Annabeth was seriously glad for Thalia's sister-like presence.

"Now, now, my little sister's grown up," Thalia mumbled as she patted Annabeth's back. The blonde laughed while crying all the same. "I can't believe I love that idiot."

Thalia pulled back and wiped the tears on her face. She smirked at Annabeth with red-rimmed eyes. "Speaking of a kiss, have you proved the theory that Percy's a good kisser?"

Aww. Look at that. Annabeth had finally admitted it. Yeah sure, don't hate me guys. ..If you have any questions about it, I guess PM me?