Hello, dearies! :) I'm sorry for this long wait but I've brought you something extra special! More Percabeth! :3 Please enjoy! (I do not own PJO.)

The nice, hot sun was shining high in the cloudless sky and it beat down on their backs as they sat on their knees in the grass. There wasn't a single lick or whisper of air in the humidity around them. Sweat trickled on their skin and above their brows because their sun hats didn't give much shade.

Quite frankly, Annabeth didn't care. She barely noticed all the heat and the sticky and sweaty mess she was in. She was supposed to be helping Piper trim her bushes and re-soil the harvesting gardens, but she was lost in space.

Her knees were digging into the soft grass beneath her. She wore jean shorts and a tank top and on her hands wore thick gardening gloves caked with dirt in every crinkle. In one hand, she held a pair of bush trimmers and in the other, a small shovel.

Annabeth was barely poking at the soil with the shovel. Her gaze was settled on it, but she wasn't really looking at it. Her mind was still going over memories of the couple nights before. She couldn't stop thinking about it and Thalia and Rachel kept making fun of her for it.

She couldn't get out of her mind how Percy had looked at her and how they talked. And when they found out her nickname, it was almost like he was about to kiss her.

Annabeth's breath caught in her throat and her heart pounded. Was that really what he was about to do?

She found it a little odd, though, because they had really only just met a couple days ago. But at the same time, she was so glad for it.

A small smile began to brighten her face as she thought about his silhouette and profile in the moonlight; his slightly crooked nose and his dark eyebrows that curved over his eyelids with personality. And his eyes, how they'd look over at her and they were so green, they were almost emerald.

No, Annabeth thought. Not emerald. She thought for a while. Like the underneath of the sea as the blue lapped over the green…

"Annabeth!" Piper nudged her. "Gosh, what's the matter with you? I said your name at least five times!"

She stammered and straightened as she looked over at Piper. Piper's cheeks were hot pink and her braids were hanging over her shoulders, looking darker with grease and dirt. She was sweating due to the hot atmosphere. She was wearing overall's shorts. She had a giant floppy straw hat on as well.

"Oh, sorry. What's wrong?"

"I could ask you the same thing. You're not doing anything just sitting there and smiling at the wall." Piper said. Then her face brightened. "Wait a minute; is this about your date?"

Annabeth opened her mouth to respond, but then closed it. She shrugged and murmured something indistinctive and turned back to the bush where she continued to cut some extra unneeded twigs.

Piper gasped. "It is!" She put down her tools and started to grip Annabeth's forearm. "Really, you have to tell me what happened. You haven't even told me who it was!"

The corner of Annabeth's mouth tugged upward and she shrugged again. She was hoping that her face was just as red as Piper's so that way she couldn't tell that she was blushing. She wasn't exactly ready to tell Piper all about her night with Percy. She wasn't sure why, she guessed she just didn't want to admit it to anyone else yet.

Besides, the date was just to get even.

…Right? Annabeth wondered about this.

Suddenly, there was a loud clap of thunder in the distance. Although that seemed almost impossible because there wasn't a cloud in the sky—Annabeth looked up and realized that gray clouds had quickly rolled in silently as they had been talking. It surprised her and there was another boom of thunder.

"Oh, great," Piper grumbled and began to get up. She wiped off the grass on her knees and shins it left behind dirt smudges, but she didn't look like she cared. She picked up her gardening tools and some of the bags of twigs and headed to the garage.

Annabeth stood and she plucked off the gloves from her fingers. She stuffed them into her short's back pockets and looked up at the sky where the clouds were churning. A rumble rippled across them and she stared at them, her chin held up high. The humidity was starting to drift away, but she knew it'd come right back after the storm was gone.

She turned back around and picked up her gardening tools as well and then followed Piper into the house.

"I'm going to get cleaned up," Piper said as she stored all of their outside work supplies in a box in the garage. "You can use the guest bathroom and then we can go and get some lunch," she smiled and then laid a hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "And you can tell me all about your date and who it was."

Annabeth smiled. "Thanks,"

Piper returned the smile and then walked back into the house.

Compared to the outside weather, the garage seemed a lot hotter. Annabeth was starting to sweat more and her skin felt like it was on fire. Her lungs started to close up. She decided not to lag behind this time.

She had brought a duffel bag with extra clothes—as she does every day now just in case. She picked it up from where it sat on the bed in the guest room and brought it into the bathroom.

Annabeth usually takes hot showers, but seeing the conditions today, she put it on cold to cool off her skin. She knew she wouldn't be able to stand it when the steam engulfed her in the burning moist. But the cold water calmed her down and she stood there for a second as the water ran down the back of her neck and her chest. She closed her eyes for a second and all she could see was sea green.

She opened her eyes and remembered that she was still in the shower, not walking in the night with her hand holding Percy's.

Suddenly, her senses came to her and she realized that the water was turning to freezing. She turned back to the faucet and turned the knob closer to the warm section and the water immediately turned comfortable for her liking.

Annabeth began to scrub the dirt and grime off her skin. She tried her best and as soon as it was off, she turned the shower off and dried herself off with the guest bathroom's baby blue towels.

Her hair was still wet so she didn't bother putting it up into a ponytail. So she left her hair down, twirling it around and hanging the curly pile over her shoulder. It hung in stringy small curls, and the blonde seemed to be a little brown since it was wet.

She wore a fitted orange shirt over a white camisole and jeans as she walked out of the guest bathroom. She put her dirty clothes in the duffel bag instead. She came back out of the room and found Piper sitting on the couch, braiding her hair.

"Okay," Annabeth said, "I'm ready."

Piper smiled up at her. "Let's go,"

Lightning flashed as they walked up to the café doors. Once under the tarp, Annabeth put down the umbrella; it had started to rain. She put it in the container next to the door. They walked inside and found that there wasn't really anyone else in there. One customer looked up from their book and peered outside at the bad weather. Then they packed up their things and hurried home.

That left them all alone except for Percy, as usual. He leaned his fists on the counter, a playful smile on his face.

But Piper wasn't paying attention as they walked up to him. "Annabeth, you have to tell me who you went on the date with! I swear, it's only been a couple of days and you still can't stop thinking about this mystery man."

Annabeth gave Piper a pointed glare and grumbled to where Percy couldn't hear, "Shut—up."

Percy started to smile a little and his eyebrows started to rise.

"And you still have stars in your eyes," Piper said, her eyes changing colors and a smile on her face as well.

Annabeth could feel her face growing hot.

She glanced back at Percy who was trying his best to suppress his grin, but he was doing an awful job at it. He leaned forward on his elbows. "Oh, so I guess you liked our date a few nights ago."

Piper stared at him in shock as her jaw hung open. She started to gasp, but then regained herself as she straightened and closed her mouth. Her eyes were glowing with blue and anticipation and the corners of her mouth were tugging upward. "You were her date?" She pointed at Percy.

Annabeth put on a straight face but she could feel her heart pounding and her cheeks were burning. She tried not to look at Percy, but for some reason, she couldn't take her eyes off him. But his face was smug and at that moment, she just wanted to smack him upside the head and wipe that look off his face. But she didn't and she told herself that that wasn't right.

"Yeah, I was her date," Percy stood up and shrugged. "Is that hard so believe?" there was a crease in between his eyebrows.

Piper considered this. Then she raised a shoulder. "Nope, not really; my bet is that you guys will get together in no time."

"Piper!" Annabeth hissed.

She shrugged, her eyes growing wide with innocence. "What? I'm just saying!"

Percy laughed and his ears turned a little pink. "So what do you guys want?"

Piper stepped up to the counter and lightly laid her hands on it. "Oh, I'll just have a coffee to go."

"To go?" Annabeth asked with her brow furrowing. "I thought we were eating lunch together,"

"Well, since I found out that Percy was your date, there's been a, uh, change of plans." Piper's lips twisted into a smile. "While you stay here."

Below the counter, Annabeth kicked her. "Um, but I don't get off work until—"

"Oh, don't worry," Piper waved it off. "I'm giving you the rest of the day off."

"What if I don't want the rest of the day off?" Annabeth countered.

"Wow, look at this weather!" Piper gasped as she looked out the window.

The entire sky was turning a sort of dark blue and gray and the rain pounded against the window. Lightning streaked the sky and, as if on cue, thunder roared and it put a chill up Annabeth's spine.

"I don't think you should be working during this bad weather," Piper said.

"Then how are you going to get home?" Annabeth gave her a look and then put her hand on her cocked hip.

Piper plucked the car keys from Annabeth's fingers and then she jingled them in front of her gray eyes. "I can drive, you know."

"During this weather?"

"I'll be careful."

Annabeth opened her mouth to retort, but she didn't know what else to say. She had been backed into this corner and she wasn't going to act like a frightened bird—especially not in front of Percy. No, she was going to play this out casually. Besides, what was so wrong about being with him?

She mentally slapped herself in the face. Why was she being so hesitant with him? Nothing can go wrong; she liked spending time with him.

Percy slid a paper coffee cup across the counter towards her and Piper took it, said a quick goodbye, and walked right into the storm.

"Huh," Percy scoffed softly. "Well, bye, then,"

Annabeth snorted and turned back to him. They didn't talk for a while, and Annabeth started to feel a little uncomfortable, but then Percy asked her if she wanted anything to drink.

She replied with coffee and then added on as he was making it, "So how come you're still here?"

"I believe I've been asking us both that same question ever since I got hired." He said without looking up at her.

She chuckled. "No, I meant since there's a storm. How come you didn't close the café?"

"Well," Percy said, "you and Piper came along right when I was going to."

"Oh. Sorry." Annabeth stared down at the counter.

"Don't be," He smiled up at her. "I like hanging with you,"

She pressed her lips together and they curved upward in a small smile.

Percy could see her eyes twinkling again as they looked up at him through her dark lashes. She looked beautiful as always, but this time even without the moonlight. Something tickled the inside of his breastbone and he returned the smile as he slid her the coffee—in a mug instead.

She thanked him and took a drink. It was bland and tasteless. It tasted like cardboard and she took a long time swallowing it down. It burned her mouth, but not because it was hot—which it wasn't. She knew there was something wrong with it. For a split second, she thought he had poisoned her, but then she turned that thought away and jerked the cup away from her lips.

Annabeth looked up at him, licking her lips because that awful taste was still settling on her tongue and she didn't like it.

"Ugh!" She exclaimed. "What'd you do with it?!"

Percy knitted his eyebrows together. "What are you talking about?"

"The coffee! It tastes awful!"

"That hurts my feelings,"

"Did you poison it?" She asked anyways.

"No! Of course I didn't—" He stopped and had a thoughtful look on his face.

This made Annabeth more scared. "You did, didn't you?!" She accused and scooted it farther away from her.

"No, no I didn't! I wouldn't want to kill you," Percy said. "I guess I just forgot to put something in it."

He knew something she didn't. She could tell by the teasing look in his eyes. It was like when he tried out her nickname and almost kissed her.

Her gaze snapped back up to him. She watched him as he stared at the coffee, adding in the thing he had forgotten. Annabeth observed him and she pictured the look on his face when he almost did that that night. It boggled her whether he was really going to do it or not. She wanted to know so badly, and she wandered why he would want to. Did he like her?

Something sparked in her chest and she suddenly imagined the thought. If he did like her, if she liked him.

"There," he gave her the mug back. "Now try it,"

Annabeth was taken from her thoughts and she grasped the gray ceramic in her hands. She brought it to her lips hesitantly because that awful taste still lingered on her taste buds. It made her feel like brushing her teeth twice.

But she tasted it, and it was sweet and had that loving taste to it again. It almost didn't even taste like coffee, and she loved it. The taste was familiar to her but she didn't bother it and kept drinking.

Percy chuckled. "Wow, look at what I started," he mumbled.

She brought the cup away from her and swallowed, her brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"The reason why it tasted bad at first is because I forgot to put seaweed in yours." He smiled at her. "I guess I've got you loving seaweed coffee, Wise Girl,"

She frowned at him.

Oh, great, she thought.

But then again, it was really good seaweed coffee.

"I guess so, Seaweed Brain," and she took another drink.

Percy chuckled and then wiped off the counter as lightning flashed. He untied his apron and took it off and walked around the counter and towards her. He wore jeans and a blue shirt. He sighed and put his hands in his pockets.

Annabeth made her way to a table next to the window where the rain pounded against it. Percy sat next to her, closest to the window. He stared up at the storm and Annabeth set her cup on the table.

For a while, they stared at the storm.

But then Percy turned and looked at her, peering into her eyes and then he looked back up at the sky—then back at her, and then back towards the sky.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing," he shrugged. But then he decided against it and turned back to her, his elbow strung over the back of his chair. "Hey, where'd you get your gray eyes? Like whose gene did you get it from? Or are you forgetting to tell me that you and your maid friends are really part of the X-Men?"

She smiled a little, but tilted her head. "What?"

He leaned closer, his eyes squinting as he stared at her. "Are you a mutant? Do you seriously not know who the X-Men are?"

She narrowed her eyes a little and shook her head slightly. "I know they're some sort of comic, but I don't really—"

Percy scoffed as he threw his head back. ""Some sort of comic'?! Are you kidding me, it's-it's like, one of the coolest things Stan Lee has ever come up with!"

Annabeth blinked at him.

"Wolverine? Rogue? Xavier? Magneto? Nothing?" He asked, shaking his head a little with each name.

"Um…I've heard about Wolverine," she shrugged.

He paused, as if considering about this. Then he released a breath. "Well, at least you know who he is," he mumbled. "I can't believe you don't know about the X-Men," he stared at her, the corners of his mouth tugging upward. "I used to read all of the Marvel comics when I was a kid. Silver Surfer, The Amazing Spider-Man…Even my pajamas were Captain America."

"Well, while you were into Marvel, I was into Junie B. Jones and Nancy Drew," Annabeth said as she slid her chair back a little and brought up her knees, crossing her ankles on the seat cushion, and resting her knees against the table. She rested back against the chair, and pushed back, balancing on the back legs.

He gave her a look. "But…they aren't superheroes." Percy said matter-of-factly.

"Well, we're all different."

Suddenly, there was a spark in Percy's eyes. "Oh, yeah, different. So, Wise Girl, where'd you get your gray eyes?"

She shrugged and took a drink from her seaweed coffee. "I know I didn't get it from my dad. It must've been my mother,"

Percy's eyebrows furrowed and he frowned. "Do you not—"

"My mom left us when I was born. My dad hasn't ever told me why, though,"

Percy didn't say anything he just nodded. After a while, he said, "I'm sure her eyes were just as serious as yours."

Annabeth shot him a glare.

"Oh, I meant pretty. As pretty as yours."

She gave a small, fake smile and rolled her eyes.

Percy chuckled but then there was a suddenly loud thunderclap and Percy jumped as his eyes were wide. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

But Annabeth was perfectly calm. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Scared of a little thunder?"

He gave her a look. "That was not a little thunder."

There was a bolt of lightning in the distance and it lit up the whole café. Percy couldn't help it but he snapped his head and looked over his shoulder, gripping the table and Annabeth's chair, where his arm had found its way behind her neck.

Annabeth kept observing him. His sea green eyes were filled with startlement and he sat very still like he was sitting on a bomb. She wondered why he was acting this way with a storm.

Then she gasped as the answer came to her. "Are you afraid of a storm?"

"No," he said bluntly and stubbornly and he took his arm back, sliding down in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest like a little kid.

"Oh, my gosh! You are! You're afraid of thunderstorms!"

Percy didn't say anything except glance sideways at her.

"Well there's nothing to be afraid of, Percy," Annabeth said as she took a small sip of her seaweed coffee. "It's not like Zeus is going to smite you with his lightning bolt."

Percy ignored it and explained, "It's because when I was a kid, I mean, thunderstorms were like, humongous to me then. I was scared out of my mind from them. And my stepdad, Gabe—"

"The oaf," Annabeth confirmed.

He smiled. "Yes, the oaf. He would yell at me because I was crying from those storms. And I can still imagine his ugly face as he stood over me and just screamed at me. He was scary when he was angry but with the thunder and lightning as well…" Percy shook his head. "And now whenever I hear thunder and storms, I think of him and I just want to punch him in the face."

Annabeth had her lips pressed together, but she opened them to say something but Percy wasn't finished.

"Or better yet, I can get you to judo-flip him and then kick him in the face so hard he has a heart attack." He nods his head toward her.

A laugh bubbled from her throat. "But then I would go to jail."

Percy thought about this and he stared at his knees, one side of his lips tugged upward. He had pulled his knees up against the table like she had. Then he looked up at her. "No," he countered. "If it was of a heart attack, it'd just be of natural causes. No one would know," There was a twinkle in his eye.

Annabeth smiled at him and shook her head. "As much as I would love to do that for you…no."

He smiled. "Darn,"

"You have an actual reason to be afraid of something." Annabeth said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there are two different ways to be afraid of something. Most people are afraid of something just because they don't like it. But, for people like you, you're afraid of something because you actually did have a bad past with it."

"So what are you afraid of?"

She gave him a look.

"Oh, come on, even you has to be afraid of something."

"I'm not telling."

"Come on, Wise Girl, you're going to pull that on me again?"

"I'm not telling because you'll use it against me."

"No, I won't. Just tell me. I told you my fear."

Annabeth frowned, wondering if she should tell him or not.

"At least tell me if it's like mine or—"

"Spiders," she said. "I'm scared of spiders."

He looked at her. He blinked.

She blinked back.

They didn't talk for a while because no one knew what to say.

"Spiders?" Percy's eyebrow rose.

She nodded. "Spiders."

Then he narrowed his eyes a little. "Why?"

"Well, it was on my seventh birthday party. My aunt—my dad's sister—made me this special cupcake. I bit into it and I saw"—she shivered and looked a little sick—"these black lines and they were moving. And they turned out to be legs because it popped out of the cupcake and it was a…a…" her face twisted into a knot like she was imagining the memory again and wished it would go away.

Percy made a sick, strangling noise as well. "Oh, gross!"

Annabeth nodded and took a drink of her seaweed coffee to make the bad taste in her mouth go away.

"Ew, I guess you're also afraid of cupcakes, huh?" Percy scrunched his nose.

Annabeth nodded. "And I haven't been back to my aunt's house since."

"So…" Percy stared at the table. "Did she put it in there on purpose or did it just…hop in it while she was making it and didn't see it?"

Annabeth shrugged. "She said she didn't see it, but," she shook her head with a disgusted look on her face. "I don't believe a word she says."

"I bet she feels bad if it was on accident." Percy looked over at her.

"She didn't even say sorry for it." Annabeth said. "And I was screaming my head off and ran out of the house."

Percy snorted. "Aw, well, she still might say sorry."

Annabeth looked over at him. "She's been dead for 15 years."

"Oh…" he frowned. "How'd she die? Spider bite infection?" Then he gasped and laid a hand on her arm. "Oh, my gosh, Annabeth! You're like the anti-Spider-Man!"

Annabeth snorted. "No. I actually don't know why."

"Now she's going to haunt you and bring spiders with her." Percy said.

"She is not."

"Yeah, she is. Because you didn't go see her again."

Annabeth lightly punched him in the arm. "Shut up, Seaweed Brain."

Percy smiled over at her and he laughed. The laugh made Annabeth's heart flutter and she couldn't stop smiling at him. Then he turned back to the storm and watched it
with a sad look in his eyes. The color of the sky was turning into a wispy gray and the rain was starting to let off a little.

But Annabeth wasn't looking at the storm. She was staring at Percy. She took in the outline of his profile again, even though she already had it memorized. She took in every detail. The small simples and wrinkles behind his eyes, and that told her that he smile a lot. That, she could believe. She liked his hair and how it was so messy, but made him look handsome at the same time.

Annabeth tilted her head to the side and the thought came back into her head.

Percy and I…She frowned and kept staring at him again. Something churned in her chest and she realized that she didn't really want to leave him here. But she knew she had to go soon.

Percy turned to her. "Looks like the storm is going away,"

She blinked. "Yeah," she said softly.

He reached forward and Annabeth could feel the place under her jaw tingle like it was waiting for his touch there. But it never came because he reached for her cup instead. It was empty and Annabeth let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

Percy stood and reached from the front of the counter and put it on the other side.

"I should probably go." Annabeth said and placed her feet back onto the floor.

"You want me to drive you?" He offered.

Annabeth smiled up at him.

"So how come you're so into Greek mythology?" Percy asked as he drove.

Annabeth shrugged. "I think it's interesting. Plus, my dad's crazy about history so he got me into the myths first."

"So while I'm being read Norse mythology as a bedtime story, you're being read Greek? Hm," Percy said. "Interesting."

"Norse mythology?"

He glanced sideways at her. "You know," he raised a shoulder. "Thor,"

Comprehension passed over her face and she nodded. "Oh,"

"So why didn't you want to get that book from that bookstore?"

Annabeth shrugged. "When would we have the time to read it again?"

Percy shrugged. "During our free time."

She smiled at him. "I don't know," she said. "It's just a book anyways."

"Just a book? Dude, no, it's from our first date!"

Annabeth's breath was lost from her. For some reason, the words jumbled up and she couldn't explain anything. He had actually cared about something from their first date? And he sounded like he wanted to keep it.

"That 'date' was only to get even." She said.

Percy was silent. The car was silent.

Percy's heart weighed down. He didn't like that she only thought it was just for him to get even. That, after everything, she didn't care that she could be holding something from their first date. Percy clenched his jaw and then jerked the steering wheel the left, making a sharp U-turn in the middle of the road. He was glad there weren't any other cars around.

Annabeth yelped and cursed. "Percy, what are you doing?!"

He didn't answer. He just drove faster and memorized where they were when they first walked upon it. After a while, he pulled to the side and parked against the sidewalk in front of the bookstore.

"Percy," she said as she looked out her window at it. "I—"

"Come on," he said and then thrust the car door open and slammed it behind him.

She blinked and knew she had said something wrong. This played with her heart a little and she realized that this must mean he really did care; that it was more than getting even. Annabeth stepped out of the car and followed him into the bookstore.

Percy walked fast to the back of the bookstore and Annabeth gave him a small glare behind his back. He wasn't paying attention as she slipped through one row of bookshelves and hurried along the wall, taking a shortcut. She got there before he did and he was surprised when he found her pulling out the book as he turned into the row.

"Wh—how did you—?"

She smirked at him. "Took a shortcut,"

Percy could see the softness in her grey eyes. Suddenly he forgave her for what she said about the date. Suddenly, he didn't care except for the fact that he was here with her now.

She flipped through the pages. "Where did we even leave off at?"

"Um, Arachne, I think. And that myth about the Athena statue…?"

"The Athena Parthenos," Annabeth corrected. She looked back up at him with a light smile. "But I can't believe you were actually listening."

Percy shrugged. "I had to, or else I would've fallen asleep and you would've gotten made at me."

"Mmhm…so what happened with the Athena Parthenos?"

He paused.

"Oh, I should've known."

"No, no, wait. The Greeks thought that the Romans stole it, so it caused them all to hate each other."

Now Annabeth was the one to pause.

"See? I know it." Percy countered. "But if they're both saying neither of them have it, then who has it? A giant statue of a goddess doesn't normally just disappear to nowhere. Doesn't it say that it has something to do with Arachne?" Percy put his fingers to the string of words in the book and began scanning through it.

"No," Annabeth said. "At least I don't think so. Why would Arachne steal it?"

"Um, to get back at Athena for turning her into a spider." Percy said matter-of-factly as his eyes slid up to her. "Duh," then he looked back to the book.

"But she's already been turned into a spider by Athena. She would know better than to keep messing with the goddess just to get some petty revenge." Annabeth said and the gears in her brain were turning.

"Doesn't it have something to do with Tartarus? I thought that it mentioned that in here…" Percy asked as he still went through the book.

"No," Annabeth said like it was obvious as she still held the book open in her hands. "And Arachne doesn't have the Athena Parthenos. That'd be preposterous."

"Good," Percy said, straightening and taking his hand away from the book. "Because they're both creepy. I'd never want to be anywhere near them."

But Annabeth was still thinking out loud. "How would she even get it with all her spider arms in the way…?" She shivered at the thought of spiders.

"Thanks for the ride, Percy," Annabeth said as he pulled up to the curb next to her apartment building.

"No problem." He smiled and then put the car in park. He rested one wrist over the steering wheel.

"So…do you want to take the book?" Annabeth asked as it sat between them.

Percy stared at it. "No, you take it. You love Greek mythology more than I do."

"But I already know practically everything in here,"

"And I don't. But if I tried reading it all, I'd fall asleep again." He said.

"That's true," so Annabeth took the Greek mythology book. "I can't believe you fall asleep during it. It's not that boring."

"But it's kind of predictable."

Annabeth gave him an offended look.

His shoulders rose. "I'm just sayin'! I mean, there's always somebody who says they can do something better than the gods and then the gods get all pissed and bratty and make other people to do their dirty work for them. And then, like Arachne and Medusa, the thing that they thought they were better at, is turned against them to where they can't do that anymore." He looked at her, a little out of breath. "The gods are just selfish. And seriously unfair."

Annabeth gave him a look. "They're gods. What are they supposed to do?"

Percy stared at her. "Okay, you're mad. Get out of my car before you flip your lid."

She tried to suppress it, but the smile crept through that barrier and played on her lips.

Percy smiled back, but then he was solemn again. "No, I'm serious. It's almost twelve in the morning and I have to work later."

"Oh, great!" Annabeth hissed when he told her what time it was. "I've gotta work, too…"

"Then get out,"

She glared at him. "Don't be so pushy,"

"We've got no choice," he shrugged. "We've both gotta go." Percy smiled at her. "Go get some sleep."

She smiled and then turned to the door, grabbing the handle and pulled, but didn't push open the door. She felt a churning in her stomach and something inside of her didn't want to leave Percy like this. Annabeth simply didn't want to leave him—at all; ever. She realized how much she did like him—she knew this when he almost kissed her the time before.

Annabeth stared up at her reflection in the window and looked into her grey eyes. She suddenly knew what she wanted to do.

"Is there something wrong with the—" Percy was about to say but Annabeth turned back around toward him, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and pressed her lips to his.

He froze as a jolt was sent through him. Then he leaned forward and did like he did before—placed his thumb under her jaw and kissed her. Annabeth smoothed her hand over his ear and her fingers tangled into his hair, which was soft.

They pulled back, their noses now barely touching.

His sea green eyes caressed over her grey eyes and Percy smirked.

"And you said it was just to get even."

Annabeth narrowed her eyes and she patted his cheek. "Be careful driving back home, Seaweed Brain."

Then she let go of him and climbed out of the car.

Oh, gods, I have so much to say. Yeah, there were a lot of X-Men and Wolverine references but that's cuz I saw The Wolverine last weekend, and it was amazing! Especially the end scene! If you haven't seen it yet, then you really need to see it because not only is the plot wonderful, but Hugh Jackman is hot as always. He did a wonderful job (like always). It's funny because, for me, right before the big climatic reveal of the movie, the power shut off in the entire theater because there was a storm. It went off at the absolute worst moment. Everyone in the theater was like, "WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED?!"

Anyway, great movie and I totally recommend people to see it right away.

Another thing: guys, guess what? SEA OF MONSTERS COMES OUT IN LESS THAN A WEEK! AROIRJAOIERJOAIJEKASKDJFALSDKFKDJFKEJALKGNAERIGJE I AM SOOOOO EXCITED FOR THIS MOVIE! XD Yeah, the first one sucked, but I think this one is going to be completely to the book. I cannot wait for it to come out.

So, there were a lot of little teasers in this chapter... :3 I had to. I saw my chance and I took it. I was reading that chapter in Mark of Athena again and this time, I imagined more of the depth and expressions in Percy and Annabeth's words and I cried. I'm really tearing up right now just thinking about it.

And it's funny because everyone on tumblr and all over the internet is freaking out because they read that part "As long as we're together". But now that the movies are starting up, just think about when the Mark of Athena movie comes out (hopefully they'll do the second series - and hopefully it'll be right with the books) and you have to watch Logan Lerman and Alexandra Daddario fall into Tartarus. I'm pretty sure the whole fandom will die all over again.

So I'm going to stop rambling. I hope you really liked this chapter! I promise that the next chapter will have more Jasper and maybe some Thaluke? Again, sorry about the wait. It was my sister's birthday. And I don't own PJO. Please review so I know you're liking it! :)