Annabeth quickly walked past Kalle, keeping her eyes down and doing her best to not make eye contact. She was trying to not get noticed, but that obviously wasn't working, because Kalle caught her arm and stopped her from walking.

"What happened between you two?" she asked, motioning to Percy who was leaning against the counter, talking to a customer.

"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked, pulling her arm free. Kalle rolled her eyes.

"Oh, don't give me that bullshit. You think you're being secretive, but you're not. At all. He keeps giving you these big ass goo goo eyes every time he looks at you."

Annabeth scowled, but it didn't look convincing since she was blushing terribly. She didn't reply.

"Was there some secret wedding? And I wasn't invited?" she slapped her hand against her chest in mock surprise. "Was it a shotgun wedding? Are you pregnant?"

"No!" Annabeth finally hissed.

"You have to tell me eventually, or I'll just ask Percy. We need a girls' night out and you can tell me everything," Kalle said, putting her hands on her hips and giving Annabeth a look that meant the topic was closed for discussion.

Not everything, Annabeth thought. She glanced at Percy in his green shirt that matched his eyes and her heart thumped painfully. Was it possible for her to like him this much? She felt strange. When she thought of sneaking away to New York, the last thing on her mind was meeting a man. She expected a job with a place to stay, and she definitely expected to be by herself. But she met Percy and he seemed to change her plans completely, and she didn't mind it.

"Oh, wow. You must be in love," Kalle whispered next to her. Annabeth blinked, not realizing she had been staring pretty intently at Percy.

"Oh, get back to work," Annabeth snapped, shooing Kalle away.

"Hey."

Annabeth jumped slightly at the feel of Percy's fingers on her elbow. She turned and smiled up at Percy. They hadn't kissed since last night, or really spoken about what Annabeth told him. She didn't mind, actually. Percy acted the exact same way around her as before; he didn't treat her like a little wounded puppy.

"Hey," she replied, pushing her bangs behind her ear.

"That man at the bar that I was talking to-" Percy tipped his head toward the bar, and Annabeth spotted the man, "he is one of my dad's old friends and he's throwing a dinner party."

"Oh, nice!"

"But it's going to be all about business," Percy said, frowning. "And he invited me to go and I can't say no because he's my dad's friend."

"You don't want to go," Annabeth supplied.

"No."

"It'll be okay. Maybe it'll be good for you to hang out with someone who's not five and not emotionally unstable."

Percy laughed. "I don't think you're emotionally unstable."

"That's a lie. Come on, I was a total bitch to you."

Percy frowned. "You weren't being a bitch, Annabeth. You weren't being one at all. You were going through some emotional stuff."

"Yeah, well, that doesn't make it right."

Percy moved forward as a server with a tray of food squeezed by. Annabeth could feel Percy's breath on her face.

"Oh, the whole reason I was telling you all of this is because I was wondering if you could watch Lilly for me? I'd ask my mom, but her and my stepdad, Paul, went on a cruise."

"Of course I would," Annabeth replied. "Who could pass up a little angel like Lilly?" She motioned to Lilly who was sitting on the kitchen floor in a princess dress and slamming one of the cook's spoons into the ground.

"I should probably stop that," Percy said after a moment.

"You should," Annabeth agreed.

Annabeth knocked on the front door to Percy's apartment and waited patiently. After a few seconds, the door opened quickly and Annabeth was greeted with Percy half dressed. He had a suit on, but the jacket and white button up were undone, his blue tie hung loosely around his neck, and he was missing his left shoe.

"Hi," Annabeth said, trying to hide her amusement, but it seeped straight into her voice.

"Hi," Percy answered, breathless. He ushered her in and shut the door behind her.

"Lilly threw up all over me, so I had to change and I'm running late and Lilly is sick and I feel terrible leaving her here and-"

"Shh," Annabeth interrupted. "Just finish getting dressed. I'll be able to handle Lilly."

"I think she has a stomach virus, I don't know. I can't find my shoe and I keep tying my tie wrong."

"Well, first of all, you have to button up your shirt first. Just take a deep breath, everything will be fine."

Percy did as he was told and nodded. "Okay. I'll go get dressed."

He reminded her of a child, but she could see how stressed he was. As she moved into the living room, she saw Lilly on the couch wrapped up in a blanket with stuffed animals surrounding her. There were crackers and sprite sitting on the end table and The Little Mermaid was on the television.

Annabeth sat down next to Lilly and brushed her fingers over her forehead. "How are you feeling?" she asked softly. Lilly blinked and looked up at Annabeth. Then she began to struggle against the mountain of stuffed animals until she broke free. She then crawled into Annabeth's lap, resting her head on her chest and curling up into a ball. Annabeth gently stroked the top of her head, feeling bad that she was sick.

Percy came out of his room with his whole suit fixed and his shoes on. His tie, on the other hand, was still slung around his neck, and he walked into the living room, trying to tie it. Annabeth lifted her arm and motioned for him to come to her. He gave up and slumped over to her in defeat. She used to tie her husband's tie every time he wore one, so she was pretty good with ties.

She patted his chest when she was done and he smiled gratefully. He leaned down and kissed the top of Lilly's head.

"Bye, Lilly. I'll see you when I get home."

Lilly lifted her little hand and waved, but her eyes were closed already. Percy frowned again for the thousandth time that day.

"We'll be fine, Percy. Go, or you're going to be late," Annabeth whispered.

"She already ate dinner but if-"

"Go!"

Percy pouted at Annabeth as he dragged his feet to the front door and closed it behind him.

Annabeth was jolted awake by the front door slamming shut, and then a slurred, "Shhh." Her heart jumped into her throat and she peeked over the edge of the couch, expecting to see her husband standing there. Instead, she saw Percy trying to lock the door.

"Percy?" Annabeth asked, sitting up, the crippling fear leaving her instantly. Percy spun and saw her.

"Annabeth. Hello."

"Are you drunk?" she asked as he stumbled a little while trying to set his keys on the table.

"Probably," he replied.

"Did you drive home?"

"No. Someone gave me a ride."

He flicked on the light and rubbed his bloodshot eyes.

"Someone?"

"Jason. You know, the blonde one that kind of…kind of looks like Superman?"

Annabeth smiled. "Yes, I met him at the zoo."

"Oh, right."

Percy tried to balance himself while slipping out of his shoes, but he ended up falling on the couch, landing straight in Annabeth's lap. He looked up at her and laughed.

"I thought you didn't like drinking," Annabeth said, reaching around him to help get his shoes off. There was a tiny part of her that was scared. She was afraid he would snap at her. Old habits die hard, huh? She asked herself.

"Well, I don't like to get drunk. But they…but they just kept on giving me glass after glass after glass after glass after glass of wine and I didn't want to be rude."

Annabeth grinned, deciding not all drunken people were mean. Percy seemed to turn into a child when he was drunk.

"How was Lilly?" Percy asked as he tried, and very much failed, to undo his tie. He frowned at it until Annabeth reached over and undid it for him.

"Good. She just slept the whole time."

"Sleep sounds good," Percy mumbled.

Annabeth slid out from under Percy and helped him up. He kept smiling at her and blushing and generally acting like he had a major crush on her. Yes, Percy was exactly like a child. She led him to his room and unbuttoned his shirt for him.

"Thanks," Percy said, shrugging out of his clothes until he was standing only in his underwear. Annabeth didn't realize she was staring until Percy laughed. She blushed furiously.

"I'm going to go now. I'll see you tomorrow, Percy."

"Wait!" Percy cried, taking her hand. "Please don't go. Stay with me."

"Stay with you?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes. Pretty pretty please, Annabeth?" He gave her a look that could give a kicked puppy a run for its money.

"Um…." She stalled, trying to think of a nice way to say no, but then Percy wrapped his arms around her and pressed his nose into her hair.

"Please," he whined.

"Okay," she finally said.

Percy dove into the bed while Annabeth stood at the edge of the bed awkwardly. She glanced at her blue jean shorts. If she knew there would be a slumber party, she would have brought her pajamas.

"You can take those off," Percy mumbled, his eyes on her.

"Oh," she said. After a moment's hesitation, she slid out of her shorts. He's already seen her naked, so being in her underwear shouldn't be too bad.

As soon as she climbed into the bed, Percy curled up next to her, pressing his face into her neck and wrapping his arms around her.

"You like to cuddle, don't you?" Annabeth asked, bringing her own arms around him. Lying with Percy, she felt something she hadn't felt in a long, long time. She felt safe.

"Only with you." He pulled himself up and kissed her jaw. "You're very beautiful, did you know that?"

"Percy," Annabeth said, feeling herself blush.

"You are. You're so beautiful."

Annabeth tried to think of something to say, but Percy was already asleep.

They needed a break, so yay for fluff! Please review c: thank you!