Struggle;

Not for the first time in his life, Percy felt like an idiot, with a capital I and Grover who was standing a few centimeters away from him, munching on Enchiladas was definitely not helping him make a decision and neither was Aphrodite spying on his thoughts.

He didn't want her advice, love goddess or not.

"Sorry man but you know how I get when it's Enchiladas day at the cafeteria." Grover said as he took the final bite of his food before giving his friend his full attention. "Want to talk about it?"

Percy took a moment to consider his options. On one hand, he might as well tell Grover and get his frustration out, chances were that the satyr already got a sniff of how he felt. On the other hand, he feared his reaction.

Loyality, my fatal flaw and every time I'm with Annabeth the only thing I can think about is Thalia.

"Nah, it's cool. I'm fine, seriously." the lie came easily, as it always did in the past two years.

However, the look Grover was giving him felt psychically painful. He was right, his best friend knew something...the question was, how much?

"And people say I'm a bad liar." the satyr spoke with a sigh.

"You are."

Grover thought it over for a few seconds before he nodded his head. "Yeah..I suppose you are right but just so you know, changing the subject won't make it easier for you, Perce. Talk with me man, keeping everything inside it's bad for your health, y'know? I mean, we are best friends, right? Plus, whatever has got you so conflicted and...sad, I'm sure it can't be that bad."

You have no idea buddy. Percy thought, taking a peeble and throwing it across the lake.

Apparently, his best friend chose to take his silence as a sign of disaster because he jumped from the log they were sitting on as if the place was caught on fire.

"Oh man, Percy please tell me the world isn't ending again, is it?! Zeus knows I can't handle more prophecies."

Percy couldn't help but crack a smile. "No, the world isn't ending Grover and don't worry, I will manage."

I will just have to kill my feelings for Thalia.

Easier said than done, though as Percy was soon going to come to realize.

Tired;

Everything was tiring him out these days. He half wondered if he would be feeling like this if he were at camp and when the answer came as a clear 'yes', he was left a bit terrified by that realization.

Once upon a time, he used to strongly believe that if there was a place in the world where he wouldn't be able to get bored, or tired — it'd be Camp Half Blood.

Now, now he knew that no matter where he was, he would still be feeling like this, as if the weight of the world was still laying on his shoulders, ready to crush him if he let himself slouch.

Percy tried to remember the last time he had ever felt this tired and when he checked his memories of the war, he found no evidence of feeling worse then than now.

He supposes that maybe getting back to school was the catalyst but if he was able to endure the pain of bathing in the River Styx, school couldn't possibly be more horrible than the feeling of burning alive.

So firstly, he blamed school because honestly, which teenager didn't at least once in their lives?

He blamed Mr. D. Why? Percy didn't know. Habit maybe? After all, the wine god blamed demigods for existing because it gived Zeus the perfect punishment for him. It was natural. Mr. D blamed the demigods, demigods blamed Mr. D, whether the blame was justified or not.

He blamed Annabeth and he felt bad about it but only after they fought because during the fight the only thing he could focus on were the hurting insults that they were both hurling at each other. She had blamed Thalia for her relationship with him not being perfect. After that, he didn't bother to think through what he said and what he didn't. His ADHD was hard enough to control from acting out when he cared about it; when he didn't, he really did act like a Seaweed Brain. Not that Percy was ready to admit that out loud any time soon.

Then he blamed himself and when he started to blame himself — it usually started with one reason and ended with all the reasons that his guilt made sure to remind him of.

Percy grunted under his breath, pulling the hood of his jacket on. He thought that watching people skate on ice would lift up his spirits a bit.

It didn't work.

Standing up from the bench he had been sitting on, he was prepared to go home before he spotted a familiar black hair and punk styled clothing.

Thalia.

He was tempted to go over there but he crushed that thought, choosing to turn around instead.

Percy didn't trust himself anymore. Zeus knew what stupid things he'd say or do.

Which, in his opinion, was ridiculous. True, there were times when Thalia intimidated even him but he had never felt uncomfortable around her.

I shouldn't be feeling nervous.

His train of thoughts got broken by a loud voice, a voice he knew all too well.

"Hey Jackson! That's how you greet your friends?!"

He swore that every head turned in his direction after Thalia yelled at him and while he didn't like being in the centre of attention, he realized something.

That's right. We are friends and my feelings shouldn't change that. And besides, she had already noticed me...And made sure everybody knows I have no manners.

Percy turned around and walked until he was right besides the edge of the ice, the small 'wall' that only reached his stomach and Thalia's chest was the thing separating them.

"Sorry Thals, I think I mistook you for a pine tree for a second back there."

He was sure that he would have gotten an electric shock if the 'wall' didn't exist.

"You saw me Kelp for Brains so don't bother."

She was right, as most of the time.

How could he have not seen her? Of course he had and now he was taking his time looking at her from up close.

It wasn't admiration or the kind of look love struck people gived. In all honesty, Percy was watching her as he always did. Curious and confused.

She looked so out of place.

Like a black swan surrounded by white.

It was astounding how his ADHD made it impossible for him to focus more than a few minutes and yet he could stare at Thalia for hours, lost in his interpretations and never get distracted.

The snowflakes in her dark hair looked like little pearls and her ever pale cheeks had a tint of red now because of the low temperature and her neck who should have been covered by a scarf...

When Thalia started to snap her fingers in front of his face, that's when he blinked and realized he didn't say anything to defend himself.

"I'm not avoiding you." he blurted out.

I should really start connecting my mouth with my brain more.

"Really? Because it seems to me that every time we are in the same place, you bolt in the opposite direction." Thalia accused, her eyes piercing him with a look, as if she wanted to cut him and see why he was avoidin...er, being busy.

"I don't bolt, Pinecone Face." he replied, pushing his hands inside his pockets.

Thalia was generous enough to grace him with her infamous eye roll.

"Fine, you walk, whatever; same bullshit, different words. It's still called avoiding."

Her logic annoys the hell out of me sometimes.

"I've been tired lately..."

There, not a lie, but not the whole truth either.

"Of course. Go get some sleep then, Sea Weed." she snorted, turning her head away from him.

I wished it were that easy. It was the kind of tired that sleep could not fix.

But she wasn't supposed to know that.

"Wait, Thalia!" He yelled while she was putting distance between them.

"What, Percy?!" she yelled angrily turning to face him as she was now going backwards.

He forgot what he had wanted to say when he noticed what was about to happen. "The barrier! You will crush right into..."

Thunk.

"...it." Percy finished the sentence, running a hand across his face at the sight of Zeus's daughter down on the ice, rubbing her head.

Despite the fact that he knew Thalia was one of the tough ones, he still handed some bucks to the guy at the counter and rushed to her side.

He would have liked to tell that he hadn't fell on his butt while doing so but he had. Going on ice without wearing proper shoes wasn't one of his wisest decisions.

He frowned when he managed to end up besides her and spotted some blood running down her forehead.

"Shit Thals, I'm sorry. It was my fault for distracting you." Percy reached out for her hand, inspecting the injury with his eyes.

The daughter of Zeus shook her head but stopped and winced when she realized that wasn't a good idea. "You are damn right Jackson, it was your fault." she snapped but accepted his hand, pulling herself on her feet and dusting the snow off her clothes.

"We should have a doctor look at your head." He suggested.

"Yeah...how about...no?" Thalia replied in a sarcastic manner, as she started to drag him away from the ice skating area.

He let her, careful not to fall himself.

"Fine, at least bandage it." there really was no point in arguing with the stubborn daughter of Zeus when she was like this. Irritated and determinated.

When Percy noticed her picking up a handfull of snow, he knew he should have kept his mouth shut.

"Mind telling me why you had yelled and thus provoked my fall earlier? It'd better be a good reason Jackson because there's plenty more from where that had come from."

He let out a heavy sigh. Pride was strong within both of them but exceptions were made, sometimes. Mostly by him.

"I...you were right. Saying I'm tired was merely an excuse. What really happened is that...me and Annabeth broke up."

Because it was never real on my part. Was what he left unsaid.

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

To say that he expected a different reaction would be a lie. Sure, guys had bro codes and they could insult and fight like dogs and still call each other friends but girls...they had a protective instinct when it came to 'break-ups.' It probably didn't help his case that Thalia loved Annabeth to death.

"See why I was avoiding you, Pinecone Face? I don't need a lecture."

"Why?"

Percy watched Thalia pinch the bridge of her nose and he arched an eyebrow, confused himself.

"Why what? Why don't I need a lecture? Because..."

"Argh! Not that, dumbass. I meant, why did you break up?"

He should have also seen that kind of question coming. It wasn't something that only a genius could have overseen. It was logical.

But again, half of the time he wasn't in control of what he said and there was the fact that greek gods were real and he was the son of one so logic as well as common sense didn't exactly apply to him.

Percy didn't know what to tell her. He didn't want to have this conversation, not now and most probably not any time soon. "Couples break up all the time, Thalia. Anyway, don't talk with Annabeth just yet."

Zeus knew what disaster would follow. Athena's daughter strongly blamed her for their issues and while one part of him could admit that if Thalia hadn't existed, he might have loved Annabeth the way she wanted him to...Percy refused to drop the blame on her shoulders.

It was his fault, if anything else. He should have been direct with Annabeth from the very beginning and tell her that the feelings weren't mutual. But he hoped that maybe, just maybe what he felt for Thalia will disappear.

It didn't. If anything, it only grew in size and intensity.

"She is like a sister to me. Of course I want to talk to her!" she declared, taking out her phone from her jeans's pocket.

Before she could text or dial her number, he snatched it away from her. "I meant it. Don't. Just...trust me on this one. She is angry right now and she will say stuff that might damage your friendship. Give her some time, Thalia. Please."

No, he wasn't only saying that for his sake and his alone. He was saying it for both girls because as bad as they had fought, Percy refused to believe that Annabeth will let him, proclaimed Seaweed Brain to ruin the friendship that she had with Thalia.

Annabeth is smarter than that.

The daughter of Zeus watched him for a few seconds in silence before she took her phone back and placed it where it was earlier. "Fine. But you owe me." she decided, leaving no room for 'no'.

"Anything. As long as it doesn't involve rock music."

Thalia threw him a look, judging his taste before mumbling something that sounded similar with: 'kelp for brains...lost cause...music is crap these days...'

"I'm hungry. Your treat." she said after she finished mumbling and leading the way to a taco restaurant.

Percy didn't realize that he was hungry until the smell of food hit his nostrlis.

They might be opposites in every possible way but when it came to food, they had the same passions.

However, what made that evening great was not the food. But Thalia. She was his battery charger.

Because Percy could never stay tired around her.

A/N: I'm sorry for the late update and I hope you will enjoy this chapter.