HEY GUYS. It's my first A/N. Really, A/N's not my thing but I'll have to use this to perhaps, let you know that it's a pleasure to read your interesting reviews. So, maybe you could comment on how do I actually do with my first fic? Please?!

The next morning could not have turned out any better, if not for the sort of accident (as he liked to call it) happened right at Annabeth's door. She was actually getting ready for work, when the doorbell rang.

Seriously, he could have been the same guy she talked to last night, the problem was, she couldn't actually remember, nor will she ever remember his face.

As a matter of fact, Annabeth would be very delighted to recall the moments of the night before, talking for hours over the nonsense of things. She wondered how nonsense could be such a topic, considering they were talking about polar bears previously. But perhaps, that's just the thing with him, whoever he was, he was so unpredictable. Like unpredictable her memory was.

And she'd like to believe that it was pretty much a talk out of mutual agreement, neither of them shying from the other. She could actually picture herself spilling all her thoughts on him, but that might not be the very best idea since she just met him last night. Or the other day. Or the other previous day. Whatever.

The thing was, Annabeth found it weird to feel so intimate with a person she just met. She often wondered, what if she fell in love? Would it be unfair for the guy's part to least put up with her sickness? Yes, it would be quite far for her thoughts to reach into that conclusion. She could fall in love, but she would never be loved.

She thought of how constricted the world of fairytales were, all happy, delightful and inviting, even though there were some evil parts like the stepsisters and the stepmothers and such, but nonetheless a considered paradise for her liking. Living in such environment could be envious, though it could not bring the reality that Annabeth loved with the world. Though harsh it was, the reality was one thing she was grateful to accept no matter what the consequences were. Perhaps, she'll like to conceive the thought that even though she yearned for reality, it was still possible for her to dream of having her own 'happily ever after' story to tell.

And she thought her 'happily ever after' could have begun the moment her doorbell rang.

There he was, standing in all his gloriousness, dressed in neatly pressed gray suit with a matching blue necktie, wrapped crookedly. His pointed shoes were polished like diamonds, reflecting light rays on its glossy surface. A black suitcase was on his left hand and the other was posed to knock. He looked at her in awe or pretty much a dumbstruck expression on his face.

"Oh," was all Annabeth said in that moment of silence.

"Uh…yeah. I accidentally rang your doorbell, thinking it was mine?"

What a very smooth lie.

"You doorbell you own door, seriously?" Annabeth asked him.

"…no. I- no. I don't usually knock on doorbells," he stuttered.

"I am very much certain that no one knocks on doorbells," she said. "Except for you."

"Oh." He put his face on his hands on shame, groaning loudly. Annabeth smiled secretly. She was very much enjoying this.

"Okay, forget about that. You need a ride?" he asked.

"I can go to wherever I want on my own," she replied.

"But, it'll be easier if you took a ride won't you? And perhaps, you work on Miller's Architectural firm. I go there too."

She squinted her eyes at him, scrutinizing his words.

"How do you know where I work?"

He pointed to the embroidered logo on the left side of her tailored black blazer. "It's in your outfit."

"Oh."

"So, you need not to question my wits, Annabeth," he said, smirking.

How the hell he knew her name? She will never know. Maybe they met before?

She tried not to show the indifference on her face. He managed to catch it though.

"It's Percy. Percy Jackson."

And an invisible string somewhat pulled on her mind, a guttural feeling rather than the intellectual memory, and a flash of de javu blossomed in her. Before she had the chance to see it, it quickly dissolved, leaving her with the feeling of longing. So, she did not what her guts actually tell her, and forgot the slight concerns of her mind.

As she moved to sit in the passenger's seat, she turned to him. "How do I know you're not some escaped murderer or kidnapper?"

"If you so think that a murderer could be as gorgeous as me, I think you really have to doubt."

And her jaw and stomach were cursing her for laughing all throughout the ride. "It was his fault," she blamed.

The day, was fine, if there were any subtle words Annabeth could use to describe it. Apparently, she learned things she ought to know, like Percy was the new CEO of the firm, he was the same man her boss was talking about and that he was undeniably stupid.

Stupid, that's what she thought. It could be either true that he had mistaken his ball pen for the lollipop on his other hand or he was trying to make her smile by accidentally throwing his reports on the garbage bin, instead of the scratch papers. She would like to believe it was the latter, partly because she thought he did these stupid things with his stupid grin to make her laugh stupidly at him. Seriously, stupid could be the word of her day. And he's not failing. A co-worker noticed her smiling stupidly while doing her share in throwing the garbage of the day. Weird. Nobody found the duty of garbage utterly amusing. Except Annabeth. For today.

"What's up with you?" Her co-worker poked her in the shoulder.

Annabeth looked at him happily. Everyone seemed bright today. Or just she.

"What's up with me? Oh, just me and the daily duties," she mused.

"Like I believe you," he said.

"Hey, it's true!" she argued.

"Okay fine." He raised his hands in surrender. "You think what you want to think. But seriously, Annie is very different today."

"I am not! And it's Annabeth!" she shouted as she went to her office.

"I know."

And towards the end of the day, Annabeth had another thing figured: she might have a some sort of crush with Percy Jackson.

Really.

At first, she's quite afraid to know that there had been a cage of butterflies left open inside her stomach but, apparently, it was the first sign that told her 'hey you have an impending crush coming your way.'

But, to be honest, she didn't want to feel anything for him, be it a crush or dislike. She thought it could possibly ruin her all of her built facades and leave her bold and naked, shivering under the tense of the cold air of reality. Yet, she thought he was a sun, radiating heat and light in every imaginable direction, and she wanted nothing but to succumb in his warm embrace (not that she hugged him) and break all of her walls. She wanted more of this light, of his rays spreading warmth all over her, and not burning. She longed to feel safe and somehow escape the sea of unknown faces trying to drown her. These thoughts filled her heart with doubt and worry, making the ride back home seemed lonely.

As they got out of Percy's limousine, he reached for her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"A penny for your thoughts?" he asked.

"Oh." Annabeth was back again to earth and his seemingly fragile touch triggered the butterflies in her stomach. She'd hate to put it that way, describing the tingling feeling as butterflies, but hey, you seriously first think of butterflies if you have a crush.

He chuckled lightly, holding the stair's railing while walking up the steps.

"If I hadn't known better, I would have thought 'Oh' was your favorite word."

She smiled. 'Oh' was probably a strong contender but 'stupid' did won the word of the day.

"No, it's stupid."

"What's stupid, the 'Oh' or your favorite word?" he asked."

"Well, it can do both." She smiled.

"You know," Percy turned to her, "Seaweeds aren't that bad. They're probably the second to my favorite blue foods."

"Yeah. I see you've become a seaweed too. Seaweed brain."

"Oh, shut up! I'll have a better come back for you tomorrow," he chided.

"Yeah. I bet it'll be as lame as you are," she snickered.

When they reached Annabeth's door, they stood awkwardly around each other.

"Bye," she said.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," he replied.

No one moved.

"Good bye and good night," Annabeth whispered.

"Sweet dreams."

Still, no one moved.

"Seriously, it's a goodbye okay?" she laughed.

"Yes, I'll leave."

No one dared to move.

"Just go already." She pushed him playfully.

"You go first. I need to be sure you're safe."

"Percy, I'm just outside my door. How can I not be safe? And perhaps, it's you who needs to be safe. You still have to take the stairs."

"I will not move unless you go inside."

"Okay." She closed the door in front of him. She reached into her back pocket for her phone. None. Her phone.

She opened the door. Percy was still standing there.

"You forgot something." He handed her the phone she was looking for, smiling sincerely.

"Thank you." She closed it again.

Annabeth looked over her phone and there, in the contacts, was a new number.

Gorgeous Percy (Seaweed) – XXXXXXXXXXX

She couldn't help but grin.

"Knock, knock."

And as expected, he was still there standing, looking like a lost puppy.

"Don't I get a hug?" he murmured.

And so, as requested, Annabeth wrapped her arms around his neck awkwardly, but then, he held her tight, so she relaxed in his touch. She noticed something.

They fit like damn pretzels. Or puzzles. Or pretzel puzzles.

'Well, pretzels can be a new favorite.'

She breathed in his fragrance like the ocean and the delightful smell of burnt blue cookie chips in him. He might be stupid, but he felt like home. He smelled like home.

When they broke apart, Percy was grinning madly and Annabeth risked a small smile crept up her face.

"Got your token?" she asked.

"Yeah. Much more than what I've expected."

Then as he climbed up the stairs and she went inside her door, she heard him called out to her. "You'll make a great bear, Annabeth. You're an awesome hugger."

In her lone and safe place right now, with no Percy's and co-workers' to tease her about it, she would agree with her co-worker that in fact, she was grinning rather quite stupidly right now.

And yes, Annabeth had another doubt confirmed. Percy Jackson was definitely a gorgeous heartnapper.