Little Moments

by CuddlyCuddles

A mostly chill set of stories that follow Percy and Annabeth as they navigate their way after the defeat of Gaia and into their senior year of high school and early college. Mostly fluff with some chapters having more suggestive topics and smut.

6. Freaking Cows Ruin our Moment

AN: Welcome back! Here's the anniversary/birthday chapter. So much happens in this chapter. I had fun writing it. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Warning: last section contains some sexual content. Nothing too graphic.

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Chapter 6: Freaking Cows Ruin our Moment

August 18

Percy

Percy would like to say that he started the day off right. That he got out of bed, brushed his teeth, showered, and had breakfast all in relative peace. Instead, he was woken up with a surprise message coming from his father.

"Percy my son, wake up!" The sea god exclaimed.

Percy quickly sat up, startled, turned around half asleep, asked "Who?" Noticed the Iris message from his father, was startled again, got tangled in the sheets when he tried to get out of bed, fell off the bed and then face-planted on the floor. Yep, the day was starting off great. Nothing like eating floor for breakfast to start off your day.

Percy rubbed his face and wiped his eyes clear of sleep. He stood up and faced the Iris message coming from his dad. Percy could tell that Poseidon was trying hard not to laugh. Honestly, he would have laughed too if that had happened to someone else.

"Dad." Percy grumbled, there was annoyance in his voice. "Why did you call at…" he looked at the clock on the nightstand, "at six in the freaking morning. It's not even a school day."

Poseidon raised an eyebrow. Yep, the family resemblance was there. "I just wanted to call to wish you a Happy Birthday!"

Oh, Percy had almost forgotten it was his birthday despite going shopping and making plans the day prior. He rubbed the back of his head, his face growing a shade of pink at the gesture from his father. It wasn't every day that the sea god called Percy to wish him a happy birthday.

"Ah, thanks Dad," he managed.

Poseidon smiled. "As for calling you so early. I wanted some vengeance because you called me while I was bathing."

Percy crossed his arms and breathed out. "You were covered in bubbles; I didn't see anything, other than your shoulders and maybe your chest."

"Be that as it may, you still could have seen my naked behind. Other gods would not have taken to kindly to such… affairs."

"So, you're still mad at me because I almost saw you naked?"

Poseidon laughed. "I only jest son, but I did call early to bring you some gifts."

At this Percy perked up. It wasn't often that he received gifts from his father. The last gifts he had gotten was the sand dollar on his 15th birthday and the fishing rod he got for his 16th birthday. The sand dollar was spent protecting Manhattan during the Battle of Manhattan and fishing rod was for lack of better words, broken. Percy had whacked a dracaena with it, and it snapped in half, but Poseidon didn't need to know that.

Poseidon waved his hand and two parcels wrapped in blue wrapping paper appeared in front of Percy. The god made a gesture to go ahead and open them. Percy opened the first packet and was a bit let down. He had been expecting something like maybe a cool weapon like a shield, a sword, maybe even a trident. Heck he would have settled for a videogame. Instead, there were several Tommy Bahama shirts in the parcel. They were the same style of shirt that his father wore and although they were nice shirts, he was expecting something a bit godlier.

"Uh, thanks Dad," he thanked.

"Why don't you try them on son? I feel they will fit you well."

Percy nodded and took his shirt off and tried one of the shirts from his father. It was a white polo with a blue floral design running from the right shoulder all the way down to the hem.

"You look great son!" The god beamed. "You look more like your old man each day."

Percy smiled embarrassedly at the compliment. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Although I did notice, you're too skinny. Have you been eating your meals?"

Percy smirked and joked. "I visited the doctor not too long ago. Apparently, my mom has been underfeeding me."

As if on cue he heard his mother yell, "Percy!" from the other room. It looked like his mother was awake.

Poseidon chuckled. "Well, I know Sally will bring you back to health soon. Why not open the second present. I feel that this present will be quite useful for your anniversary with Ms. Chase."

Percy raised an eyebrow in suspicion. If it was another box of the devices, he swore he would grab it and toss it his father. He unwrapped the second parcel and there is a set of clothes. Something casual for him to wear on a date.

"I figured you would need some clothes for date night today." The god winked.

"Whoa! Thanks dad! I wasn't sure what to wear but you figured it out for me."

"Glad to hear it."

The message was starting to cut off. "You kids enjoy your day and I'll try not to send a storm to New York."

"Why would you send a storm to New York?"

The sea god shrugged. "The Knicks play today in New York and if they lose, New York will feel my wrath."

"Why couldn't you just send it to Florida? You said Florida was always pissing you off."

"True, Florida feels my wrath on a weekly basis, but they've been behaving themselves this week."

Percy laughed and thanked his father for the gifts, even though he was bit disappointed with the Hawaiian shirts. Before the message completely cut off, Poseidon spoke one last time. "Again, happy birthday Percy and enjoy your day. Next year on your 18th birthday I promise to give you something special. You'll be a full-grown son the sea by then."

Before Percy could say anything, the message petered out and he was left in his bedroom by himself. He moved to organize the clothes that his father had given him. He looked at the clock and it read 6:14 AM. He stretched out, and guessed he better get a good head start on the day. He would have a busy day today.

Percy set the parcels down on his desk and made his bed to clear his head. He also changed shirts to the one he was wearing before his father called. He then proceeded to brush his teeth and exit his room to enter the kitchen. His mother had made him a to-do list for everything he would need for the park picnic today. If he wanted to get everything done in time, he would have to start early.

He stretched out and encouraged himself. "Alright Jackson, no biggie you got this."

His parents were still asleep despite his mother calling out his name earlier. He moved around the kitchen trying his best to stay quiet for the sake of his parents. He got out a couple pots and pans, containers, the cutting board, ingredients from the pantry and refrigerator and got to work.

He worked for about an hour before his stomach started rumbling. This was something that he had not taken into plan. Perhaps he could squeeze in quick breakfast in there, but that would set him back.

"Good morning, Percy," he heard his mother say from behind. She was leaning on the doorway watching her son work diligently in the kitchen.

"Good morning, mom," he greeted. He gave her a small wave and smile.

"Happy birthday." She moved in closer to him and hugged him and patted his back reassuringly. He hugged her back. "Happy 17th birthday, and even though you're much bigger than me, remember you'll always be my little boy."

Percy blushed at the statement. "Thanks mom, I love you too."

They broke apart and Sally looked at the disordered chaos that was going on the kitchen. "So, how's the cooking going? Are you feeling hungry? I can make you something. In fact, I should make you something, it's your birthday after all."

Percy rubbed the back of his head. "Things are going well, just finished putting some stuff in the oven and it should be ready soon." He took a pause. "I am kinda hungry though," he said bashfully.

Sally smiled and looked round again. "If you give me a bit space, I can make you your favorite blue pancakes. How does that sound?"

Percy perked up at the sound. "That would be great! Thanks mom."

Sally ruffled his hair and got to work on making breakfast. Paul joined in about a half hour later. Like Sally, he hugged Percy and congratulated him for turning 17. Paul said he was proud of the demigod and looked forward to seeing what he would do in the future. It was a bit cheesy, but it was well appreciated. The three of them sat together at the table while eating Sally's famous blue pancakes. She had bought out coffee and milk as well. They had a conversation while they ate.

"Percy, I heard you chatting with someone this morning and I heard you tell them I have been underfeeding you." Sally raised an eyebrow.

Percy chortled. "Yeah that just Dad calling. He wished me a happy birthday and gave some gifts. Nothing too fancy though."

"Poseidon messaged you?"

"Yep, he called early because he wanted payback for when I called him while he was taking a bath."

"You'll have to tell me the details," Paul whispered. Percy mouthed later and they continued eating. The sound of the timer going off prompted Percy to jump back to the kitchen and continue his work. By now it was around 9:30 and he still had lots to get done. He still needed to finish making the food, pack the food, shower, get dressed, make sure their ride was ready, remember to bring the blanket and remember to bring the anniversary gift.

Sally suggested she help Percy cook while he got the rest of the stuff sorted out. He thanked her and he made his way to the first floor where the sweet ride was waiting. He had borrowed a red tandem bicycle from his downstair neighbors, and he and Annabeth would ride through the city and into the park together. Percy thought it was a nice ride, but he wondered if Annabeth would think so too. It's not like he could borrow the Sun Chariot and take it for a spin in Maserati mode. Apollo would probably send him on some stupid quest if Percy asked.

Speaking of Apollo, what ever happened to the guy? The last Percy saw of Apollo, the sun god was being chastised by Zeus for staring the next great prophecy so soon after the first one was complete. Although Percy found Apollo incredibly annoying and self-centered, he had been helpful when Annabeth and Artemis were kidnapped. Apollo had also offered to give Percy archery lessons and take the sun chariot out for a spin, so the guy wasn't all that bad.

Who knows, maybe Apollo was stripped of divinity and was thrown into the Manhattan dumpsters face first. Perhaps he had some ridiculous name like Papadopoulos and was now the servant of a 12-year-old demigod. Perhaps now he would have to complete some quests to gain his divinity back and be allowed into Olympus.

Yeah right.

Getting back on topic, there was always plan B if she didn't like the tandem. Percy looked over at another bicycle which he deemed would be plan B.

Going back to the tandem, he made sure that the wheels were well inflated, the gears were well oiled, and the cart hooked to the back was well adjusted and would not fly off if they hit a turn to hard, hit a bump or pedaled too fast. After checking, he went back into the apartment where he thanked the elderly couple that let him borrow the bike.

"Take good care of Gertrude son." The elderly man said. He patted Percy on the shoulder.

"Will do Mr. Lewis."

Percy waved them goodbye and entered his apartment where his mother way working on the last of the food. The time on the clock read 10:30 which meant that he less than two hours before Annabeth showed up.

"Hey Mom, I can take it from here," he offered.

"Thanks sweetie but let me finish helping you."

Percy didn't argue. He nodded and started packing the food into the baskets that his mother provided. One basket would be larger food such as entrees, another basket for the drinks, and another basket for smaller items such as snacks, appetizers, and any plates, cups, or miscellaneous items. They finished cooking and packing all the food and the clock now read 11:15. Only 45 minutes left.

"Crap, I don't want to run late," Percy said. He still had to shower and get dressed. He doubted it would take him a full 45 minutes, but he wanted to stay safe in case something went wrong. Which knowing him, something would go wrong.

"Go shower Percy. Don't worry I'll finish setting everything up." Sally offered with a smile.

"Thanks mom," he responded. He kissed her cheek, "love you."

He went into the room to grab the box that his father gave him that morning. He took the clothes out and a card fell on the floor. It was a postcard with the image of a beach. He turned it around and saw that someone had written a letter.

Ahoy son,

I see that you've got my card and the clothes for your date. Just a tip from your father (I'm not Aphrodite or anything), roll the sleeves up on the shirt, don't button the shirt all the way up and open the collar. I promise that Ms. Chase will appreciate it.

Again, happy birthday!

Poseidon

He looked at the letter and back at the shirt that his father gave him. It was a plain white long-sleeved button on linen shirt. He grabbed the rest of the clothes and entered the bathroom. He placed his clothes on the counter then looked into the mirror observing his face. He had grown some facial hair over the past couple days since he shaved. He would deal with that after he showered.

He removed his clothes and entered the shower stall, letting the cool waters take over him, reinvigorating him with energy. He left the shower several minutes later with a towel wrapped around his hips. He put on his boxers and the navy-blue shorts that his father had given him. He then looked into the mirror inspecting his appearance. He looked around the counter locating the razor that Paul had given him. He also looked around for the shaving gel and soon enough he looked like Santa Claus. Well, a much younger and skinnier looking Santa Claus.

He got to work shaving his face. As he shaved, he thought of his girlfriend's stance on facial hair. Annabeth was not averse to facial hair but she had mentioned that she preferred the clean-shaven look. She had also mentioned that she would prefer not to be poked by hair whenever they kissed. After several more minutes, he saw his handiwork, barely any cuts made this time around. He applied aftershave then looked into the mirror again. He still looked a bit sickly after his tread through Tartarus and being poisoned by Polybetes, but he was getting better. His dark circles had receded, many of the cuts and scars on his face and torso had diminished completely (curtesy of the water, the lotion he got from his doctor, and the Apollo cabin), his complexion was slowly tanning again, his freckles were gradually coming back, and his hair looked nice. Pablo the barber was a miracle worker when it came to cutting hair.

He took a deep breath. It was the first time that he and Annabeth would go on a date since they got back from fighting the war. He wanted everything to go smoothly, it's what she deserved after everything that happened.

He put on his camp necklace then turned to grab his shirt from the counter, then put it on while taking his father's advice of leaving the top button unbuttoned and opening the collar. It took him a couple minutes to figure out how to roll his sleeves up, but he managed. He left his shirt untucked for a more casual look.

Once he was done, he looked into the mirror again. He looked like he was going to a boat party, all he would need to complete the look would be some flip flops. He felt a bit awkward. He never wore clothes like these, so it was a new experience like the time he wore a suit to Paris to their one-month anniversary.

He grabbed his dirty clothes and exited the bathroom and went into his room where he threw his clothes into the hamper. He grabbed the shoes Paul had given him and his socks. After putting them on, he looked around the room for his possessions. His wallet was there, Riptide naturally was in his pocket, but he couldn't find his keys. He looked around his room for several minutes with no luck.

He sighed and guessed that maybe he had left them somewhere else in the apartment. He left the room and walked down the hall. He called, "Hey mom, have you seen my…" he stopped when he saw Annabeth sitting on the couch. She looked even more beautiful than normal. He also saw his keys sitting on the coffee table.

---

Annabeth

The time read 11:30. Annabeth was doing some last-minute checks before heading out. She had woken up earlier, had breakfast and got herself ready for the date. This was the first date that she and Percy would have since the end of the giant war, so she wanted to make it special. She ran through her mental checklist. She had picked out an outfit that fit Percy's general description of being comfortable and somewhat nice. Honestly, he could be so vague sometimes.

She wore a white sundress that reached just below her knees. The dress had a cute cherry pattern which decorated the dress like polka dots. The dress had an open collar which made her camp necklace prominent but didn't show much more of her chest. Piper had given her the dress in hopes that Annabeth would use it in a date once she and Percy were reunited. That was months ago, and the time had finally come.

She tied her blond hair back in her usual ponytail and was just finishing up the rest of her makeup. She normally wouldn't wear any, but today was a special day so she wanted to make sure she looked her best. She had also put on some of the perfume that Piper had given her as well. It smelled of a combination of vanilla and lemons.

She put on her white shoes and ran through her list one last time. She had everything she needed, her phone, wallet, weapon (in case of attacks) and most important, the gifts. Before leaving she looked at the full-length mirror in her dorm. She had lost some weight with her walk through Tartarus, but she was slowly gaining it back. Her pale skin was also beginning to tan again. Her scarring was less severe as well. She and Percy had visited the Apollo cabin after the war and Will, along with the other Apollo campers helped them get rid of their most severe scars. She looked back at her outfit, she hoped that Percy would really appreciate it.

"Alright, you're all set," she encouraged. She exited her dorm and would take the subway to meet at Percy's apartment.

She arrived about 15 minutes later. She checked her phone and the time read 11:50. Just 10 minutes before they were supposed to meet up. Hopefully he wouldn't be running late. She noticed there were some bicycles parked at the front of the complex. Perhaps it would be nice to go on a bike ride through the park, she thought. The weather wasn't too bad today.

She knocked on the door and heard Sally say "coming." The door clicked, unlocked, and was opened. Sally greeted her.

"Ah, Annabeth good to see you." The mother tried to embrace Annabeth, but the boxes Annabeth was carrying got in the way.

"It's great to see you too Sally." Annabeth greeted.

Sally looked at the boxes. "Are those presents for Percy?" Annabeth nodded. "I can take them off your hands and hide them so you can give them to him later today."

"That would be great. Thank you, Sally."

Sally took the boxes led her inside then motioned for her to sit on the couch. She told Annabeth that Percy was not quite ready, but he was almost done. Sally headed back to the kitchen and Annabeth focused her attention on the television. Percy said she could expect a surprise, so she didn't want to ruin it by looking into the kitchen.

"Hey mom, have you seen my…" Percy exited the hallway and paused when he noticed Annabeth sitting on the couch. She almost lost her breath when she saw him. He was wearing a summer outfit with dark blue chino shorts that ended right above the knee. What really caught her attention was the upper part. His shirt was untucked, the sleeves of his white linen shirt were rolled up; he had unbuttoned the top button which showed part of his chest and his camp necklace. In short, he looked hot.

Percy hardly ever wore fitted clothing as he usually wore hoodies so getting to see him like this was a treat. The last she could remember it was when he wore that suit to their date in Paris.

"Whoa, Wise Girl…" he said in amazement. "You look beautiful." He moved to stand beside her and leaned in to kiss her. She wrapped her hands around his neck to keep the kiss going. He smelled incredible. There was the usual ocean scent, but there was also a scent she couldn't quite place, perhaps it was sandalwood. As they were kissing, she noticed that his raven dark hair was still slightly wet, and his face was smooth like he had just shaved. They broke apart a minute later.

When they broke apart, she noticed Sally looking at them through the kitchen doorway. She wasn't glaring at them like she was days ago when they almost… ahem got intimate, but there was a sly smile on her face.

"What was it you needed Percy?" She asked.

Percy jumped and turned around almost instantly. "Mom how long have you been there?" He asked bashfully.

She shrugged. "Not long, what was it that you needed?"

Percy rubbed the back his head. "Right, I was looking for my keys but they're on the coffee table."

Sally nodded. "The food is almost all packed up. Feel free to start loading it." With that she went back into the kitchen.

Percy turned around to look at Annabeth. "Gods that was embarrassing, she just appears out of nowhere sometimes."

Annabeth smiled at him. "You look great by the way, Percy" She ran a hand on his forearm, tracing the pattern of his SPQR tattoo.

"Thanks, I try. You look great as well and you smell really nice." He complimented. He scooped his keys off the coffee table and placed them in his pocket.

"Are we ready to head out?" She asked.

Percy raised his hands to his side. "Almost, just give me a couple more minutes. Just wait here, ok?"

She nodded and waited while Percy went into the kitchen. There was rummaging and she overheard some of the conversation between Sally and Percy. A couple of minutes later, Percy approached her holding three large baskets. "Ready to head out?" He asked.

"After you."

---

"Percy?" Annabeth asked. There was a hint of irritation and amusement in her voice.

"What's up Wise Girl?" He replied casually.

"This is the sweet ride you mentioned yesterday?"

"Yep. Don't you think she's great?"

"I was expecting something a bit nicer. Maybe a car ride, a chariot pulled by horses. Will told me you stole and rode a motorcycle when Etan stabbed me."

He looked at her bemused for a second and then realization came. "Oh right, I did steal that motorcycle. I was worried about you, you know."

She stepped closer to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you by the way." The image of Percy riding a motorcycle came to the forefront of her mind. Damn he must have looked hot, she wished she could have seen it.

He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "I should be the one thanking you. If you hadn't taken that hit. I probably wouldn't be standing here. And I guess we're even now."

"I was kidding when I said that in the Plaza Hotel. I couldn't admit at the time that I liked you. You don't owe me anything." She murmured. "We've saved each other plenty of times."

Percy pressed another kiss soft kiss on her forehead. A small blush grew on her face then she looked back at their ride. "I guess it was my fault for getting my expectations so high. I was not expecting a old rusty bicycle."

"Hey! Don't insult Gertrude."

"You named the bicycle?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Nope the old couple that I borrowed the bike from named her." He crossed his arms across his chest. "Jeez Annabeth, haven't you ever heard of 'don't judge a book by it's cover?' Good ol Gertrude here can get some sick speeds and carry a large load."

"Uh-huh."

He laughed. "Look if you don't want to take Gertrude, we can always take Bertha."

"Bertha? There's another one?" her voice was raised a pitch or two higher.

"Yep, she's over there." He pointed to an even older pink granny bike with a cart attached to the back. There was a pink Hello Kitty basket attached to the front. "But if we do take Bertha, then you're pedaling, and I'll sit in the back."

"As if." She nearly laughed. They decided to take good ol Gertrude and loaded the baskets and supplies in the back cart. Percy claimed the front seat so he could guide them to their destination which left Annabeth with the back seat. "Next time, you can steal a motorcycle and we can go on ride."

Percy shrugged. "I can make that happen. Wouldn't be the first time." He looked back her a hint of concern in his eyes. "Will you be alright to pedal with your dress on?"

Annabeth shrugged. "I'm sure I'll will be fine. It looks like you don't need special attire to drive this bike."

They tested out the bicycle a couple times to make sure that they didn't fall over. After a couple tries, they started their journey to wherever Percy was taking her.

Their journey was quite uneventful. Unless you count the fact they almost got hit by three irate drivers. One driver had cussed them out and the pair cussed the driver back and then made a less than appropriate hand gesture towards the driver.

"Ah go shove it! My dead ex-stepfather drives better than you!" Percy yelled.

"We had the right of way you dimwitted nimrod!" Annabeth added.

They both gave the driver the finger. Weren't they just lovely?

The rest of their trip didn't involve any more cursing or hand gestures towards other city goers. They entered the park and Annabeth had to admit it was nice cycling through the park in the warm August weather. Cycling through the tree walkway was especially nice. The sounds of children playing, laughter, musicians playing, the soft breeze caressing her skin, and the great view she got of Percy's broad shoulders and his…back, definitely his back,made her remember how great life is. How great life was when she wasn't part of some life-threatening prophecy, and she could live a normal quiet life.

If only this moment could last forever, she pondered. They cycled on the bridge over the lake and spotted the koi coloring its water in vibrant colors. Several couples were going underneath them on paddle boats and rowboats. She was hit by a soft cool breeze like being hit with an ocean mist. She looked forward and saw Percy smirking in amusement at her.

Their cycling led them to the vast open expanse of the park that looked like part meadow and part forest. Several hills dotted the landscape. They stopped pedaling and Percy motioned to the top of a hill where a large oak tree had taken root. Together they pushed the bicycle up the hill. Once on top of the hill they got a great view of the park. They could see the great lawn, the lake, Belvedere castle and in the distance, they could see the water spraying from the fountains.

Percy stood behind Annabeth and grabbed her shoulders gently. He gently placed his chin on top of her head. "Annabeth, I need to ask you a favor." She felt safe and warm like she always did when he was around.

"What is it?"

"I need to keep looking in the direction that you're looking. Don't peak while I set the stuff up, ok? I want it to be a surprise." His tone was a mix of playful and pleading.

"You better hurry, you know I don't like to be kept waiting." She warned lightheartedly.

Percy rubbed her shoulders gently. "Don't worry it won't take long. Maybe you can entertain yourself by seeing that performance over there." He pointed in the distance where there were a large group of people performing some sort of Disney number.

They were quite good she had to admit. She could hear the lyrics from a distance.

That's how you know

That's how you know

That's how you know

He's your love

She took in the other sights as she heard Percy rummaging behind her. There were kids playing frisbee at the bottom of the hill. The frisbee hit one of the kids in the face and he cried out. She turned and saw that a couple's rowboat had flipped over in the lake. The couple were screaming and floundering in the water. She looked in another direction to see that there was an angry girlfriend running after her boyfriend who was laughing at her while he rode a bike. She smiled lightly, that could have been them down there.

An interesting scene unfolded near the bottom of the hill. There was bearded lady carrying cats in her arms being chased by cops and several other pedestrians. As she was being chased, she was screaming insults that would not be appropriate for children to hear. One of the cops tried to tackle her but she dodged at the last moment and the cop face planted on the ground. She continued to scream and left the pursuers in the dust.

Annabeth could only look out in confusion at the scene, although she did have to admit that the lady was quick on her feet.

She felt a vibration come from her pocket. She took her phone out to see that she received a new text message. The message came from Sally.

Annabeth, please keep Percy in the park until at least 4. We are getting his party ready.

Annabeth began typing: Of course, Sally, I will keep him busy.

Thanks Annabeth. See you soon.

The rummaging stopped and she heard Percy. "Alright Annabeth, you can turn now." She took a deep breath and turned around. The sight made her nearly stare in amazement. Beneath the tree Percy had set up the checkered light blue picnic blanket. In the center was a floral bouquet filled with blue roses. All around the blanket were plates and trays filled with various foods. Two large glass bottles were placed near the center of the blanket. Once contained a blue drink and the other looked like it contained bubbly water. The plates and silverware sat near a basket. Two of the baskets were opened with most of their contents withdrawn, but she did notice there was a basket that remained closed. Percy had even bought some throw pillows which he threw near the base of the tree.

"What do you think?" Percy asked uncertainly. He ran a hand through his hair.

She could feel tears welling in her eyes. "Oh, Percy it's beautiful." She stepped closer and embraced him in a hug. His own arms wrapped around her quickly. She looked up into his eyes and before anyone could say any words, they kissed lovingly. She kissed him deeply and sweetly like they were the only people that mattered in the world. A warm summer breeze blew past them making the leaves of the tree ruffle gently. They broke apart after many moments and just started into each other's eyes. She could see the sea in his eyes. The calm and beautiful sea that his eyes reminded her of.

"Happy first year anniversary Annabeth," Percy finally spoke.

She kissed him again in retaliation. They broke apart seconds later. "Happy first year anniversary to you too Percy."

He led her down to the blanket and took a seat. He handed her a plate and told her to help herself to any of the food on the blanket. She obliged and soon she had a variety of sandwiches, burritos, crackers, pasta, fresh fruit and a blue tea drink that Percy said was called butterfly pea leaf tea.

"Did you make all this?" She asked.

Percy was busy stuffing his mouth. He must have been hungry. He swallowed. "Yeah, well most of it. I had a bit of help." He paused and looked at her bashfully. "Do you like it?"

The food was good, and she knew he spent a lot of effort making it. She looked him dead in the eye. "No Percy, I don't like it." His expression changed to look downcast like a hurt puppy. Damn, now she was feeling bad for teasing him. "I love it!" she exclaimed shortly after. Percy's expression brightened and he threw a smile at her.

"Wise Girl, why are you so mean to me?" Tone slightly hurt.

"It's part of the promise remember. I won't ever make your life easy." She shot back.

"You're impossible."

"Love you too."

They continued eating in the peace and quiet of the park. Thankfully no monsters, gods, cows or crazy bearded ladies had showed up to ruin their date and hopefully it would stay that way.

"How long did it take you make all this by the way?" She asked.

Percy shrugged. "I don't know, a couple hours, I was up at like at seven, cooking."

"That early huh. Well, I can say that all that time paid off."

"Guess so, hope you liked the grilled chicken sandwiches. Oh, and the veggie pasta as well. The burritos also took a bit to make and but there's something special that I made that took a while."

"Oh? What did you make that's so special?"

"You're the smart one, take a guess."

She looked around and noticed the smaller basket that had not been opened. "Oh, is it in the basket right there." She pointed at it.

Percy smiled. "Yep, now take a guess at what could be in there. Three tries." He waved three fingers in front of her face.

"Umm… let's see, how about ice cream?"

"Nice but no."

"Cake?"

"Really close."

"Umm… cheesecake."

"Bingo!" He grabbed the smaller basket and opened it for her to see. Inside was a small blue cheesecake topped with blueberries and blue raspberries. "You'd be surprised how hard it was to make it blue. Most of my attempts gave me purple cheesecake." He took the cake out of the basket and laid it in front of her. He took a knife from another basket and handed it to her. "Why don't you do the honors?"

"Oh Percy, it's beautiful." She took the knife and cut him and her a slice. "What flavor is it?"

"You know, blueberry, raspberry, cheese flavor, I guess. I didn't try it."

She took a bite, and it did indeed taste like all three flavors that he mentioned earlier. He took a bite as well and then stuck his tongue out at her. His tongue had turned blue, and she stuck her own tongue. He laughed when at action and knew that her own tongue must have also been blue.

They continued eating for another couple minutes. Then, they laid on the blanket, nestled together. She laid partly on his chest tracing patterns on his shirt. He pulled her in close and was toiling with her blond curls. Everything seemed right in the world.

"How are you doing?" She asked. They hadn't talked much about their health in a couple days.

He breathed out. "Honestly, I'm doing better. My lungs don't hurt as much, I put on a bit of weight and haven't had horrific nightmares in a couple days." He kissed the top of her head. "How about you?"

She continued tracing patterns on his chest and shirt. "Same as well. I visited the doctor, and they helped me out. They gave me some sleeping pills to keep the worst nightmares away, but I still get some from time to time."

"That's great to hear." He started. He shifted slightly into a more comfortable position. "I'm sorry… about what happened that one time."

Annabeth didn't need to ask which time. She knew which moment he was referring to. That was honestly such a spine-chilling moment.

It had happened on the Argo, the night they had escaped Tartarus. After they showered and ate a hearty dinner, they made their way to their cabins afterwards. They reassured each other that they would be ok to sleep in their own cabins then waved each other goodnight before retreating to their cabins.

Annabeth kept tossing and turning in her bed trying to fall asleep, but she found she couldn't. Perhaps if she read a book, she could distract herself until the sweet embrace of sleep came. She stood up to pick up one her books when suddenly there was a loud blood curdling scream. She was knocked out of her socks at first, but it was quickly replaced with worry when recognized the scream as Percy's. She slammed the door open and ran to his cabin, she slammed his door open and called, "Percy!"

The only response she got were grunts, heavy breaths, and more screams. All around her she felt like the pipes were buckling and groaning. The sea had also gotten rougher as she felt the ship begin to rock back and forth as if there was a storm raging outside.

She ran to his bed to see that he was violently trashing around in his bed. He was covered in sweat and looked to be having a horrifying nightmare. She got closer to try to calm him down. She began calling out his name gently and trying to shake him awake. Unfortunately, his violent thrashing caused one of his hands hit her across the face. She was thrown back onto the floor. She touched the area on her face where she was struck.

"Annabeth are you alright?" someone said from the door. She turned around to see Frank looking at her. He must have heard the screaming; his room was nearby.

"No Frank, can you help me calm down Percy? He's having a nightmare." She bit back the tears that were welling in her eyes. The pain wasn't what bothered her, she had dealt with worse. What bothered her was seeing her boyfriend so distraught and the feeling of near powerlessness at not being able to stop him.

Frank nodded. He made his way to stand beside the bed where Percy was still violently trashing.

"Can you hold him down while I try to shake him awake?" She asked. Frank nodded and grabbed Percy's arms to pin him down. He did not go down easy. He accidentally punched Frank in the stomach which made the son of Mars release a large 'oof' but he did manage to pin him down.

Annabeth started calling after him and shaking his shoulders. "Percy, Percy, it's ok. We're no longer in Tartarus. You're safe here. No one's going to hurt you." She called to him for several moments repeating out his name and reassurances. His breathing started to calm down and he stopped thrashing as violently. "Come on Percy, wake up. It's Annabeth, everything's fine," she called.

His breathing continued to calm down but was still panting as he slowly opened his eyes. His eyes looked dull and tired as if made of shattered glass. "Annabeth?" He croaked. He tried to move his arms but couldn't. He looked round the room. "Frank?" he asked. "Guys what's going on?" His breathing was evening out, but his face was covered in a cold sweat. His hair stuck to his forehead. Frank released his arms.

The pipes had stopped groaning and the ship stopped rocking as violently.

"You were having a nightmare, but you're alright now." She reassured him. She cupped his face and kissed him on the cheek. He looked at her quizzically. He touched her face and placed his hand where he had struck her.

"Annabeth, wha-what happened?" He stammered. There was worry in his voice.

"It's nothing Percy. You had a bad nightmare and were trashing around."

"I… did that to you?" His tone was growing increasingly guilty. Percy sat up. He put his hand on her face again. His face grew darker when he noticed that his hand lined up with the red imprint on her face.

"It's ok Percy, don't worry about it. I know you didn't mean it." She tried.

"But I hurt you." His voice was laden with even more guilt.

"Percy, I said it's ok. You were having a nightmare."

"No Annabeth it's not ok." He quickly snapped. "I'm… sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He mumbled. He pulled his knees to his chest and started rocking himself. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he continued mumbling.

Annabeth couldn't stand to see him like this. She sat on his bed as he rocked around. She gently took his head into her shoulder. "It's ok Percy, none of this is your fault." She wrapped her arms around him and rubbed her hands up and down his back.

Violent sobs wrecked his body. "I'm sorry for not being strong enough to pull you out. I'm sorry for scaring you. I'm sorry to Bob and Damasen. I'm sorry for hitting you," he managed in between sobs.

"Shh, shh, Percy it's ok. You don't have to apologize for any of that. You were having a nightmare. It's ok, it's ok."

Percy seemed to be in trance. He was rocking gently against her as he sobbed. He continued mumbling apologies. She managed to catch some of the things he said through his sobs. "Bianca… Beckendorf…Silena… Michael… Bob and Damasen. Screw up…worthless." He continued apologizing to her and mumbling about past events. She thought that perhaps he had a flashback as well as a nightmare.

Annabeth for her part remained as calm as she could. It would do him no good if she also broke down as well. Frank was also tracing his hands on Percy's back and saying his own reassuring messages. They stayed together in his cabin for another 20 minutes as Percy slowly calmed down. His breathing evened out and he held her tightly.

"Percy. Everything is ok. We know you didn't mean to hurt us." Frank said.

"I'm sorry big guy." Percy breathed out.

"It's ok, no harm done. But seriously, that punch hurt." He laughed lightly trying to lighten the mood.

Percy breathed out slightly amused as well. "I've gotten a bit of practice."

Frank bid them farewell a couple minutes later and now it was just Percy in Annabeth in the room. She stood up. "Let's get you changed Percy," she suggested. She held out a hand to help him up. He accepted it and soon they were both standing. He hugged her and wrapped his arms around her. She wrapped her own arms around him and nestled her head into the crook of his neck. He rested his chin on top of her head. They stayed there for several moments before they broke apart.

Annabeth went to his drawers and pulled out some clean shorts, a t-shirt and clean pair of blue boxers (he always wore blue ones). The pajamas he was wearing were soaking wet with sweat. She handed them to him then stepped out of the room to give him some privacy to change.

As she waited outside Hazel approached her. She was holding a tray with two mugs of hot chocolate and a plate of cookies. "Hey Annabeth," the daughter of Pluto called out.

"Oh, hey Hazel, sorry if we woke you up." She apologized.

Hazel shook her head. "It's alright, I was on guard duty anyway…" she paused. "Is Percy alright? Frank told me he wasn't doing well."

Annabeth let out a long breath. "Honestly Hazel, I'm not sure. We just got out of… Tartarus. We don't really know…" she trailed off.

"I see," Hazel responded. "Well, if you need help or need someone to talk to we are here for you," she encouraged. "And that goes for both of you guys. We are a team and Percy is like an older brother to me." She added. Hazel handed the tray to Annabeth. "I bought you guys some hot chocolate and cookies. I hope it helps."

"Thanks Hazel." Annabeth thanked and smiled at the daughter of Pluto. She took the tray from Hazel and then waved her goodbye.

She knocked on the door, "Percy?" She asked. "You, ok? Can I come in?"

"Yeah, come in." she heard from the other side. She pushed the door open, noticing that Percy was also changing the sheets on his bed. They must have been soaked with sweat as well. After changing them, he sat down. He patted beside himself, and she took it as her cue to sit next to him. She set the tray down on the desk but grabbed the two mugs of hot chocolate. She handed one to Percy which he accepted.

"Thanks," he said a little uneasily. They sat together in silence for a couple moments. He kept staring at his chocolate without taking a sip.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"It's not your fault." They both practically said at the same time.

They looked at each other's eyes. Percy looked guilty and uneasy. Annabeth placed a hand on his forearm. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked.

He was quiet and swallowed. He kept looking at his mug, rubbing his fingers against the mug. Finally, he said something, "I felt like I was drowning. All I saw was pitch black and I couldn't breathe. I was thrashing around, trying to find and escape but I couldn't." He took a long breath. "It reminded me of my quest to Alaska with Frank and Hazel when I drowned in the muskeg and then the nymphs in Rome and finally the Cocytus where I almost gave up." He paused for another moment, continuing to tap his fingers on his mug. "This time around, I felt like there was no escape, there was no one around to help me out."

She put an arm around him whispering, "hey it's ok. Come talk to me or anyone on the ship when you're feeling down. We're a team and we help each other out, so don't be scared, ok?"

He looked at her, his worried expression slightly diminished. He gave her quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Annabeth, and I'm sorry about hitting you."

"Hey it's alright. I know you didn't mean to. Just talk to me, ok? We have each other's backs."

They sat there with each other, drinking their hot chocolate, eating the cookies that Hazel bought while discussing some of the things that bothered them. It was a hard discussion to have, neither one of them wanted to relive the memory of being down there. Annabeth especially didn't want to remember Arachne.

The mention of Bob and Damasen made them both feel especially guilty, but it was something that they had to come to terms with. The topics slowly changed back to their lives, how Percy's mom was doing, and their plans for New Rome. Percy had handed Annabeth some Ambrosia to help with the healing as well.

She wasn't sure what time it was, but she guessed it must have been late. She felt her eyes begin to droop. It looks like sleep was finally claiming her sweet embrace on her. She stood up to leave but Percy's hand grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back down.

"Sleep with me?" he pleaded. His eyes had widened into that look she called his 'baby seal eyes.'

With those eyes, he could tell her to jump off a cliff and she would. "Percy we can't. Remember what happened last time."

"Since when have we cared about the rules?" he shot back. "Besides Coach Hedge isn't around anymore," he added.

"What will the other's say?" She asked with fake concern. After Tartarus, she didn't honestly care what the others said. Coach Hedge could go shove it.

Percy shrugged. "I can throw them overboard and feed them to the sharks."

They laughed. The tension from the night almost gone. He laid down and patted a space that he made for her. She rolled her eyes but acquiesced. She laid next to him, he pulled her close and wrapped an arm around her. Her face settled on the crook of his neck taking in his familiar ocean scent. He grabbed the blanket to wrap themselves in then turned off the lamp light. He kissed her on the forehead, and she kissed his neck.

They fell asleep together. There were no more nightmares that night. From that day on, they alternated sleeping together in each other's cabins. No one commented on their sleeping arrangements, except Leo, but he was thrown overboard shortly after.

"I want you to know that it's not your fault for what happened. We were just out of Tartarus and were dealing with some serious shit." She tried to reassure him. She continued rubbing patterns on his shirt.

He held her closer and took a deep breath his chest moving up and down as he did so. "I know… it's just that… I wish we could heal you know. Maybe faster."

"Healing takes time Percy and sometimes the path isn't linear."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

They stayed quiet for a couple more moments taking in the clouds as they moved across the sky. "Why don't we do something else?" She suggested.

She felt him shift slightly beneath her. "Sure, I'm game. What do you have in mind?"

"I got you a special something for our anniversary." She smiled. She sat up and rummaged around her bag to take out a small box wrapped in blue wrapping paper.

"No way! Wise girl you didn't have to."

"I wanted to."

He rubbed the back of his head. "I also got you something." From his pocket he took out a small box wrapped in gray wrapping paper.

"Aww that's so sweet of you."

"It was no big deal, just wanted to show you how much you mean to me." They handed each other the packages and unwrapped them. They opened the boxes to view the necklaces that were nestled inside.

"Annabeth, this is…" he trailed off.

"Percy, this is…" she trailed off as well. They looked at each and laughed.

"Gods, we're ridiculous." He commented.

"Guess that's what happens when you're on too many quests."

They helped each other put on the necklaces. Annabeth placed her hand on Percy's chest where the owl was hanging from his neck. "I wanted this to symbolize the end of the rivalry between our parents. Like how you said back in Athens." She admired the seashell. "I'm guessing you had the same idea."

"Sure, let's go with that." He quickly answered. She raised an eyebrow at him. He shrugged. "Honestly I just thought it looked nice."

"Seaweed Brain." She breathed.

"But I also did think about the rivalry and things. I guess these necklaces can represent the end of that rivalry like you said."

She stopped him from going further and kissed him deeply. He looked shocked at first but quickly returned it. Her hands stroked his hair. His hands were gently cupping her face. They broke apart a minute after.

"Gods, whenever you kiss me like that, it feels like brain is melting."

"Didn't know you had one," she teased.

"Oh, shut up." He retorted playfully.

They sat side by side, her head leaning on his shoulder. They looked out at the park to see the action. The couple whose rowboat had flipped over earlier were out of the water soaking wet but holding each other in a gentle embrace. The angry girlfriend chasing her boyfriend caught up to him and pinned him to bench where she was kissing him. There just seemed to be love in the air in the park tonight. All types of couples were out and about enjoying themselves. Even the dogs were doing… interesting things with each other in public.

"You know," Percy said. She turned to look at him. There was his troublemaker smirk on his face. "My parents won't be home tonight if you get what I mean." He moved his eyebrows up suggestively.

"We'll see Seaweed Brain, we'll see." She winked at him. He smiled back before laying back down on the blanket. She joined him shortly after. They snuggled together. All the food she had eaten made her feel drowsy. She felt her eyelids begin to droop and before she knew it, the sweet embrace of sleep had taken over.

---

Two things woke her up. The first was a sudden loud bang like a thunderstorm was raging on. The second, she felt something soft, warm, and wet stroking across her face. She groggily pried her eyes open and nearly jumped out of her skin when she came face to face with… a cow. Its beady eyes kept looking at her before it decided to lick her face again.

"Eww get away!" she exclaimed. She sat up quickly, pushing Percy to the side. She turned to look at him, his own cow had started licking his face. She was about to start shooing the cow away, but Percy started mumbling in his sleep.

"Annabeth… stop," he breathed. "I know you like the way I taste but this too much." She raised an eyebrow in disproval. What the Hades was he imagining? She guessed he was still half asleep. She was about to shove him awake but the cows had a different idea. One of the cows released a huge puff of gas which quickly filled their picnic area with an unpleasant smell.

She nearly gagged at the smell. She heard Percy sniff as well. "Geez Annabeth, what have you been eating?" he commented.

"Excuse me?!" She exclaimed. "Percy wake up!" she yelled. She shoved him and he sat up with a start.

"I'm up, I'm up!" He said. He brushed his eyes and took in the surroundings. He must have finally noticed the cows. "Holy shit, why are there cows here?"

She rolled her eyes. "Obviously it's because Hera wants to make our lives miserable."

"Whoa Bessie stop with the licking," he said when the cow tried to lick him again. He put his hands in front of himself to ward off the cows.

"Now shoo!" she yelled at the cows. The cows grumbled and started to leave, but not before they left them a present. An unpleasant and smelly present.

"Talk about romantic," Percy commented sarcastically.

Annabeth grimaced. "I swear that cow goddess can go shove it."

Percy smiled and got up to stretch. "How long have we been out?"

She took out her phone. The time read 3:23. They had been sleeping for about an hour. And in that hour some cows had wondered into their area to annoy them, and storm clouds rolled in.

"About an hour," she said. Then she raised at eyebrow at him. "I like the way you taste? What was on your mind Seaweed Brain?"

He looked at her a smirk on his face. "Your words not mine, Wise girl. That's what you said when you had my-."

"Ok, never mind," she cut him off. A blush growing on her face. She couldn't believe she said such ridiculous things when she and Percy got down to do some intimate cuddling. To be fair Percy also some ridiculous things, but he was always saying ridiculous things so it wasn't a huge surprise, like right now.

He held out his hand to help her up. They both stood on top of the hill to observe the park. It appeared that most people had left due to the incoming storm clouds.

"I guess the Knicks must have lost." He said casually.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Oh nothing." He looked around the area then back at her, his eyebrows raised suggestively. "Why don't we head home before it starts storming? That way I can get a taste of you." He said in a low husky voice.

That would have been a great suggestion if not for the fact that Sally asked her to keep him occupied until at least 4. She was having a hard time ignoring the second statement, this was not the time. She could help him pack up the stuff and then head somewhere else to kill some time, or they could stay in the park longer. She went with a combination of the two. She helped him pack up the remaining food and basket. Before they could head out she suggested they stay in the park a bit longer.

Lightning suddenly flashed and a torrent of rain started pouring on them soaking through their clothes. Her dress stuck to her skin, and she was beginning to feel cold. Percy's clothes were also soaked through, and she could see the outline of his well-toned, muscular torso through his white shirt.

The rain suddenly stopped falling on them. She looked up to see what looked like a dome around them where the water slid around the edges.

"You couldn't have done that earlier?" she complained.

He shrugged. "You look sexy when you're wet and besides it washed away the cow spit."

"Good point," she agreed. "You also look sexy when you're wet."

The rubbed the back of his neck a blush growing on his face. "Thanks." He breathed out. How he could go from making her want to do unthinkable things with him, to thinking he was adorable, she never knew.

It would still be a while before it hit 4 and another idea came into mind. "Why don't we… you know dance? Dance in the rain?" she suggested.

He looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you serious? You know how I am at dancing."

She snorted. "Well, you are pretty bad, but maybe you're better now. I'll help you out."

"Whatever you say." She motioned for him to get closer. She guided him on where to put his hands. She put one of her hands on his shoulder and with the other she grabbed one of his hands. He put his remaining hand on her waist.

"Just following my lead, ok?" she encouraged. "And release the water, it will be more romantic."

He nodded and the dome around them disappeared, allowing the water to enter the area and soak through them. She started humming an old waltz tune, guiding him through the movements. He was stiff and awkward at first but after a couple of minutes he was getting the hang of it. She continued humming tunes they could dance to all while the storm raged on. Honestly, she never thought she would see herself dancing in the rain. Hopefully they didn't get sick because of it.

He got bold, he placed both of his hands on her waist and lifted her up into the air, then spun her around as she placed her hands on his shoulders for balance. He set her down a second later and spun her again in an impromptu dance move. She was shocked at first, but then butterflies fluttered in her stomach when she saw his bright smile and eyes.

She laid her head comfortably on his shoulder as they continued to dance through the rain. Even though the water was cold, and she was dripping, she felt warm and comfortable being by his side. They continued dancing for another half hour and by this point they were soaked to the bone and shivering. She looked up, looking into his eyes. She wrapped her hands around his neck, pulled him in and kissed him. A hot searing kiss that pulled all the coldness from the rain away from her. He returned the kiss, placing his hands around her waist and pulled her in closer. They could have have stayed together like this for eternity while the cold rain poured around them. Eventually, they had to split apart when they needed air.

Percy redid the dome around them and willed himself dry. He grabbed her hand and suddenly she was dry as well.

"We should head back," he said. She took out her phone where it read 3:57. They could make it in time if they left now. They finished loading everything onto the tandem and cycled out the park. The dome around them kept them dry. She worried that the mortals would raise eyebrows at them when they noticed the two teens cycling completely dry in the torrential rain.

Percy just shrugged. "We can use the mist to look like we're wet, no biggie."

Their cycle out the park and into the streets was met with madness. The rain had caused the traffic to get worse which meant they ran into more irate drivers. That meant there were more people cussing at them which they returned the favor by cussing back at them.

Before they left the park, Annabeth texted Sally to let her know that they were on their way back home. They parked the bike outside of the apartment. They removed the baskets from the kart and made their way upstairs to the apartment. Before they entered the apartment, she could hear shuffling behind the door.

---

Percy

Percy shuffled around for his keys, finding the one that opened the front door. He could hear some shuffling and some whispering behind the door. He wondered what was up with that. The key finally clicked and he turned to doorknob to open the door.

"I'm home," he called.

Suddenly the lights turned on and there was the sound of party poppers going off. At the coffee table were blue balloons tied on the table and sofa, a blue banner read 'Happy 17th birthday Percy!' At the center of the table was a blue birthday cake with what he guessed were 17 candles. But the best sight were his friends and family that were waiting for him. His mother and Paul were there of course, but so was Tyson, Grover, Piper and Jason, Rachel, and surprisingly Nico was there as well.

He was about to speak but was tackled to the ground by Grover and Tyson. "Percy!" "Brother!" they yelled. Tyson was giving him a hug that could choke a bear.

"Ah watch the ribs Big Guy," he said.

"Big brother turns 17. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks Tyson. I'm happy to see you as well."

Tyson stopped his hug and soon Percy was standing again. He held out a fist for Grover.

"What's up G-man? All good?"

"All good Percy, just happy to see you well and alive."

"Likewise," he nodded.

He turned around to face the rest of the company. "Hey guys." He called.

Jason, Piper, Nico and Rachel, all gave him a thumbs up and motioned for him to take a seat at the table. Once seated, Sally gave him a kiss on the forehead. She let him know, how proud of him she was. She lit the candles shortly after.

"Alright everyone, you know what to do." Annabeth announced. They started singing happy birthday. He was told to make a wish before he blew the candles. He wished for these quiet and peaceful times to continue and not be dragged into another world ending quest.

"What did you wish for?" Piper asked.

"It's a secret." He smiled back. "Oh, come here guys," he announced and took them all into a group hug. Well except Nico, he didn't quite like body-to-body contact. Percy just gave him a fist bump and a smile.

His mother bought out plates for him to slice the cake and naturally he took an extra-large slice for himself. "What?" he asked. "It's my birthday."

Unfortunately, Grover and Tyson had to leave soon after. Tyson told Percy that Poseidon needed the cyclops back at the forges and Grover needed to continue his duties as the Lord of the Wild.

"Let's go out for lunch sometime, Perce. What about Veganenchiladas?" Grover asked.

"Sounds great G-man. I look forward to it." They fist bumped and hugged before he the satyr had to leave.

"Here's a gift for big brother." Tyson announced. He handed Percy a small box.

"Aww Tyson, you didn't have to."

"I think you'll like it a lot."

Percy unboxed the gift. Inside was a small blue trident. Nothing spectacular about it, but it came from Tyson so that make the gift even more special.

"Thanks Tyson, I really like it." He thanked. Tyson grabbed the demigod in another bone crushing hug.

"Dad used magic. Put it on your keys and never lose keys again." Tyson said.

"Oh, it's a like a magical keyring?" Percy asked. Tyson nodded then pat Percy on the back.

"Need to go back to forges now. Goodbye brother, take care." Again, the cyclops grabbed Percy in a bone crushing hug. Seriously the dude could hug.

Percy waved him goodbye then made his way back to the living room where the remaining group were watching a movie. He recognized it as Moana and it was one of his favorite movies.

"Hey bro," Jason called out.

"What's up Jason?"

"Piper and I got you a little something as well." They pulled Percy aside so they could give him their present.

"Dam everyone is just getting me stuff. I feel like I don't deserve it." He laughed.

"Here, we hope you like it." The son of Jupiter handed him a small pacel.

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Piper, I swear, if it's another box of condoms I'm gonna feed you to the sharks," he threatened playfully. "I've gotten way too many of those since coming home."

"That was a one-time thing, ok? And your reaction was priceless." Piper smiled widely.

Percy opened the box and there was a light blue tea shirt that said, 'you little son of a beach.'

"Just thought you'd like it," they chorused.

Percy wasn't sure if he laugh or feel offended about the pun. What were they trying to say about him and his mother?

His quietness prompted Jason to speak up. "It was Piper's idea," Jason defended.

"Hey, you're not throwing me under the bus Superman," she grimaced.

"Thanks guys," he thanked them. He pulled them into a group hug then whacked them against the head.

"Oww, what was that for?" they exclaimed.

"Don't insult my mother," Percy scolded playfully.

"See, I told you Piper; he would find it offensive."

"Huh? Then why didn't you say anything when we were paying for it?"

Piper made her way to the rest of the group which left Jason and Percy by themselves.

"I bet I'll beat you in a fight Grace." He teased.

Jason shrugged. "Maybe, if you had an ocean with you Jackson," he challenged.

"Care to test that out without the ocean? I'll go easy on you." Percy replied, playfully shoving the son of Jupiter.

"Nah, even at full strength you couldn't beat me Jackson" He shoved back.

"Oh! You wanna go Superman!?"

"Gladly Captain Salt Water!" He paused. "What would your father say when he finds out you got knocked out by your pegasus?"

"You wanna go that route huh?" Percy snarled, "That brick must have done some serious brain damage if you think you could beat me! What would your daddy say when he finds out his son was knocked out by a brick?"

They were glaring daggers at each other, and the tension could be felt in the room. Their looks softened and then they burst out laughing. This a common occurrence between the two. They would rile each other up and then break apart as if it never happened. They embraced each other in a bear hug and patted each other violently on the back.

"My dad could definitely take yours through." Percy added.

"You want to bet bro?"

"Is your lover's quarrel over?" Annabeth called from across the room. "You guys should get a room."

They put their arms around each other's shoulders and walked over to the couch where they sat next to their respective girlfriends.

"For a second I thought we would have a repeat of Kansas," Piper commented.

"Nah, Jason and I are bros. We would never fight each other." The were some quizzical looks coming from the other demigods and Rachel. "At least not the death." Percy added and winked at Jason, and he winked back. Their girlfriends just looked mildly annoyed.

"We could always go for a game of basketball instead of killing each other," Percy suggested.

"Oh gladly, Percy. What's the score now? Am I still ahead?" Jason questioned, cracking his knuckles.

"Last time I checked we were even." Percy shrugged. "I won that game back in Greece."

"Oh gods, don't mention that game," Annabeth grumbled.

Percy looked at her questioningly. "Why not?"

"You guys seriously didn't notice the crowd you guys attracted during that game? It was infuriating," Piper deadpanned.

Now that Percy thought about it, they had drawn a large crowd during that game on the beach. A group of girls had gathered around him and Jason as they played. Leo was running around trying to get the girls' attention but was told to shove off.

"The things those girls said they wanted to do with you guys, it was embarrassing," Annabeth said.

"Like what things Annabeth?" Jason asked.

"There are children present," Piper blushed. She pointed at Nico who wasn't even paying attention and was watching the movie. Rachel just looked amused.

Jason and Piper bid them farewell near the end of Moana where they were fighting the lava lady which only left, Percy, Annabeth, Nico, Rachel and Sally and Paul in the apartment.

"I also need to leave soon you guys," Rachel said. She stood up then bought a small paint frame from behind. "Here Percy, this is for you," she said.

Percy smiled and took the frame. He flipped it over and it was a blue cubist portrait of himself. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Rachel, "is this what I look like to everyone?"

Rachel chuckled. "No, but I was testing out a new style and came up with that. Hope you like it."

Percy set the painting on the coffee table and hugged Rachel. "Thanks Rachel, I love it. Take care alright."

"I should be saying that to you," she responded. They split apart and Rachel waved her goodbyes leaving the apartment with Percy, Annabeth, Nico, Sally and Paul. Percy sat back at the couch to inspect Rachel's painting.

Annabeth sat to his side also inspecting the painting. "I think she really captured your essence," Annabeth smirked.

"Yeah, in tons of cubes and weird shapes, but it's nice. I'll have to hang it somewhere," he commented. He placed it down the table and put an arm around Annabeth.

"Percy," he heard the son of Hades say. "I also bought you something for your birthday. Well, something for you and Annabeth." Nico looked slightly uneasy. He rubbed his arm up and down with his other hand.

"Oh sweet, but you didn't have to." Percy said.

"I know, but I bought something cool. I just hope you're not mad at me after the whole confession thing."

Percy looked confused. "Oh that. Nah don't worry man. I was just confused. This whole time I thought you hated me."

"Well, I hated you after… Bianca, but then you know feelings got complicated and things got confusing, and I don't know."

"You don't have to explain yourself me Nico, I'm not mad at you or anything. If anything, I was angry that you pretended you didn't know me when I was in New Rome. Honestly, if those giants didn't trap you in that jar, I would have tracked you down and kicked your ass."

Nico shuddered. "Yeah, I couldn't really help that. I had a mission and sorry about that." Nico said. "Well, here's the present." He handed Percy and Annabeth a parcel. They unwrapped it and there two t-shirts. There was a blue one and gray one. They both had a Mythomagic card in the center, a dice and flaming black swords on the side. The letters spelled out 'Tartarus Club.' Nico unzipped his jacket to reveal that he was wearing a black Tartarus club t-shirt as well.

"This is sweet Nico. Thank you." Percy thanked him.

"This is so nice of you Nico." Annabeth thanked him as well.

"Yeah, well listen you two. Tartarus club is a serious commitment. A commitment for life. Are you ready to make difficult choices for the good of the party?" Nico said all serious. They weren't sure if he was being serious or joking.

"What does the club entail?" Annabeth asked.

"Not much," Nico shrugged. "We play games and help each other out. That's kinda it."

"You made it sound we were joining some sort of cult. Take us out to dinner at least before you have us join a cult." Percy quipped.

"Percy!" Annabeth chided and elbowed him.

"What? He really made it sound like that."

Nico laughed lightly. "Yeah, sorry got caught up in the moment." He stood up to leave. "I'll see you guys around. Happy birthday."

"Nico before you go." Percy stood up. "I know you don't like hugs and stuff, but I want to give you one. That ok?"

Nico paused and looked a bit uneasy for a bit. He nodded and Percy embraced him in a tight hug. Nico's arms wrapped around the son of Poseidon's back. They broke apart a moment later.

Nico smiled. "I'll see you guys around, ok?"

"Let us know when the club meets," Annabeth said. Nico nodded and then left.

"Well now that everyone else is gone, I think it's our turn to give the presents." Paul said.

"You guys too?" Percy looked embarrassed.

"Yeah honey, we got you a little something. Something that will hopefully be helpful." Sally said. She went into the bedroom and came out with a small box wrapped in blue paper.

"You guys didn't have to," he sighed.

"Yeah, we know, but you're our little boy and we thought it would help you out." Sally handed the box to Percy. Percy reluctantly took it and opened it up. His eyes widened when he saw what was inside. His parents had gotten him a phone. Not the latest model but a recent one, maybe a year or two old. It was light blue of course, his favorite color. His mouth gaped at the gift.

"We know it's dangerous for demigods and phones, but Annabeth was telling us about this chip some of the campers made that conceals most signals made by phones." Sally assured him.

Percy looked over at Annabeth. "The Hecate and Hephaestus cabin developed phone chips that conceal most signals. It's worked well so far at not attracting monsters." She rummaged through her pockets and handed him a small phone chip. "Why don't you test it out?"

Percy took the chip and opened the box. He took the phone out of the box and inserted the chip. When the phone turned on, it asked him to set it up which took quite a bit of time but afterwards it was up and running. He looked through the contacts and saw that the contacts were already preprogrammed. The usual numbers were there, Mom, Paul, Annabeth, Chiron. There were also the numbers of the other campers. Rachel, Piper, Jason, Katie, Lou Ellen, Nyssa, Clarisse, the Stolls and pretty much almost everyone else at Camp Half-Blood.

"Whoa! You guys this is great!" he exclaimed. He pulled all three of them into a hug.

"Now you be careful with it. It was a bit expensive," Paul warned.

---

Percy's parents were getting ready to go out. "They're going to the Celine Dion concert," Percy mentioned when Annabeth asked him.

Annabeth had given her presents to Percy about a half hour ago. He looked bashful when he took them but thanked her for them. He commented that he liked the shoes but his expression when he opened the panda pillow pet was so wholesome.

"Perry! I can't believe it. That Octavian killed you in front me in cold blood." Percy hugged the pillow pet. "I wanted to choke him right then and there." He hugged the pillow pet for a while longer before going to his room and placing him on his bed. He went back to the living room where Annabeth was waiting for him on the couch. He smiled at her, "you're awesome Wise Girl, I hope you know that." He wouldn't stop gushing about how awesome Annabeth was as he embraced her in bone crushing hug.

Annabeth hugged him back although she was struggling slightly to breathe from the hug. "Happy birthday Percy." She said sweetly. She gave him another deep kiss.

Sally ran out of the room along with Paul. "Come on Paul we're going to be late." She scolded.

"Go to the car, I'll meet you there Sally," he said from the other room.

Sally was rummaging through her purse. It looked like she was going through mental checklist. She nodded and then looked at the pair. Paul had just exited the room and was standing next to her. "All right, we are off you two." She began. "We won't be back until later. There's food in the kitchen if you're hungry."

They both nodded. The parent pair was about to head out, but Sally stopped. She turned around to face them. "Be responsible you two," she warned slyly. Their faces were suddenly bright red. The mother didn't need to say anything else; they knew what she meant. The parent pair closed the door behind them. They waited another ten minutes in case the parents came back.

"Welp they're gone," Percy announced. They were sitting together on the couch leaning against each other. "They probably won't be back for a bit." His tone was suggestive.

"Indeed." She replied.

It was unclear who moved first, but they embraced each other and started making out. Before long they were passionately making out. Annabeth had Percy pinned on the couch as she kissed him furiously. Running kisses from his neck to his jawline and to his lips. They only separated when they were both gasping for breath. She stood up and grabbed his hand to pull him up. Once he was up, he lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He pushed her gently against the wall and continued making out intensely. She ran a hand through his face and his chest starting to unbutton his shirt while be reached behind her back; lowering the zipper on her dress.

They broke apart, breathing heavily. "Percy… bed, now," she breathed against his ear.

"I love your ideas Wise Girl." He managed to breathe out.

They stumbled through the hallway and into his bedroom where Percy kicked the door closed behind him.

Percy placed her on the bed; his shirt half unbuttoned. Annabeth noticed she wasn't looking at her but looking at Perry. He smiled and took Perry off the bed placing him on his desk and flipped him around so that the pillow pet was facing the wall.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows.

"Perry doesn't need to see what's going to happen tonight," Percy laughed. He bought his full attention to Annabeth and looked at her enticingly. He approached the bed, "now where were we?"

Annabeth wrapped her hands behind his neck and started kissing him again once he got close enough. Soon, they were all over each other, removing layer after layer of clothing until nothing separated them. She got goosebumps whenever his fingers touched her bare skin, and she dug her nails onto his back as they proceeded. She put her hands over his former Achilles spot to draw him towards herself. Whenever she touched the spot, his breath hitched, and he looked at her with more desire in his eyes.

"I'll never leave you Annabeth," Percy managed through his heavy breathing. "I can't imagine doing this with anyone else." He was on top of her with Annabeth's legs wrapped around his hips.

She cupped his face, herself also gasping for breath. "I know you won't Percy and I can't imagine doing this anyone that's not you." She kissed him deeply and fiercely. She took her hands away from his face and placed them over his former Achilles spot pushing him inside her, leaving absolutely no space in between them. She gasped and gripped the bedsheets once he was completely inside her. "Percy…you're so big. You drive me crazy." She gasped as she took him in.

Percy let out a loud grunt in the process. He leaned forward, face close to her ear. He whispered in a low husky voice. "You're so tight. It just sucks me right in." He followed this by tracing kisses all along her neck, lips, and lower into her breasts while he continued thrusting into her.

Several sounds were heard from that room that night such as grunting, moaning, heavy breathing, skin on skin contact and the bed slamming against the wall.

They continued for many more minutes, Percy feeling her tight embrace around him. She suddenly tensed around him and yelled out his name and was left gasping for breath and twitching. He knew he wasn't far behind, the pressure in his abdomen had been building and he wouldn't last much longer. He looked down at Annabeth, she looked utterly ravishing, like a goddess come to life. He leaned down next to her ear, panting and whispered, "Annabeth I'm close."

Her hands wrapped around his back, her nails digging into his back. "Inside, do it inside," she breathed.

With one hard push, he released himself into Annabeth's grasp, feeling himself and her become one. He rode out his pleasure, sensing her tense beneath him. He collapsed on top of her once it had passed, careful not to crush her. He pulled out of her, laying next to her on the bed; their bodies glistening with sweat and gasping for breath. Percy removed his condom and threw it into the waste basket. Annabeth moved to lay on his chest, tracing patterns on it with her fingers. One of his arms wrapped around her.

"That was great," Annabeth breathed.

"Wasn't it? I think we're really getting the hang of it." Percy kissed the top of her head.

Annabeth laughed. "Remember our first time? We had no clue what we were doing."

"But we figured it out didn't we? Like we always do."

Annabeth smiled and kissed his neck. "You rocked my world."

Percy kissed the top of her head again and smirked. "They call my dad the Earthshaker for a reason. Looks like I inherited that as well."

"Percy!" Annabeth groaned.

"What? I'm just kidding around." He wrapped his other arm around her and rubbed a hand against her back. "I love you Annabeth."

"You too Percy." She said as she laid her head on his chest, using it as a pillow.

They laid in the silence, Annabeth tracing patterns on Percy's bare chest while Percy played with her hair.

"Perhaps we should get dressed," Annabeth suggested.

Percy gave her a long kiss on the head. "I think I have a better idea," he whispered. He slowly untangled himself from her and stood up. He looked back at her, admiring her in her naked glory. He went to his drawers, buck naked, and pulled out some clothes. He tossed Annabeth a t-shirt and pair a shorts, the pulled out a shirt and shorts for himself. He pointed behind him with his thumb. "I'm going to take a shower. Do you want to join me?"

Annabeth sat up quickly and got to her feet. "Gods yes."

He smirked at her. "Couldn't resist Wise Girl?"

She approached him and gave a long, tender kiss on the neck. His breath hitched and then she released him a grin on her face. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and together they went into the shower.

They left the shower half an hour later dressed in their sleeping clothes. Percy picked up the clothes that had been strewn all across the floor, then threw them into the hamper. They laid together on the bed. Percy had an arm around Annabeth, playing with her hair while his other arm was behind his head. Annabeth was using his chest as a pillow, listening the rhythm of his heartbeat.

Percy gave her one last kiss on top of her head. "Good night Annabeth," he said, then turned off the lights.

"Good night, Percy," she smiled. They let the sweet embrace of sleep take over them.

---

AN: That's the most you're gonna get from me for now. I tried writing 'smutier' content, but it just didn't flow right. Maybe future chapters I'll be more descriptive once I can get a flow going, but this story isn't a smut heavy story so don't expect too much. So... this chapter was originally 6k words, but as you can see, I got carried away. I just kept getting more and more ideas to add. This will also probably be the longest chapter in this fic unless I come up with something else that can be longer.

As always thanks for reading! Really gonna need ideas. I'm starting to run low. I've planned up to chapter 12, but I'm stuck O.o. Help! Lol.

Next chapter we get to meet some of Percy's swim teammates and will be out in two weeks.