Of her own volition and free will, she decides to go on a walk later that afternoon. And if that walk happens to go by the park, it's because she wants to see the pretty fall colors on the trees.

And that's exactly what her eyes are searching for when her path happens to curve towards the skate park (crazy how that is) and land upon a certain someone.

His hair is tucked into a beanie that matches his hoodie, and while she would say it's a little too cold for just a hoodie, he's pulling off the look.

He's skating up a big ramp thing and hurtling himself so high that she can't stop her gasp.

But then he lands upright and unharmed and she lets out a breath. God, why did he have to be so reckless?

And as she's pursuing the lost cause of sorting out her feelings, he notices her, skating right up before she can pretend to be walking by.

"Fancy seeing you here," he says, jumping off his board a second before he would collide into her.

It doesn't stop her from jumping back with a squeak, which of course just causes him to laugh. Why did she think the walk was a good idea again?

"I'm on a walk," she retorts, trying to straighten herself with more dignity than the squeak had shown.

"Sure," he replies, his eyes sweeping over her in a way that makes her heart flutter. "In the cold…"

"I wanted to see the fall colors," she asserts.

Percy raises an eyebrow, clearly seeing through her thinly veiled excuse. "Right…"

She crosses her arms and huffs, hoping he'll attribute the flush on her cheeks to the cold. "Not everything is about you, you know."

He steps even closer to her, eyes flitting to her lips. "But could it be though?"

She'll say it was her surprise that prevented her from seeing the kiss coming, but she has no excuse for the way her lips respond immediately to his.

"Couldn't stay away, huh?" He teases lightly when they break apart. His hands are still cupping her face and she can't help but lean into it. Why is this so easy?

They should probably talk about it, probably figure out what's going on. There's so much that can get messed up and so much that has already done so.

But they're still here, as if it's the easiest place to be in the world. It should feel fragile, but in this second, there is so much comfort to how he's looking at her now.

"It's okay," he continues when she doesn't respond. "I couldn't either."

And then he's pulling her into another kiss.

This time her hands wind up in his hair and they are probably seconds away from deepening it when she hears a loud whistle to their left.

Immediately, she backs away, face coloring in embarrassment as she realizes a few people had been looking and teasing.

"Percy," she whispers, pushing him back lightly when he tries to nuzzle closer. "There's people here."

"Screw em'," he mumbles, pressing a kiss to her jaw. "C'mere."

And god does that sound so tempting. It takes every ounce of her willpower to push him away. The pout he sends her when he finally does listen to her makes her want to pull him back again and kiss it off his face.

So she looks down to stop herself and repeats, "they're watching us."

Percy frowns and turns to the few other skates that are laughing at them. "Fuck off creeps!" he shouts. "Go get your own girl!"

The laughs are louder after that and her face is officially burning now. Not just from Percy's callout, but did he just imply—

"Now, where were we?" he asks, turning back to her with a grin.

"No, Percy!" She can't stop her own nervous giggles as she pushes him away.

"Ugh," he frowns again and she's worried for a second that it's aimed at her. But then he turns towards the others. "You guys fucking suck!"

He puts down his board and hops back on. "Watch how it's done sweetheart," he yells as he skates off, once again headed towards the ramp.

Annabeth has never really been into skateboarding but Percy has a way of making it look like the most attractive thing ever. And the most dangerous, she can't stop her anxiety every time he's about to do some crazy trick.

"Percy!" she calls to him after a particularly difficult looking one.

"Yes princess?" he asks, as he skates over.

She barely has time to process the lack of mockery from his tone as he said that before he's standing in front of her again.

"I…uh…" she doesn't really know how to phrase her fear of him getting hurt. "I, um, should go…" It's not at all what she means but the alternative is stuttering over her words.

Immediately, Percy's smile melts off. "What? Why? You don't like my tricks?"

"No, um, I do…" she hesitates, unsure of how she's going to get herself out of this one.

"What is it?" he asks, surveying her much more closely than she would like.

"They're dangerous," she eventually spits out. "I mean you're great but I just…"

How can she put any of this into words.

Luckily, she doesn't have to because Percy's face breaks out into a huge grin. "Aww, you care!"

"I don—" she cuts herself off from her default reaction cause it's not true. She does care.

"Just do whatever," she mumbles to the ground. "I'm going."

And with that she stalks off, unable to handle her own embarrassment. Stupid fall colors that she definitely went on a walk to see.

"Aww, princess!" He calls after her. A second later, Percy's by her side again.

"Okay fine, I'll stop for now," he relents with a smile.

She turns to him, surprised at his answer. "What?"

He chuckles. "You're cute when you're worried."

And there it is again. That softness in his face, the sincerity in his eyes, it's making her heart race in a way she can't describe. It's almost easier when he's just looking at her like he wants to make it out.

Because this softness is far more dangerous than the fuck-me eyes.

"Come on," he says, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Hop on." He sets his board on the ground and gestures for her to get on.

"No but—"

He cuts her off. "I won't let you fall," he assures, grabbing her hand. "Try it."

Tentatively, she gets on like she did the first time. Her heart is racing from well…everything…and as a result, she's more unstable than last time.

His other hand comes to rest on her lower back, stabilizing her. "I got you," he says as she tentatively pushes forward.

And it's hard not to hear those words as a promise.

A promise she knows she really shouldn't believe in.

-.-

School brings everything she's been putting aside back to the forefront. Piper and Thalia corner her at her locker.

"You've had your time," Piper starts. "Now spill what the fuck is going on with you and Percy!"

"What, nothing—"

"Oh come on," Thalia says, staring at her. "We were all there, don't try to deny it."

She sighs. "I don't know, I mean it's kinda the same as before."

"You guys kissed."

"Okay fine," she shrugs, "like before except now we kiss."

"Annabeth," Piper's voice is serious. "Are you, I mean, when I said we need to play him…"

Right. The game. The thing she has pretty much forgotten about.

"I know. It's…"

"Do you like him?" Thalia cuts in, getting straight to the point.

She doesn't know how to answer that. Doesn't really know what she wants the answer to even be. But her silence speaks volumes apparently because Piper gasps.

"Oh Annabeth."

"I don't like this," Thalia says with a frown. "I don't trust him."

"I'm not saying I do," Annabeth attempts to explain, "it's just…complicated. Listen. I don't know what's going on, I'll figure it out though. And I'm fine, I promise."

Piper nods. "Okay, fine, just…be careful."

She's so far past careful at this point. Getting on the metaphorical (and physical) skateboard of Percy is like a constant rush of his touch, his lips, his smile, everything.

"I will be," is what she says instead.

"Hey Princess!"

And there goes all sense of carefulness.

"Percy," she responds as cordially as she can.

"What's this about a meeting?" he's looking at his phone. "I thought homecoming was done."

"It's a wrap up meeting," she explains, using his moment of distraction to take in his long-sleeved shirt that he's pushes back enough to show his forearms.

"Is it going to be long?" he asks, finally looking at her. She doesn't miss the way his eyes sweep over her and the v-neck sweater that she just happened to find in her closet this morning.

"Why?" she asks, unable to stop the teasing tilt of her voice. "Got somewhere to be?"

He raises an eyebrow at her tone, his lip curling up into a smirk. "Got a date with the skatepark."

"But you were there yesterday." She hates that there's just a tiny sliver of whine behind those words and of course Percy picks up on it. It's also the moment where she realizes that Piper and Thalia are still here to watch this go down.

His smirk grows. "But you cut me off yesterday."

She can feel Piper's stare on her and somehow manages to maintain eye contact with Percy.

"You made that decision," she counters.

"Only because you're cute when you're stumbling over words."

Well fuck.

She can't look at her friends now. She needs to turn this situation around.

"Then…can you…" she pauses looking up at him with wide eyes. "…hang out with me today instead."

"Fine." His reply is rushed, no bite or teasing left to his words as he's clearly too caught up in the doe eyes she's giving him.

"Great," she smiles. "See you later!"

And with that she turns around and walks away, Thalia snickering by her side as Piper rolls her eyes.

"Never mind," Piper says, looking back to where Percy's left standing with some confusion on his face. "I take it back. Men are dumb."

-.-

The meeting, true to her word, doesn't last long at all. Mr. Brunner asks them to stay back only for a few moments as everyone leaves.

"Great job Annabeth," he says when they stop in front of his desk. "And good job Percy, your detention is official over."

"Thank you," she replies with a smile and Percy nods behind her.

As they shuffle out the classroom, Percy nudges her arm. "So, what do you want to do?"

She turns to him, surprised at the question.

"Oh, I didn't…I mean you can go to the skatepark if you want," she says.

They might have this…whatever this thing is, but she doesn't want to be the kind of person that stops him from doing other stuff.

Percy, however, doesn't seem to understand that. He just rolls his eyes and looks away. "Just tell me you don't want to hang out."

There's annoyance and an undercurrent of…worry? In his tone.

"It's not that!" she says, reaching out to grab his hand, suddenly feeling the need to explain herself. "I just didn't want to…stop you from skateboarding."

He looks at her, annoyance now gone, replaced with a curious look.

"I'm down to hang out," she adds quickly, maybe she should have just started with that from the get-go.

Percy's face breaks out into a half-smile.

"We could go get food?"

"Yeah, that sounds good." She responds, wondering where this nervous energy is coming from.

"Or," he continues, pausing to look at her.

"What?"

He crowds even closer to her, a hand coming to rest on her back. "Or we go to the backseat instead."

She pushes him away, face turning red and thoughts going nowhere good.

"How about fries?"

He pouts for a second, but his smile is back and things feel normal again.

She leads them out the front doors and the moment they step outside the school, he steps even closer to her. She's not sure if it's the cold or what but she certainly doesn't mind.

"You never said if you wanted fries," she says as they get into her car.

"Always baby," he jokes with a smile, and she totally doesn't pretend the nickname applies to her in sincerity instead of as a throwaway line.

"What else do you always want to eat?" She asks instead.

"Cookies, but…" he trails off and she turns to see him looking curiously at her.

"Why are you asking?"

She rolls her eyes. "So I know what to bribe you with in the future," she says, pulling into the drive through of a local burger place.

"If you're trying to bribe me," he says, leaning closer to read the menu. "You don't need food, you're enough."

And with that he turns to look at her, eyes purposefully sweeping down then back up.

She really shouldn't be driving. She doesn't even register that she's pulled up to the mic until a voice is asking her what she wants.

Percy leans across the console, resting a hand on her thigh and orders two large fries for her.

"What's wrong princess?" he asks with a smug smile when he leans back, hand still on her thigh.

She wants desperately to have some comeback, some way to one up him, but her mind has been blank ever since he said those words.

It's one of those dangerous moments. Where she falls into his words more than she should. Because it isn't sexy, it's just comfort. When he looks at her and makes her feel good, makes her feel something more than sexy, just, wanted.

"Nothing," she mumbles, trying to shake her head out of the daze, hands absently going to her wallet.

But Percy's reaching over with his card before she can which helps her snap out of it.

"Percy!" She says as he leans back, having paid.

"What?"

She shoots him a look that clearly spells out that he knows exactly what.

He just grins. "If you want to pay me back," he starts slowly. "A kiss would be a start."

She doesn't know why that, which must be the most innocent thing Percy has ever said to her, makes her blush. God she's so flustered.

The attendant hands her the bag and she thanks her before passing it to Percy to continue driving.

"Hell yeah, it's a fresh batch," Percy says, already digging in as she pulls onto the road.

She doesn't respond, too focused on the road and the kiss she hasn't given him yet.

"Here." And suddenly there's a fry in front of her mouth. Turning, she sees Percy holding it out for her, since she's driving.

"They're gonna get cold," he presses. Tentatively, she takes the fry into her mouth, still driving.

"They are good," she accepts. "Thanks."

He just holds out a few more for her. It's so…sweet, domestic, cute, a range of words flood her brain and she's not sure what caused this change in behavior in him.

Not that she's complaining.

She pulls into the skatepark because she wasn't sure where else to go and she's made it through a quarter of her fries while Percy has inhaled his.

They get out but before he can start making his way towards the skatepark, she pulls him towards the other side, to the trail she had been walking on the day before.

"Where are we going?" He asks, letting himself be led along.

"You just ate, you shouldn't skate yet."

He chuckles at her insistence. "Just say you want me to yourself," he teases.

And boy have those words never been more true. She's been wanting a lot more of Percy, but it's grown beyond just his lips, especially after how he's treated her today.

"Yes," she deadpans. "I want you all to myself. I need you." She says the last three words with little bit more of a dramatic flair, but Percy's smile disappears.

"Don't joke like that," he says, seriously.

The sudden shift is stark, and she's not quite sure what to make of it. All she can do is double down. Squeezing his hand, she picks up her pace. "Who said I was joking," she teases lightly, hoping to bring back the smile.

That nervousness is back, but he doesn't stop her from pulling him along. It occurs to her that maybe this is the awkwardness that should have been there from the start, from before she kissed him.

It also occurs to her that maybe the nervousness means something more, something she's only just coming around to wanting with him.

Shooting him a side glance she watches as he looks around, clearly not as familiar with this side of the park. His hand is still in hers and it doesn't take long for him to notice her looking.

As soon as he meets her glance, her instinct is to turn away, but something in his eyes freezes her. It's becoming more of a commonality lately, she finds herself unable to look away.

"Whatchya looking at Princess?" he asks, mouth twisting into a half-smirk. The kind that always used to piss her off. It still does, just slightly.

Enough for her to do something about it anyway.

So she reaches up and kisses it off his face.

It's also clear that she's surprised him, by the way he doesn't do anything for a solid two seconds, but then his arms are coming up to wrap around her and she tangles her fingers in his hair and pulls him even closer.

A small grunt escapes him as she does so, and she has to stop herself from smiling into the kiss.

Just as he's about to try to deepen it further she pulls away, a need for air mostly heading the movement.

She makes sure to get her breath back before she speaks. "Hope that was enough to pay you back."

And even though all she wants is to continue kissing him, she forces herself to keep walking ahead, leaving him standing there shocked.

Thankfully, he catches up to her in less than five seconds, grabbing her hand and spinning her around to face him again. She lets herself melt into him.

"Not quite," he murmurs, leaning closer. "You missed tax."

Any hope of a witty remark is lost as her lips meet his again.

A/N: The plot thickens, much like the chemistry between Percy and Annabeth :) Hope you guys are liking it so far!

This one is a bit longer, saw your feedback in the comments from last time and just want to say I really appreciate your support of this story! Tune in Nov. 22 for the next update!

Please Review! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for reading!