Finally finished this after a gruellingly long while. Hope this delivers.

Cool hands folded over her eyes and she instinctively grabbed them, throwing her weight forward and flipping the assailant onto his back. Percy hit the floor with an audible thump. He groaned, turning on his side.

"Hello to you too."

Annabeth bit her lip, trying to hold in her laughter. "I told you so many times before; I hate surprises. When are you going to actually listen?"

"I didn't think you hated them that much." Percy got to his feet, stretching his back. Annabeth pulled him into an amending hug, still a breath away from a laughing fit. Percy had grown quite a bit taller and undoubtedly fitter in the time he'd been away at the Roman camp, so now she had to stretch up slightly onto her tiptoes to hug him; very annoying.

Percy smiled to himself though, knowing how much she hated hugging him on even ground. She stepped out of his arms.

"So, what's with all this surprising business?"

A playful twinkle entered his eyes. "You'll see," he winked. "You'll see." He took her hand and pulled her toward his car—or rather, Paul's Prius—and opened the car door chivalrously.

Annabeth looked at him weird, but got in and shut her own door firmly, not a fan of having things done for her. Percy slid into the seat beside her and started the car. He revved the engine, and they were off. Boys and cars.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise; I'm not meant to tell you—" Percy jerked the wheel to the right, throwing Annabeth against the window before righting the car again, much to the satisfaction of the angry drivers horning away. "Sorry," he shrugged sheepishly. "A motorcyclist was in the way."

Annabeth glared at him, gripping her seat like her life depended on it—it quite possibly could.

"Yeah, forget about the passenger, just avoid the motorcyclist," she muttered under her breath, and then louder, "This surprise better not kill me."

Percy grinned. "You've faced the evil Titan lord, and survived Tartarus with me. A little surprise isn't going to kill you." He waved a hand nonchalantly as if he were just commenting on how nice she looked today.

"Brake, Percy!"

He slammed on the brakes, stopping barely an inch from the car in front.

"Surprise isn't going to kill me, but you certainly will if you keep driving like this."

For a moment, Annabeth was infinitely grateful that the red light was glaring them in the face, providing a much needed break from Percy's phenomenal driving. But like all good things, it didn't last, and soon they were driving at scary speeds again with Percy obliviously whistling an upbeat Taylor Swift tune.

Annabeth grasped the overhead handle until her knuckles turned white, and looked out the window, trying to hold in her breakfast and figure out where they were headed. Percy slowed slightly and they drove down 82th street, the looming building that was the Metropolitan Museum staring them down.

"The Met? You hate this place." Annabeth raised her eyebrows. Percy killed the engine and climbed out of the car, only a smile to hint what he was thinking. Here we go, Annabeth thought.

She joined him a moment later, slipping her hand into his. He led her up the great stone steps and through the entrance. They paused in the lobby before Percy turned to her and smiled that Percy smile. His cheeks were an adorable light pink.

"Happy birthday, Wise Girl,"

Wait…it was her birthday today? Her eyes widened slightly. It seemed that in the busy drabbles of university, her birthday hadn't even crossed her mind, but yet somehow Percy had remembered. That Seaweed Brain wasn't that oblivious after all; Annabeth took his face in her hands and kissed him long and deep.

She smiled up at her boyfriend, who was still dumbstruck from the kiss. "Thank you, Seaweed Brain." She whispered.

"Uh, hmm," Percy was clearly still on cloud nine. "Aha."

Annabeth laughed and took his hand, pulling them both further into the great building.

Percy dragged his feet as he walked, a consistent scuffle against the wooden floor, trying his best not to yawn or just fall asleep on the spot. They had passed by countless statues and old artefacts whose labels made him queasy; the text swimming around because of his dyslexia.

He had no idea how Annabeth was still hanging in there. Maybe it was a child of Athena thing, he speculated.

"Annabeth, it's been three and a half hours."

"Just a while more…" she said absentmindedly, her eyes eagerly taking in yet another statue.

"Ookay then; d'you mind if I go sit down for a bit?"

"What, are your bones already getting old? You're only eighteen."

Percy opened his mouth to shoot back a witty remark, but found himself too tired to do that, so he settled with, "I choose not to answer that." Awesome comeback, Percy, he thought, already half asleep.

Annabeth caught a glimpse of a yawn that he had failed to smother and rolled her eyes, smiling. "Go ahead, I'll find you in an hour or so."

Percy could hardly contain his relief before slipping around the corner to find a nice bench or something to sleep on.

"Mm, soft bench," he murmured as he lay down and fell fast asleep.

He woke to the sound of laughter. Percy sat up too fast, slamming his forehead into someone else's. A girl yelped with pain.

"Ahh," Percy moaned, clutching his forehead. A pretty brunette was rubbing her forehead, a pained expression on her face.

"Sir," she began crossly. "This is an artefact, not a bed."

Percy looked at her, clueless.

"There's a sign there that says: Do not touch." She sighed and elaborated. "And that definitely means don't sleep on it?"

"Oh…ohhh!" Percy blushed. "I'm so sorry." He hurriedly stumbled off the bench, much to the amusement of other passing museum goers. The brunette stifled a giggle herself and seemed to linger awkwardly before scampering away, back to her co-workers who were laughing their heads off. Percy only felt his cheeks burn more as Annabeth appeared. She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

"I fell asleep on an artefact." Percy mumbled, barely audible.

"What?"

Percy repeated the sentence, louder this time, and she cracked up.

"Oh my gods, Percy."

He reddened. "I thought the sign read Donut to Choo. What was I supposed to do?" That only made her laugh harder, tears working their way down her cheeks. Percy spotted the pretty brunette shooting strange looks at Annabeth and grinned slyly, determined not to be fully humiliated.

"That pretty girl was the one who woke me up." He stated as a matter-of-factly.

Annabeth subdued her laughter and stood straight again, wiping her cheeks free of tears. "What girl?"

Percy jerked his head toward the brunette who was chattering away with her friends.

"Percy… a head jerk isn't going to indicate anything. There are five girls over there."

"Oh, I don't know. It could've been any of those five… maybe even two."

Annabeth glared at him, jealousy welling up inside her. Percy broke when he saw her face and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"I'm just messing with you."

She smacked his shoulder, but couldn't help smiling at Percy's odd methods of getting her to stop laughing.

"Now we go to my favorite place." He announced happily.

Annabeth shook her head, "And I thought it was my birthday."

"Oh, don't worry; you'll love it. I promise." He held out his hand like a prince would to a princess.

The sound of waves greeted their ears as the blue Prius rolled into the sand swept parking lot, windows down and stereo a-blasting. Annabeth surveyed the sea brazen scene.

"Your favorite place indeed," she commented, yelling over the thumping bass.

Percy shot her a knowing grin, turned off the music and hopped out of the car. He rummaged around for something in the boot. Annabeth stepped out of the car, stretching her legs and breathing in the salty tang of sea air.

Percy was already strolling across the long stretch of hot sand, a cooler in hand. He picked a spot and plunked the cooler down as if he were flagging the land as his, and spread out a green checkered blanket.

Golden grains of sand coated Annabeth's bare feet and a warm breeze ruffled her golden locks as she walked toward Percy's picnic spot. She could see why Percy loved this place so much. Annabeth plopped herself down next to him and tucked her legs in, listening to the lovely whooshing sound of the waves.

"Wow…" she breathed. The orange sun was vibrant in the late afternoon, casting its glare across the twinkling ocean. Percy scooted closer to her.

"I told you you'd love it." He mumbled in between bites of his egg sandwich. Annabeth smiled and reached across him for a sandwich. They sat together in appreciative silence, munching on sandwiches and drinking from juice boxes in the calm of the setting sun.

Three sandwiches and two juice boxes later, Percy burped, making Annabeth stare at him. He shrugged and put his hands on her shoulders.

"What are you doing?"

"OK. Here goes…" he reaches into the cooler and brings out a sharpened pencil, the lead gleaming with a big blue bow on the shaft. "Happy official birthday, Annabeth," he grinned.

Annabeth gaped at him, deciding whether to thank him and kiss him, or demand why he'd gotten her a pencil. She settled with the former. Percy grinned smugly as he pulled away from her, catching the tiniest twinge of surprise in her eyes when she first laid eyes on the pencil. He had gotten quite good at judging her thoughts and emotions, he thought with a smile.

"Alright, now close your eyes." Percy ordered. Annabeth stared at him suspiciously.

"You're not going to poke my eyes out with that pencil are you?"

He laughed. "Trust me." She shut her eyes. Percy carefully drew out a bracelet with an owl and a trident hanging from it with a misshapen heart in between them from his pocket. Then he pulled out red lipstick he'd snagged from his mom's make up bag.

He held her chin steady with a hand. "Keep your eyes closed, OK?" Annabeth nodded in answer. Satisfied, Percy drew an: I LOVE on one cheek and a PERCY on the other, his words all in a wonky red script. His tongue poked out one corner of his mouth as he surveyed his handiwork.

Finally, he grinned and enclosed the bracelet in his hands, so his hands were like a box around a wedding ring.

"You can open your eyes now."

Annabeth's eyelids fluttered open and Percy opened his hands, revealing the bracelet. Annabeth's lips parted involuntarily, belaying her rush of emotions.

"Oh gods," she murmured. "you stupid Seaweed Brain." She pulled him into a hug, the bracelet forgotten for the moment. Percy beamed, wrapping his arms tightly around her. He was immensely proud of himself for thinking up such an elaborate surprise plan. He drew back slightly to kiss her.

They shared what seemed like a ridiculously long kiss before pulling away from each other. Percy touched his lips to her nose before whispering in her ear, "I'm just messing with you."

He held up a mirror, letting her see her red stained cheeks, and burst into laughter. Annabeth blushed, and leaned forward to kiss him again, shutting him up.

Percy chuckled as he drew away from her and grasped her wrist. Annabeth held it still as he fastened the bracelet around her wrist in a gentlemanly fashion. He sat back and flashed a lopsided smile. She couldn't help but smile back. Leaning forward, she whispered into his ear this time,

"I love you, Percy," she shook her head, unable to get rid of her grin. "This was the best birthday present anyone could give anyone."

A happy glint twinkled deep in Percy's sea green eyes. "I know."

Any good? :P