A/N: This has taken me way too long to finish, but I think that you guys will like it anyway. All of the editing was done by me, so if you see any mistakes then understand that they are my own fault and let me know where they are so I can fix them.

Warnings: This AU is full of angst. There are some adult and mature situations along with some profanity.

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Heroes of Olympus, or anything else that you may recognize.

This monster of an AU is dedicated to MaydayParade8123. Most of it was inspired by two of her AUs that I adore (Watch Me Fall At Your Feet and Can't Cushion The Beat Of My Heart). My AU is just a cheap knock-off, but you guys definitely need to go check out all of her stories. They are all amazing and they inspire me everyday. So thank you, MaydayParade8123. I hope you like it.

Also, this is only Part One. I plan on putting up Part Two very soon.

Being Percy Jackson's best friend wasn't easy right now. Most of the time, he was easy-going and happy and fun. Most of the time he wasn't stressing out over losing something that had been really important to him. Most of the time he hadn't gone through a tremendous break-up that had rattled him down to his bones.

Percy was naturally a beautiful creature. He cared and loved so easily and without regret that sometimes he forgot that people would actually hurt you.

Sometimes Annabeth wondered how they had ended up being best friends for thirteen years. She wondered what she had hoped would happen when she had introduced Rachel to Percy. She wondered how she had put up with their relationship for this long when she had liked Percy for—

Annabeth couldn't help it though. She just needed her best friend to know that she was here and that he was okay.

Ω

Annabeth rubbed her eyes, trying to wake herself up. Having Peer Issues first period wasn't a good thing for her. She always functioned better if she had an important class early in the morning, and in Peer Issues, she usually finished a work sheet and then she fell asleep.

And it really wasn't a good thing because she didn't have any of her friends in her class. She had taken so many credits already, and they had put her in Peer Issues as an elective to keep her "busy." She was already starting college as a sophomore. She had even tried to come into school late and to cut first period from her schedule (like Percy had managed to) but the guidance counselor had put the brakes on it for her, claiming that she needed to get the high school credit and it would be great prep for college.

Which wasn't true at all. Annabeth was ready for college. She knew that she was ready, and she knew that she didn't need some stupid credit hour at eight in the goddamn morning to tell her that.

Anyway, if she had more friends in her class, then maybe she could manage to stay awake. But, no. She was stuck with the seniors that actually needed the credit to graduate. Most of her peers were the jocks and the losers that would rather take a zero than do a worksheet that would take five minutes.

Right now, Annabeth had already finished her work (they were "talking" about alcohol this week). She was trying not to fall asleep, but she had already laid her head down, closing her eyes slowly.

A few minutes later, the bell rang, and Annabeth jerked awake. She hurriedly grabbed her backpack and shuffled out of the room, knowing that Percy would be standing there right outside of the—

"Slow down, Annabeth," he murmured in her ear the second after she bumped into his chest.

She sighed, huddling against him for a few seconds, "Sorry."

Percy circled her waist with one of his arms. His other hand pressed a Styrofoam cup into her hand. Annabeth sighed again as she took a sip of the coffee.

He was smirking. From that, Annabeth thought that today might have been a good day, but his eyes were dull. "You look so relieved to see me this morning. How was Peer Issues?"

"It was awful," Annabeth said with a groan. "I thought I was going to die."

He started walking, steering her toward their next class, "You should have slept over last night. We could have gone and got breakfast, and you wouldn't have had to sit in there."

Annabeth tried not to listen to the undertone in his voice that said and I wouldn't have been there alone.

"Hmm," she hummed, taking another sip of her coffee.

Percy kept his arm around her waist until they got to their History class. He let go when they got to the door, and she walked in first. Annabeth could feel most of the class's eyes on them, but she ignored them as she sat down at her desk. Percy's hand ghosted up her arm and hesitated on her shoulder for a split second before he fell into his desk behind her.

She wanted to turn around and tell him not to worry about it, but it was too late. He had probably already shut down. He wouldn't listen to her even if they were alone.

Ω

Annabeth tried not to let her thoughts wander too much, but with Percy sitting so close to her, she was having a hard time letting the theory of invisible numbers wash over her mind. They were in the library, studying for their next mid-term, but even though she knew her average would be directly affected by this test, she couldn't make herself focus.

It didn't help that things were complicated right now. Percy and Annabeth had been best friends for thirteen years. Percy had also been dating this girl, Rachel, for the last five. According to Percy, his relationship with Rachel had been going great, but then about six months ago, Rachel had started acting weird, and about a week ago, she had broken up with him out of nowhere.

Percy had taken it really hard. Rachel had been his girlfriend for five years, and now she wasn't in any part of his life. Annabeth knew that it made Percy nervous. He didn't really know what to do anymore. It was kind of scaring her.

It had gotten bad at school too. Percy and Rachel had been together for a long time, and since the break-up, all of their friends had picked sides. Half of them were on Rachel's side. The other half were on Percy's side. It just so happened that all of the people that were on Rachel's side were doing nothing to Percy, but everything to Annabeth.

She could see how everyone thought that. Percy and Annabeth had always been close, but post-break-up Percy was clinging to Annabeth more than usual. Which was fine. Percy needed her right now, and she would be here for him until he told her to go away.

But it still didn't lessen the drama. Someone had started spreading rumors about them, and now Annabeth was the bad guy. Half of the senior class was saying that Percy had been cheating on Rachel with Annabeth the entire time they were in a relationship. The other half was laughing at how ridiculous it sounded because if either one of them cheated it would have been Rachel cheating on Percy.

It made Annabeth's blood boil. Percy was her best friend. Sure, maybe Annabeth did care about him in that way, but she never, ever, ever, ever made a move on him or even made one comment that betrayed her feelings. She always remembered that he was in a relationship. She never would have ruined that for him.

But, she could see why people were saying that Percy had been cheating. Now, Percy rarely left her side. He was always close to her, and sometimes he just looked at her with these eyes that definitely weren't meant for best friends.

Annabeth knew that she shouldn't care what everybody else was saying. If she wanted to be with Percy (and he wanted to be with her) then they shouldn't worry about it. They could be happy together. Screw what everyone else thought. She couldn't make herself say that though, so every time that Percy tried to get closer to her, she pushed away.

She could see how it hurt him. She could see the way that his eyes lost a spark when she let go of his hand. She could see the droop in his shoulders when she stepped out of his hugs.

Annabeth shook her head. Tears had sprung to her eyes, and now she realized that she was being stupid. Percy was the one that went through a break-up. Percy was the one that deserved to be upset right now, not her.

Annabeth blinked tightly and looked over to him. He was staring down at his notes, scribbling something onto the paper. His jaw was clenched, and Annabeth could see how defined his face was. Before she could stop herself, she reached out and set her hand on his cheek.

"Stop it," she said lightly, tapping her fingers against his skin.

He scowled, "Stop what?"

"Don't clench your jaw like that. You'll hurt your teeth if you don't stop," Annabeth said. "And tell me what's wrong."

Percy sighed and sent her a quick look, "It's nothing."

"It's something," Annabeth argued, removing her hand from his cheek.

"Rachel cornered me today," he said after staring at her for a few seconds.

Annabeth stiffened, "What did she say?"

"She asked me what I was doing this weekend. She told me that she missed me and that we should hang out," Percy put down his pencil and looked up to her.

"What did you tell her?" Annabeth asked cautiously. She didn't want to pass judgment yet, especially because she didn't know what he did.

Percy was quiet for a few seconds, and that's how she knew what he had told her without him saying it.

Annabeth sighed, "Percy, if you're going to do this again, I want you to remember every single time that you thought she was cheating. I want you to think of every time you showed up at my house because of something that she had done to you. I want you to consider how much pain you went through before you put yourself through it again."

"I know that, Annabeth," Percy said. His voice was short, "I just miss her. Besides, if she does something again, then that's it. For good."

Annabeth bit back the that's what you said last time to keep from hurting his feelings. She fixed her eyes on the text in her book and didn't look back up until she had finished the chapter.

Ω

She heard a short knock at the door followed by it opening and then slamming shut.

She vaulted off of her bed the next second, setting her laptop down on her desk and running for the stairs. She knew that sound. She knew what it meant. And it scared her.

Annabeth had had a terrible day at school. She felt people staring at her all day, and even though word had gotten around that Percy and Rachel were hanging out again, some people still hadn't forgotten the rumors.

But she had put up with it all day today. She had brushed off the venomous looks and the smart comments. She had even sat with Percy and Rachel at lunch. (Annabeth might not have liked Rachel that much now, but the girl wasn't too bad. They still talked sometimes, but it was short and to the point, and never about Percy. Rachel had even admitted that the rumors were made up by most of her friends and that she had tried to stop them. Annabeth wasn't sure how she felt about that yet.) Annabeth couldn't tell if Percy was happy about being back with Rachel or not. So far it had been a week, but Percy wasn't giving her any updates about it.

She didn't need one now.

Annabeth slid down the railing of the stairs and jumped to the ground, rushing to the door. Percy was leaning against it, beating his fist to the wood over and over and over.

She finally got within touching distance, and she reached out and calmly wrapped her fingers around his wrist, stopping him from hitting the door again. She used her hold on his arm to pull him around. Annabeth wasn't sure what happened next, but then Percy was huddled in her arms, his head pressed to her chest and his arms wrapped around her waist in a death grip.

She let him stay there for a few minutes while she hugged him and dragged her fingers through his hair. His breathing was heavy, but he wasn't making any other noises.

Annabeth ducked her head so she could see Percy's face, and once she noticed that there were a few tears cutting down his cheeks, she wiped them away with her fingers.

This must have been worse than what she had thought. Percy never cried. Out of the thirteen years that she had known him, she had probably seen him cry maybe twice.

"You're fine," Annabeth murmured in his ear, rocking him back and forth. "I'm right here. I'm right here."

It took him a few minutes, but after a little while of Annabeth speaking to him softly, he straightened and wiped his eyes again.

"I was on my way to my car from practice, and the whole team was walking with me. Just when I was about to get in my car, I noticed that Mark Rogers was still at school, and he was sitting in his car, kissing a girl. The guys all started laughing because that was something that he would do, but that was when I noticed who the girl was," Percy said. His eyes were dark, and Annabeth didn't like that look on his face.

"What happened next?" Annabeth asked.

Percy jerked one of his hands through his hair, "Rachel noticed me, and she got out of the car. I asked her what the hell she was doing with him, and she told me that she wouldn't have to cheat on me if I wasn't such a prude. We both started screaming at each other, and she admitted that she had been cheating on me for the past six months. With Mark Rogers."

Annabeth frowned, "Mark Rogers? Why? He's a fucking idiot."

"I know!" Percy nearly shouted. Tears were starting to gather in the corners of his eyes again. "How is he better than me? I mean, I get that she wanted to do some stuff that I didn't want to, but she could have at least told me that instead of finding somebody who would."

"She did that to you in front of all of your friends?" Annabeth asked.

"Yeah. I mean, not that it matters, but—"

"Of course it matters, Percy," Annabeth said. "There was no reason for her to say stuff like that. I hope you know that it all made her look bad. I bet all of your friends think she's a slut. I bet the entire school knows by now."

Percy frowned, "Because that makes me feel better."

She shrugged, "It can't make you feel worse."

He was quiet, and he grasped his hair in frustration. "I just feel like such a loser. Am I not good enough to date anyone without them cheating on me? Am I that bad?"

"Hey," Annabeth stepped forward and grabbed his chin with one of her hands. "You are awesome. You are literally the perfect boyfriend, but Rachel was just too fucking dumb to see it. She didn't realize that she had everything she could have ever wanted. And if she couldn't see it the first or the second time, then it's not worth trying to get her to see it anymore."

Percy met her gaze, and he blinked. The hard look in his eyes faded, and now he just looked sad. He nodded and whispered, "You're right."

"Of course I'm right," Annabeth said. She leaned up and quickly pressed a kiss to his forehead. "You're okay, and I'm here. Now, I need you to relax and come watch movies with me. Okay?"

He hesitated, and he reached out for her hand. Annabeth didn't have the heart to pull away when he tangled their fingers together.

"I think I'm just going to go home," Percy mumbled. "I don't really feel like hanging out."

She stepped closer to him, "Okay, but don't forget that I'm here."

Percy nodded and started to let go, but Annabeth threw her arms around him. She knew it was kind of stupid to do that, but if she let him leave without reminding him that she was here for him then he would close in on himself and not talk to anyone for a long time.

"Don't forget," Annabeth whispered. "I'm right here."

He nodded again and held her closer for a few seconds until he moved away. He gave her a small smile, and then he was gone.

Annabeth was left with a wooden door in her face and the humming of a car engine until even that faded away.

Ω

She jumped a little when she felt Percy's hand on top of hers.

They were going out to get something to eat then they were headed to the movies. Percy was driving, and Annabeth had been watching the trees go by. She had one of her hands sitting on the console. Percy threaded their fingers together without saying a word.

It had been two days since Percy had found Rachel cheating on him. Percy had been clinging to Annabeth's side, and Rachel had been brave enough to come up to both of them and try to apologize. Annabeth had been about to punch her in the face, but Percy had grabbed Annabeth's hand and pulled her away before she could.

Since then, Percy said that Rachel had texted him a few times, but he hadn't answered.

Annabeth didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure if she should try and get him to accept Rachel's apology or if she should keep pushing him away from Rachel. It was confusing her just because Percy looked so upset all the time now. What if he really wouldn't be happy until he got back together with Rachel?

She glanced over at him. He had one hand on the steering wheel, and he was leaned toward her in his seat. His face was expressionless, but he looked relaxed instead of worried.

"Stop looking at me like I'm a piece of glass that is about to break," Percy said, shooting her a small smile. He squeezed her fingers.

The wind ruffled Annabeth's hair, and she said, "I don't do that."

"Yes, you do," Percy said with a laugh, making Annabeth smile. "I'm fine. See? I'm not even thinking about it anymore."

She didn't say anything about today being a good day. If he wasn't thinking about it today then she wasn't going to remind him.

Annabeth smiled at him and changed the radio with the hand that he wasn't holding.

Ω

"Annabeth," Percy moaned. "Someone's at the door."

She opened her eyes and tried to wake herself up. She and Percy were on his couch, napping. School had been hard (again) and Percy had demanded that she not leave his side until he could get through a few seconds without thinking of Rachel's name. He had crawled onto the couch and buried in the covers with Annabeth until they had both fallen asleep.

Annabeth sat up and stretched, finally hearing someone knock on the door. She yawned, "Okay, I'll get it."

Percy muttered something else, but she didn't catch it because he threw the blanket over his head and fell back asleep.

She climbed off of the couch and hurried to the door. Whoever was there was still knocking at the door frantically.

"I'm coming," Annabeth muttered as she reached for the handle. She flung the door open without even bothering to ask who it was.

Her jaw dropped.

On the other side of the door, Rachel Dare was staring at her with her dull green eyes and her frizzy red hair. Her jaw was open in shock mirroring Annabeth's expression.

Back in the day, Annabeth and Rachel used to be good friends. In fact, Annabeth was the one who introduced Rachel to Percy. When the two of them had started dating, they had all been good friends. It had stayed like that for the five years that they had dated, but for the past six months, Annabeth had tried to avoid her. The last thing she needed was for Percy to feel like she was taking Rachel's side.

But why was Rachel at Percy's house?

"Annabeth?" Rachel asked. Her voice shook, but Annabeth couldn't tell if she was angry or sad.

Just then Annabeth realized that she was wearing one of Percy's shirts and a pair of Nike shorts. That probably didn't look too good either.

"Oh, hey, Rachel," Annabeth said uncomfortably. "Do you… need something?"

Rachel looked away from her, "I want to talk to Percy."

Annabeth stiffened immediately. There was no way that she was going to let that happen.

"I can't let you," she said, shifting in front of the door more so Rachel wouldn't catch a glimpse of Percy in case he had gotten up.

Rachel narrowed her eyes, "Why not?"

"Because he's hurting right now. I won't let anything else hurt him if I can help it, and right now, I can help it," Annabeth said fiercely.

"He's hurting because he's not with me," Rachel said.

"No, he's hurting because of you,"Annabeth glared at her. "Since he found out you cheated on him, he hasn't been sleeping or eating or talking that much. He's literally heartbroken. You guys dated for five years. You were a big part of his life, and then without warning you weren't. You don't realize how thrown off balance he is. You don't understand what you did to him."

"What I did to him?" Rachel asked. "I was suffocating, Annabeth. I know how sweet and awesome Percy is, but I just couldn't handle it anymore. And then I noticed Mark and—"

Annabeth cut her off, "Why didn't you just tell Percy that? Why didn't you talk to Percy and tell him what you were feeling? That would have been way better than just cheating on him!"

"I wanted both of them!" Rachel said. "I wanted to have Percy because he is so sweet and nice, but I wanted Mark because he made me feel things that Percy didn't. Annabeth, I dated Percy for five years. How do you think this is going for me? I miss him. It feels like a part of me is missing because I'm not with him."

"Then you shouldn't have done anything to lose him. Percy was ready to stand behind you and love you for the rest of his life, but you messed it up. This is your fault, Rachel. I get that you miss him, but I can't let you see him. Not when he's trying to get better," Annabeth said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Rachel stared at her for a second. Her eyes were watering, but Annabeth knew that Rachel wouldn't cry in front of her. She was too proud, like Annabeth.

"What happened to us, Annabeth?" Rachel asked a few seconds later. "We used to be so close."

Annabeth tried not to wince. She closed her eyes and thought about Percy with tears dripping down his face because of some of the things that Rachel did.

"We fell apart because you hurt Percy," Annabeth said finally. "I put Percy first, and he needs me right now."

Rachel didn't say anything else. She stared at Annabeth for a few seconds until she nodded sadly. She pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear before she looked back up to Annabeth.

"I need you to do me a favor," Rachel asked. "For old time's sake."

Annabeth frowned, but she owed Rachel that much. "What is it?"

"I'm going to need you to take care of Percy. I need you to treat him and love him way better than I did. Teach him how to be a better man, and let him take care of you. Don't ever betray him like I did because I promise you if you do, you will regret it for the rest of your life. Just," Rachel's voice broke before she continued. "Just fall in love with him and don't look back."

Honestly, Annabeth couldn't believe that she was saying anything like that, but she nodded anyway and said, "Okay."

Rachel's eyes flickered past Annabeth's shoulder and into the house again, but after a second she looked toward the ground and turned away. She walked down a few of the steps.

"Annabeth?" Rachel asked suddenly, turning around to look at her again.

"Yeah?"

She glanced down at the ground before meeting Annabeth's gaze. "I knew that you would have never done anything with Percy while we were still dating. I respected you for that."

Annabeth nodded.

"And don't tell him that I was here," Rachel added before she turned away.

Annabeth watched as she jogged down the street and climbed into her car. She sat there for a second with her head leaned against the steering wheel. It was another few seconds until she sat up and pulled away.

As soon as Rachel's car disappeared, Annabeth slipped back inside and closed the door behind her. She leaned her forehead against it and tried to gather her thoughts.

All of that stuff that Rachel had said… Did that mean that she was done bothering Percy? Did that mean that she was finally going to move on?

Before she could figure any of it out, she felt a pair of arms slide around her waist.

"Who was that?" Percy mumbled, pushing his face into her hair.

"Some Girl Scouts," Annabeth lied. It had been years since she lied to Percy like that. "They were selling cookies, so I told them to walk down the street and hit my dad up."

Percy nodded, and his arms tightened around her.

"Are you okay?" Annabeth asked.

"I don't know," he whispered.

She turned to him and took his hands, "That's okay. Let's go finish our nap, and we can order some pizza or something later."

His eyes had this faraway look. He nodded absently.

Annabeth set one of her hands on his cheek, "Hey, I'm right here. I'm right in front of you, okay?"

Percy blinked. After a few seconds the distant look in his eyes faded, and he said, "Yeah. Yeah, you're here."

Ω

She opened the door with her hip, clutching the bag of groceries she had gotten in her hand. She also had a few movies from the Red Box that was at the grocery store, and if they were Percy's favorites then that had happened on accident, she swears.

Annabeth knew that Percy was going to be sitting on his couch all day long, avoiding the Homecoming party that most of the other seniors were going to tonight. Annabeth and Percy had planned on going with their other friends, but today must have been a bad day for Percy because Annabeth woke up with a text from him saying that he wasn't going and that he was sorry. The second one said that she should go without him. She had rolled her eyes and driven to the grocery store instead.

It was already almost lunch, and she knew for a fact that Percy had been up since six thirty this morning. He hadn't been sleeping very well since he had found out about Rachel, and the texts from him had been there when she had gotten up. She was usually the morning person between the two of them, and it was kind of weird (and a little nice) to wake up with texts and calls from Percy.

She walked through Percy's house and into the kitchen. She set the bags down on the counter and headed to the next room. Annabeth found him sitting on the couch in a pair of black sweatpants. He was missing a shirt, and he was staring at the television so hard he didn't even notice her standing there.

She watched him for a few seconds before she said, "Have you eaten today?"

He jumped at her voice, but relaxed when he realized it was her. He said, "I had breakfast."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and sat down on the couch beside him, "You don't eat breakfast."

"So?" Percy asked.

"So," she slipped under his arm and wedged herself against his side. "I went to the store this morning and bought all of the stuff to make peanut butter and banana sandwiches and those chocolate chip brownies that you love so much."

"You did?" He asked. "I thought you were going to that party tonight."

She hit him on the leg, "I'm not going without you! Duh."

Percy didn't say anything, and when he turned his attention back to the TV, Annabeth realized that he was watching the Hallmark channel.

"You know," he started. "I've been watching movies on this channel all morning, and they are kind of making me feel like a loser for taking this so hard. Like, it shouldn't be that big of a deal. I should be fine. I shouldn't be worried about it anymore."

Annabeth frowned, "Percy, that's not true."

"It should be, if I wasn't such a baby. I mean, other guys get cheated on and stuff, but it just seems like I can't get through one day without thinking about her, you know?" Percy said. "It's pathetic. I'm pathetic."

For some reason, his words made Annabeth really mad. How could he think that he should just be able to bounce right back from a five year relationship? How could he think that it would be that easy? If it was Annabeth coming out of a serious relationship like that, she would be a mess. She would be all over the place if she had been in a long-term relationship and it had ended like Percy's had.

She turned his head toward her and forced him to meet her gaze. "Percy Jackson, you are not pathetic. You had your heart broken by the girl that you loved. I don't think you understand that you just lost someone that you loved. It's kind of like the Rachel that you knew died because you can't get her back. It would be ridiculous if you just bounced back from a five year relationship overnight. Besides, I think that you are doing good considering."

"Considering? Annabeth, I can't get through one hour without thinking of her damn name. What else is there to consider besides me being pathetic and stupid?" Percy asked.

"Percy." Annabeth said, twisting around farther to see him. "Did you love her?"

He finally looked at her, but his eyes were hard. "Of course I loved her."

Annabeth threw her hands up, "Then how do you expect to get over her that soon? You can't stop loving somebody all at once. It takes time. It's going to take you time."

He stood up and ran his hands through his hair, "I'm tired of it! I'm tired of thinking of her! I just want to forget it! I want to forget everything thing that happened between us for the past five years. I just want to forget it."

She jumped off the couch and snaked her arm around his waist, pulling him to her body. "Then do it! If you want to forget one of the best things that happened to you, do it! Rachel taught you a lot of things. She loved you for a long time, and now you're willing to give up all of those memories just because of the way it ended? I know that it's hard, but you were lucky enough to have somebody love you like that for a long time! And now you want to forget it all?"

Percy clutched at her back, but his eyes were on fire. "You don't understand how bad this is. Do you know what this feels like? To have someone who loves you betray you?"

His words slapped Annabeth, and she recoiled, "Of course I do. My mom left me here! I know exactly how you feel right now. I wanted to forget it all too, but once I managed to, I wished for it back. I wished that I wouldn't have thought about her like that because right now I can't even think about my mom without shutting down. I can't stand to think about—"

Normally, Annabeth never brought her mom up. She didn't like to think about it, and she figured that her life would be better if she just kept it in the back of her mind. Her mom had left her with her dad when she was six years old. Annabeth had seen her twice in the past eleven years. She had talked to her on the phone eleven times, and every single one of them had been on her birthday. And that was it.

Annabeth's dad was doing the best that he could with her—it could have been worse—but he was still broken about her mom leaving them. That's why he worked all of the time. He couldn't stand to sit in their house where her mom used to read and cook and sing and love them—

She did feel like a hypocrite when she told Percy that he shouldn't want to forget everything. After all, that's what she had done. She had just etched away all of the details about her mom without even bothering to think about the consequences.

But Annabeth didn't want Percy to end up broken like she was. She wanted Percy to come back from this, and if he just forgot all of it, then he wouldn't be able to love anybody ever again.

Percy pushed his forehead against hers, "Annabeth, I wasn't thinking when I said that."

She tore out of his arms and turned her back to him. She didn't need to be so close to him right now.

"Percy," she started, still turned away from him. "Do you remember how long it took me to forget what my mom did? Do you remember how many nights I spent here with you instead of at home with my dad?"

"A lot," she heard him mumble.

"That's right. I don't want you to do the same thing that I did. Maybe it's better if you just try to accept it. Maybe it wouldn't hurt as much," Annabeth said.

"But I've tried! I don't know how to accept it! I just keep expecting her to walk through that door and kiss me and tell me that she loves me. How do I keep from doing that?" Percy asked. She could see the frustrated look on his face even though she wasn't looking at him.

She closed her eyes for a split second before she turned back around. Percy was staring at her. His green eyes were hooded with anger and sadness. Annabeth hated to see him this way.

"I don't know," Annabeth whispered.

Percy pressed his hands into his eyes, "Me either."

She bit her lip but stepped forward anyway, wrapping her arms around him. He folded into her grip, and Annabeth felt his shoulders shaking against her.

"I just don't know what to do anymore," Percy mumbled in her neck.

Annabeth held him tighter, trying to ignore the tears that were making their way down her face. She hoped that Percy wouldn't be able to tell that she was crying.

What could she do to make him get better? How could she help him?

She couldn't think of anything.

"Percy, I don't know what to do or what to say right now, but the only thing that I can think of would be for me to tell you that I'm with you," Annabeth said, rubbing her hand down his back. "I'm right here and I'm here for you and I love you. Okay?"

His voice broke when he said, "Okay."

Ω

Annabeth flipped through the pages of the magazine, skimming a few of the articles but mostly looking at the pictures.

"Shorter?"

She looked up. She was with Percy, and they were getting his hair cut. It had gotten way too long (Rachel had always liked it like that) and Annabeth had told him that he looked like a homeless person. She had nodded happily when he had asked her to come with him to get it cut a week later.

Percy said, "No," as soon as Annabeth said, "Yes."

His hairdresser, a nice woman in her late thirties, laughed. She set her scissors down and said, "Let me go check the phones while you guys decide on that. I'll be right back."

Annabeth got up and walked over to Percy. His hair looked way better—she could actually see his eyebrows—but it still needed to be a little shorter.

He was biting his lip, and he looked kind of nervous. Percy watched her in the mirror, and his eyes closed slowly when she ran her hand through his hair.

"I like it better short," she said. "I know it's been a long time since you've had your hair like that because she liked it long, but I like it way better short. I always have."

Percy didn't say anything. He just stared up at her.

Annabeth traced her hands down to his shoulders and stood behind him until the hairdresser came back.

The older woman smiled and said, "What did we decide?"

Annabeth sat back down and Percy said, "Shorter."

She smiled at him.

Ω

Annabeth remembered the day that Rachel had broken up with Percy. It was a Wednesday, and she knew that Percy and Rachel were going out to get ice cream. Percy had planned on texting her once he dropped Rachel off because he needed some help with his homework, but the texts never came.

Instead, she heard her phone ring. When she had answered, Sally had been in a panic on the other side of the line. She kept asking if Percy was with her or if she had talked to him lately. Annabeth said that she hadn't, and Sally had asked her to go find him right then because he hadn't been answering his phone, and he had left a crazy voicemail on her phone.

Annabeth had jumped up and grabbed her car keys. First, she had driven to his house and used the spare key to get inside. She had checked everywhere, but he hadn't been there. She had kept calling his phone over and over, but he hadn't ever answered her.

She had been freaking out. She literally had no idea where he had gone or what could have happened that made him that upset.

Before she had panicked for real, she had thought of one place that he could be. One place where no one would have found him because they wouldn't have even known it was real.

Annabeth drove back over to her house and jumped the backyard fence, climbing her and Percy's favorite tree. Back when they were little, they had stayed in her backyard, climbing a few of the trees, but this one had been their favorite. They could make it close enough to the top so they could see the rest of the neighborhood behind her house.

Sure enough, she had found Percy sitting in one of the top branches, holding his head in his hands. His phone was ringing, but he hadn't moved to answer it.

She careful crawled up the tree and sat down on one of the larger branches beside him. She sent Sally a text and told her that everything was fine before she said anything to him.

"It's been forever since I've been up here," Annabeth had said, looking out over the yard and the other houses.

"Yeah," Percy had said. His voice had been really deep, like he hadn't used it.

"So tell me why we're up here," she asked.

He had hesitated, and Annabeth knew that he didn't want to say it. He had finally glanced over at her and said, "Rachel broke up with me today."

Ring! Ring!

Annabeth jumped, jarring herself out of her daydream. Her phone was ringing, so she scooped it up and pressed it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey," he said on the other side of the line. "What are you doing?"

She frowned, "I'm studying. I thought you were supposed to be reading that book for your English class?"

Percy hesitated, "I am, but I've come across a little problem and I need help."

"Okay, hit me with the questions," Annabeth said, rolling over onto her back. She heard a few of her papers crunch underneath her body, but she really didn't care anymore.

"Well, it's not so much a question as a problem. Um, one of the main characters is named Rachel, and she's supposed to be this really cool character and the hero of the book and stuff, but every time I see her name I just get so mad. Like, I don't even like her character. And I can't answer the stupid comprehension questions about her because I keep writing mean stuff," Percy said. She could hear the frustration seeping through his voice.

Annabeth frowned again, "What kind of stuff did you write?"

She heard him sigh, and she assumed he was pinching his nose. "The question was something like Why do you think Rachel is having trouble accepting her new role in the book? And I wrote, here, I'll read it to you. I wrote, 'she is having trouble because she is a fucking pussy that can't get over the past and when she does she makes everyone else around her miserable, and her red hair is ugly.'" Percy paused for a second then said, "The character in the book doesn't even have red hair. It's blonde."

She tried not to laugh, but she had to put her phone down for a few seconds so Percy wouldn't hear her. The first thing Annabeth could think to say was, "I thought you liked Rachel's red hair?"

"No way," he said, probably rolling his eyes. "Sometimes I had nightmares that we would have little ginger kids. It freaked me the fuck out."

Annabeth rolled her eyes at his profanity. She knew that Percy always cussed more when he was angry about something. She said, "So what do you need me to do?"

"I need you to help me figure out how to read this damn book without ripping the pages out and burning them in my fireplace," he said.

"Okay, I know how to do it. All you need to do is replace the name 'Rachel' with something different. Just rename the character and start the book over. Then, you won't hate her," she said.

"But I'm not going to be able to do that. You know how much I hate reading," he said.

Annabeth sighed, "How many pages are in the book?"

"Um," he hesitated, and she could hear him flipping through the pages. "Like, 205."

She glanced at the clock. It was already four thirty, but Annabeth was almost done with her homework. If Percy came over right now, then it wouldn't take all night. They could probably be finished in time to watch the premiere of that new television series that she was dying to see.

"Okay, get the book and your other homework and bring it with you. Get here as soon as possible, and just come straight up to my room. Dad's not home anyway," she said, getting up and grabbing a pair of shorts to put on.

Percy was quiet for a few seconds until he said, "What?"

"Bring the book over here! I'm going to read it to you! Besides, you'll understand it better anyway if you can just listen to it," Annabeth said. "And if you hurry up, we can watch that new TV show!"

Annabeth thought she heard a smile in his voice when he said, "Okay. Give me ten minutes."

She hung up then and tried to fight the smile that was threatening to spread over her face. She was glad that Percy wasn't that sad anymore, but she wasn't sure if she was glad that he was angry either. She would prefer that he was just happy—not mad or sad—but she knew that it wasn't easy, and if he was managing to deal with it through anger, then she was going to be the last person to argue with him about it.

Annabeth managed to finish all of her homework that needed to be done. She was just putting up her Chemistry book when she heard the front door open. She heard Percy stomping up the stairs, and when he opened the door she turned around.

She had thought that he was doing okay today since he had been angry on the phone, but apparently that wasn't the case. His shoulders were still drooping, and his eyes weren't very bright. He threw his skateboard down in the corner of the room and pulled his backpack off of his shoulders without even saying 'hi.'

With a small sigh, Annabeth got up from her desk and hugged him from behind. When she glanced down and saw his skateboard, she realized why he was so upset.

"I need a new skateboard," Percy said.

Technically, he didn't. His board worked fine, but Annabeth remembered that Percy had gotten it as an anniversary present from Rachel. Annabeth had bought him his first one for his birthday a long time before he had started dating Rachel, but he had really needed a new one when Rachel had bought that one. She had written on the bottom of it, 'I love you!' and had signed her name with a heart.

"Yeah. We should go pick one out next week. I need new elbow pads for my roller blades anyway," Annabeth said, squeezing her arms around him tighter.

"Okay," Percy said. "Are you sure that you want to read this book? I don't want you to waste your time just because of me. I mean, you probably have something better to do anyway and—"

She let go of him and grabbed his hand instead, pulling him toward her bed, "If I had something better to do I wouldn't have offered. Now come on, I've wanted to read this book anyway."

Percy stopped her right before she sat down on her bed. He was looking at her with this expression, and Annabeth couldn't really tell what it was. "You just—you're great, you know? I mean, I've been all over the place for the last few weeks, and you've always been here for me and I don't know how to thank you because I just—I love you, you know?"

"I know," She said, pressing a kiss to his forehead and trying not to wonder if he meant something besides a best friend I love you. "I love you, too. Come on. Relax and let me read this book to you."

"Okay," he murmured, letting her pull him down on her bed. Annabeth leaned back against the headboard, and Percy pressed against her side, letting his head rest on her shoulder.

Annabeth started reading, and Percy held on to her tighter than he normally did.

Ω

"I mean, she gave this to me too, but I wear it all of the time…" Percy mumbled, holding up a sweatshirt.

Annabeth sighed from where she was laying on his bed. Percy was cleaning out his room (a.k.a. getting rid of all of the stuff that Rachel had given him; even though they had dated for five years, it wasn't as much as Annabeth had expected) and he had called Annabeth earlier, demanding that she come help him. She hadn't been doing much, so she had claimed her usual spot on his bed with her book in her hand.

"If you wear it all of the time, keep it," Annabeth said, peeking over the top of her book. "Why are you getting rid of all of this stuff?"

He frowned at her, but threw the sweatshirt in the pile of stuff (it was relatively small, Annabeth thought that Rachel would have bought him more stuff over five years) that he was getting rid of. "I want it all gone. I don't want to think about it anymore. Maybe it would be easier to get over her if I threw out all of the stuff that reminded me of her."

"Okay," Annabeth said with a nod and a soft look. "Get rid of it, and I will go with you and pick out all new stuff. Then it will be like I gave it to you."

Percy looked over at her, and she thought that his expression was more like a smile. "You know," he said, turning back to his closet and throwing another shirt onto the pile. "This break-up is getting pretty expensive."

"It can't be more expensive than paying for dates all of the time," Annabeth said, making her voice light enough so he wouldn't take it the wrong way.

"That's true," Percy said. He didn't bother to turn around so his voice was a little muffled. "Now I only have one girl to take out and pay for, huh?"

Annabeth studied his back for a few seconds before she looked back down to her book, "That's right, and she's the best."

She suspected (wished) that he was wearing a dreamy expression when he said, "Yeah, she is."

Annabeth was glad that he wasn't looking at her because she was smiling like an idiot as she read her book.

Ω

The red light changed to green just as her phone rang, so she hurried to pick it up and answer it. The car behind her honked angrily before she pressed the gas pedal.

"Hello?" She said, holding her phone to her ear with one hand.

"Annabeth," Sally said urgently. Her voice was wobbly. "Where are you?"

She frowned, "I'm on my way home, why? What's wrong?"

"We're at the hospital. Percy—" Sally's voice broke. "You need to hurry. Just. Hurry."

She dropped the phone and stepped on the gas pedal.

What was wrong with Percy? Why were they at the hospital? Did something happen that could have hurt him? What was wrong?

Annabeth had been on her way home to meet Percy. They were planning on studying for a while for their English test that was on Friday. She had offered to pick him up at his house, but he had declined and told her that he would rather ride his skateboard. Apparently, it gave him time to think. She had told him to text her when he got there, but he never had. Annabeth just assumed that he forgot and was lounging in her room already. She never would have thought that it was because—

Is that what had happened? Is that why they were at the hospital? Had something happened to Percy on his way to her house?

She pulled up at the hospital and jerked the keys out of the ignition. She jumped out of the car and ran for the Emergency Room doors.

She rushed over to the door in the waiting room that led to the back where the nurses and doctors took care of the patients. She hit the call button and when the nurse asked her what she needed she said, "I'm here to see Percy Jackson."

"Percy Jackson is in critical care. Close family members are only allowed back. What is your relationship to him?" The nurse answered.

So obviously "best friend" wasn't going to get her back there. Maybe that's why she blurted out, "I'm his girlfriend. Please."

A few seconds later the nurse said, "Room 16," and the door clicked open.

Annabeth walked through the hall, and she finally found his room. The door was halfway open, so she slipped inside. She stopped cold when she saw him.

Percy was lying in a hospital bed. His eyes were closed, and there was a bandage wrapped around his head. The side of his face was slowly bruising so he already had a black eye. His nose must have been bleeding earlier because there was still a little bit of blood on his face. His shirt was ripped to pieces, and his jeans were splattered with blood and dirt. He was missing one of his sneakers, and the sock on his foot was tinted red. There were a few wires poking out of his arm from the I.V. He also had an oxygen mask sitting on his nose and mouth to help him breathe.

Tears were streaming from Annabeth's eyes, but she didn't even bother to wipe her face.

"Annabeth!" Sally said. The older woman was standing next to Percy, and she rushed over to Annabeth, pulling her into a hug. Annabeth didn't take her eyes off of him.

"What happened?" She asked. Her voice broke.

Sally kept one of her arms around Annabeth's waist before she turned back toward Percy. "He was riding his skateboard to your house, and when he crossed the road, a car ran a red light. They found his wallet when they got here, and they called me. The nurses said that he probably has a concussion because he hasn't been awake since the ambulance brought him inside."

"Oh my god," Annabeth muttered. "Can I…?"

Sally smiled tightly and nudged her in Percy's direction. "Of course, sweetheart. I'm so glad that you came. I didn't want to sit in here by myself."

Annabeth blinked, "Yeah, I'm glad you called me. I want to be here."

Percy's mom sighed, and she said, "I'm just going to step outside for a minute and get some air. Just until the doctor comes in."

Annabeth nodded and watched as Sally squeezed out of the door and closed it behind her. After she was gone, Annabeth walked over to Percy and stood in the corner by his head. His eyes were still closed, but his breathing sounded okay. She gently ran her fingers through his hair (the part that wasn't covered by the bandage) and down his face, trying to avoid the oxygen mask and the worst of his bruises.

She couldn't believe that this had happened. Annabeth was still shaking. What if Percy had gotten even more hurt in the accident? What if—No. She wouldn't think that. She realized that Percy was a major part of her life. He was one of the only things that she really had left.

And she had almost lost him.

So she just stood there beside him, listening to him breathe through an oxygen mask and trying to get herself to calm down.

The door opened, and Sally came inside with a doctor behind her.

He was an older man with brown hair and warm brown eyes. He looked at Percy quickly, before looking at Annabeth and then Sally. He seemed like he knew what he was talking about when he said, "Hi, I'm Dr. Reynolds. We already did a full body x-ray, and his right wrist is broken, which we are going to put a cast on soon. All of his internal organs look fine, and I am pleased to tell you that he doesn't have a concussion. We are going to keep him hospitalized for a few days just to make sure there aren't any other complications that we may have missed."

Annabeth and Sally both sighed in relief. Sally said, "So he's going to be okay?"

"He's going to be fine," Dr. Reynolds said. He shook Sally's hand and moved toward the door. "My nurses are going to come in and check his vitals and then we are going to move him up to a private room. You ladies take care."

"Thank you," Sally said, closing the door behind him.

Annabeth ran to Sally and hugged her fiercely. They stood there with their arms around each other and watched Percy until the nurses came in and got ready to move him.

Ω

She was really tired.

After they had moved Percy out of the Emergency Room and upstairs, Annabeth had called her dad and told him where she was. He had been concerned, and he had stopped and got them dinner before bringing it to the hospital. Annabeth, her dad, and Sally had all sat in Percy's room, eating Chinese takeout and hoping that Percy would wake up soon. The doctors and nurses said that it could still be a while but that he was fine.

They had finished dinner, and Annabeth's dad had convinced Sally to take a walk. They had left, leaving Annabeth to stay with Percy—not that she minded.

Right now, she was sitting in a chair beside Percy's bed. She was holding his hand (the one without the cast), and she had her feet propped up on the edge of his hospital bed. She was watching the television that was hung on the wall—an old nineties show, Friends, was the only thing on—but Annabeth was paying more attention to Percy's breathing.

She had finally calmed down. After hearing the doctor say that he would be okay, her world had fallen back into place. Now, she just needed him to wake up so she could tell him to stop being an idiot and maybe look before he crossed the damn road.

Suddenly, Percy moved and let out a long breath. Annabeth sat up sharply and studied him.

"Percy?" Annabeth asked softly. "It's okay. You can wake up. You're okay."

Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, and when green met grey Annabeth wanted to cry in relief and joy.

She stood up and leaned over him so he could see her, "Hey, Percy, just take your time."

"Annabeth?" He moaned. His voice was hoarse.

She smiled and gently set her hand on his face, "I'm right here. You're okay. I'm right here."

"What happened?" He asked. "Where are we?"

"We're in the hospital," she said, making her voice as soft as possible. "You were riding your skateboard to my house, and a car hit you. You broke your wrist and you hit your head really hard. But you're okay."

"Mmm," Percy hummed. He looked around the room before meeting her gaze again. "How long do we have to stay here?"

Annabeth pushed his hair back. Since they had gotten it cut last week it wasn't long enough for her to actually push it out of his eyes, but she knew that he loved it when she played with his hair. She gave him a small smile, "Just a few days. They want to make sure that you're okay."

He swallowed and looked at her, "How long?"

"A few hours. You were unconscious for a really long time. It scared me and your mom to death," Annabeth scolded lightly, bringing his hand up to her face.

"Mom?" Percy croaked. "She's going to kill me."

"I'm going to kill you first," she said. "What the hell were you doing?"

He smiled, and Annabeth couldn't help but grin too. "I don't know. I honestly can't remember what happened."

"That's okay," she said immediately. "You're awake now, and that's all that matters."

Percy blinked and gripped her hand a little tighter. He was quiet for a few seconds before he said, "Annabeth?"

"Yes?"

"Is… Has Rachel been here?"

His question kind of upset Annabeth. She didn't think it was fair. She had been here since Sally had called. She had been the one that had been worried to literal death about him. She had been the one that had been holding his hand when he woke up. And the first thing he can think about is asking where his ex-girlfriend is?

But then she remembered that he knew that Annabeth cared about him. He knew that she had been worried. He knew that she was the one that was with him. Annabeth had never been good with containing her jealousy, but there was absolutely no reason for her to get upset with him right now. Percy was just wondering if Rachel had ever come to her senses and came back to him. He probably knew that she hadn't, but he still needed to ask.

Annabeth shook her head, "I haven't heard from her. I checked your phone, but she hasn't texted you or called or anything."

Percy nodded a little, being careful not to jar his head, "I figured that. Annabeth?"

She bit her lip, "Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're here," he said. There were a few tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. "Don't leave me."

She leaned down closer to him and let her other arm circle his head so she could trace circles on his neck. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here."

Ω

Annabeth got off of the elevator, squeezing past a few people who were trying to get on.

Today was the first time that she had left the hospital since yesterday afternoon when he had been admitted. She had only been gone for two hours, but it still felt like it had been too long.

And it had been necessary. She had gone home and taken a quick shower and changed her clothes. She had also gone by Percy's house and grabbed him a new set of clothes to wear when he got to go home. As a bonus and a surprise for Percy, she had gone to his favorite skateboard shop and bought him a new one. His other had been snapped in half in the accident.

His new board was awesome. She had called earlier this morning and told the manager what she wanted—Percy had always liked the plain black boards with blue colored wheels—and when she had picked it up she had grinned because it was perfect. She had signed the bottom of it, and the shop had covered it with a clear coat of paint so it wouldn't ever fade. She was so excited to give it to him.

Annabeth turned the corner to his room, smiling already. She was going to wake him up and see how he was doing, then he was going to freak over his new skateboard. He would probably be so excited that he would hug her and—

She stopped cold when she opened the door and saw who was visiting.

Rachel Dare was standing by Percy's hospital bed. She had her hands behind her back like she was afraid of touching him. When she heard the door open, she turned around. Annabeth could see tears on her face.

Thankfully, Percy was asleep, so he didn't know that Rachel was here.

"Annabeth," Rachel said, turning around to see her. "What happened? And why didn't you call me? I had to find out that he was in the hospital from your Snapchat!"

She scowled at the other girl, "I didn't have a reason to call you. Percy didn't tell me to, and you don't have a relationship with him anymore."

"That shouldn't matter! You should have called me and told me how he was doing!" Rachel said crossly.

"Rachel," Annabeth hissed. "I can't call you every time something happens to Percy. Do you want me to call you when he fails a test? Or maybe when he has a dentist appointment? What about when he is so upset that he can't eat because you broke up with him? You aren't part of his life anymore. You might still be one of his "friends," if he even considers you to be, but this really isn't any of your business. I put how he was doing on my Snapchat so our friends could see it and know how he was doing. That's what category you fall in now, so that's how you're going to get updates about how Percy's life is."

She shook her head and crossed her arms, "That isn't fair, Annabeth. I deserve better than that, and you know it."

"Actually, I know that you don't deserve that. You don't deserve to be here with him. I do. I'm the one that's been here for him. I'm the one that cares about him. I'm the one that's his best friend. I don't make his decisions for him, but when he asked me if you had called or texted him I told him the truth. Not once did he ask me to call you and tell you what happened. This is his call not mine, but I support it. You guys aren't together, and he shouldn't have to call you about everything that happens," she snapped. Her voice got really loud, but she knew that Percy wouldn't wake up. He slept like a rock.

Rachel was really crying now, and she glanced back over at Percy, "Just because I broke up with him doesn't mean I don't love him anymore."

"It doesn't matter. He's not yours anymore," Annabeth said shortly.

"Well, he's not yours either!" Rachel said.

Annabeth scowled at her, "He is mine. Percy knows that he belongs to me."

"You guys aren't even dating! How can—"

Annabeth turned around quickly and Rachel stopped talking when they heard Percy's breathing change. He exhaled loudly and shifted in his bed. He sighed and then said, "Annabeth."

She walked over to him, but his eyes were still closed. It looked like he was snoozing peacefully. He must have heard her talking, and then said her name in his sleep. He talked in his sleep sometime.

Annabeth looked back over to Rachel, and she had her hand covering her mouth, like she couldn't believe that Percy had said Annabeth's name instead of hers.

Annabeth sighed and moved away from Percy so she could talk to Rachel.

"Look, Rachel," she started. "We've already had this conversation once. I can't just call you when something happens with Percy. If he wants to talk to you, then he's either going to tell me to call or he's going to do it himself. He's starting to get better, and I know that he's going to be okay with a little more time. If you want to know how he is, then you need to call or text me. I don't want him to think that you want something that you don't just because you're wondering how he is doing. I'm sorry that you came all the way down here, but I still can't let you talk to him."

Rachel looked away and kept her hand over her mouth. Her shoulders were shaking, and she looked as sad as Percy had the last few weeks. Annabeth felt a little sorry for her, (after all they had been friends before) but she tried not to focus on that.

The red-headed girl nodded sadly, "Okay, just. Send me a text when they release him?"

Annabeth gave her a nod.

Her eyes flickered down to Percy's new skateboard that was still in her hands. Annabeth could barely understand her when she said, "And he's going to love that skateboard."

Annabeth nodded again as Rachel took one last look at Percy before she ran out of the room.

Annabeth sighed after a few seconds and then shut the door. She tried to shake her thoughts as she sat down in the chair beside Percy and pulled his new skateboard into her lap. He was still muttering her name, so Annabeth took his hand and played with his fingers until he woke up.

After he blinked a few times and realized it was her, he smiled and said, "Annabeth? You were just in my dream."

"Oh yeah?" She asked. She smiled at him, and she hoped that he couldn't tell that she had just been in an argument. "What was it about?"

He shrugged as he looked up at her, "You were just talking to me. You said that we would go to the movies, but we were going to skateboard. It was weird because Mom said that my skateboard broke so I guess I don't have one anymore."

Annabeth grinned and said, "Your old one broke. Your new one is perfectly fine."

"My new-?" Percy furrowed his eyebrows, but a wonderstruck look broke onto his face when Annabeth stood and held up his new board. She handed it to him, and he set it in his lap, running his hands over it.

"Do you like it?" Annabeth asked, biting her lip to keep from grinning.

He was wearing an amazed expression, and Annabeth loved it. "Like it? Annabeth, I love it. When did you…?"

"This morning when I went home to take a shower, I stopped by and got it from your favorite shop," she said. She pointed to his backpack that was sitting in the chair behind her. "I also brought you some new clothes. But look at the bottom of the board."

Percy flipped it over, and he looked up at her again when he had read it.

When Annabeth had gotten to the shop this morning, the manager had reminded her that she could write something on the bottom of it. He remembered that Percy's last board had a message from Rachel written on the bottom of it. It had taken Annabeth a little while to decide what to put on it, but she had finally went with I'm here and her name.

Percy pushed the board down his legs and reached up, quickly grabbing Annabeth in a hug. He had his good arm thrown around her neck, and he was holding onto her like he hadn't seen her in forever.

"I don't plan on letting go anytime soon, so you should probably make yourself comfortable," Percy said in her ear.

Annabeth laughed and sat down on the edge of his bed. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her up so she was sitting at his side. She snaked one arm around his middle and leaned her head against his shoulder. She used her other hand and grabbed his skateboard, bringing it up to their laps.

"I can't believe that you got me this. You didn't have to," Percy said, pressing a kiss to her temple. Annabeth smothered a grin.

She shrugged, "I wanted to. Besides, I wanted you to have something from me."

"But I have you," Percy said, pressing his nose into her hair.

Annabeth couldn't hold her grin back at that. When Percy said stuff like that and gave her kisses, she wasn't sure where they stood. Right now, they were labeled as "best friends," but Annabeth didn't know if they would ever make it to the tipping point to date. She wasn't sure if Percy was ready for that. Hell, she didn't know if she was ready for that. A relationship might be the last thing that either of them needed right now.

Even if that was true, it didn't really matter. She had him, and he had her. Just like he had said.

"Yeah," Annabeth said, leaning further into his arms. "Yeah. You've got me."

A/N: I hope you liked it! Leave a review!

-SMC