Been awhile but I'm back to finish up the story. This will be the second to last chapter with one more coming soon.

Between the stacks of architecture drawings, color splotches, memos, pictures of wedding dresses, and every other work and wedding task to take care of there isn't much space left on the coffee table. There'd be more room on the couch except for the fact that Percy's claimed most of it to sprawl out on, even taking claim of her lap to rest his head. The first few days after Percy had been released from the hospital had her stomach twisting with anxiety, the worry that he could still be hurt burrowed in the back of her mind. Annabeth had fretted over him, taken time off work so she could watch him and make sure he didn't hurt himself more. Now that they're going on week two, Annabeth is ready for him to get back on duty. Keeping Percy cooped up inside had been a feat of willpower, everyday had been a struggle to make him sit and suffer through daytime TV.

There hadn't been a moment he'd stopped fidgeting, stopped bouncing his leg, stopped moving. When watching TV and making an attempt at cleaning his room hadn't worked, Percy had turned his attention on her. At first it had been welcomed, she's not one to complain about a fulfilling sex life. But having Percy's eyes and hands and lips on her all the time had become exhausting, as often as she found herself wrapped around him it couldn't stem the never ending tide of energy he had. Soon enough his eyes and hands and lips would be on her again. Annabeth counts down the days until she can shove an antsy and aroused boyfriend out the door and off to work.

Percy's head shifts on her lap, stills, then shifts again. Annabeth concentrates on the latest update on the timetable for her project but Percy's constant movement lures her mind away and his jostling causes the paper to shift almost as much as he does.

"Could you possibly sit still?" she huffs, dropping the paper and tilting her head down to glare at him.

"'M not comfortable," he huffs tiredly, eyes still glued to the soap opera he's invested himself into this week.

"Then why don't you try sitting up?" Annabeth reaches for another stack of papers, this one sample save the dates Piper is already stressing about.

"Hey," Percy complains as she blocks his view.

Annabeth stops, fingers wrapped around the stack of papers, half leaning over him.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something important?" Annabeth feigns deep concern about interrupting his show. "My deepest apologies."

Percy squints up at her, eyes a rich, dark green in the filtered light. Something lurks in the depths there, and Annabeth wonders if she hasn't made things worse for herself by provoking him into trying for another round of afternoon couch sex. He sucks in a quick deep breath and then let's it out, blowing hot breath that smells faintly like cookies and scattering her curls into a golden mess.

"Really, Jackson? That's how you want to play this?"

He grins in response, undeterred by her threatening voice. She can't exactly expect him to be afraid. Most of the time the play fights he starts to distract himself end up distracting them in other ways. It's a win-win for him. Annabeth pulls her fingers through her hair, attempting to tame the madness. Instead of stooping to his level she decides to take the high road. With a calm, easy motion she lifts the folder and sits upright, ignoring the pout on his face she can just make out past the edge of the folder. After a few seconds he turns away from her, attention drifting back to the TV. That's when Annabeth strikes, the high road always makes a better ambush spot. The folder is just heavy enough to give it some oomph as she brings it down, the sound of a solid smack making her grin.

"Hey!" Percy protests, grabbing the side of his head.

"You deserved that," Annabeth says coolly, her hand already lifting to deal out another manila based blow.

"I did not," Percy growls.

He rolls onto his stomach and pushes up, hand reaching for the folder she's using to fend him off with. He manages to twist it out of her grip and Annabeth jumps to her feet, aiming to get out of his reach. She's a second too slow though and Percy's arms snake around her waist. Her feet lift off the ground and she kicks, throwing her weight around so he'll slip up and let her go. Percy stumbles back a step and suddenly Annabeth is weightless as they plummet to the couch. For a second there's the pressure of the couch pushing back hard against them, then a muffled, ringing pop and they fall another inch.

Annabeth glances over her shoulder, spotting Percy through the strands of her hair that have fallen over his face. She waits for him to complain or yelp with pain.

"I think we broke my couch," he says, twisting to examine his seat.

"We nothing," Annabeth pries his arms free and wiggles away. "You broke it."

"Well, that sucks," he huffs, tentatively bouncing on the broken springs.

"We can go couch shopping tomorrow after I get off work. We should look for coffee tables too." Annabeth scoots herself off the sagging cushion and onto an undamaged spot of the couch.

"What's wrong with my coffee table?" he asks indignantly.

"It's held together with tape and glue," she gives the table a gentle nudge with her foot and the whole thing wobbles. "And we need a bigger one," she adds.

"We need a bigger apartment."

The two of them stop, caught up in implied meaning of what Percy's just said. They eye one another hesitantly, Percy shifting on the sunken springs to move closer to her. The moment balances on a knife edge, threatening to fall either way. Annabeth knows what way she wants it to fall, and pushes on her direction.

"A new apartment is a lot of work, and a huge commitment," Annabeth keeps her time level, not betraying the second meaning behind her words.

"Maybe I'm ready to make that commitment," Percy says slowly.

"It's going to involve research and planning. We'll have to pick a neighborhood, look at prices we can afford, pack and move and unpack." Annabeth lists off the work involved, trying to remind him it's not as easy as saying you want to move.

"Yeah. I know all of that, but if it means living with you it's worth it."

"It would be nice to have a real bedroom. And a bigger bathroom." She keeps her voice low and even, afraid to come off too eager and excited by his choice of words.

"Two bathrooms," Percy says quietly.

"A dish washer," Annabeth counters.

"Two bathrooms and a dishwasher. And a fridge that makes ice, " he says excitedly.

"Hardwood floors, " Annabeth says wistfully.

"More sex."

Annabeth blinks at him, unable to suppress the surprise on her face.

"You think we're going to have more sex than we already are?"

"Yeah," he says matter-of-fact. "Think of all the new places we'll have to have sex on."

"You definitely need to go back to work," Annabeth groans.

"What? Now you don't want to move in with me?" Percy pouts, throwing his best puppy dog eyes at her and wiggling even closer to her.

He's nearly sitting on her now, his shoulder digging into hers and his weight pressing down onto her, but the trick's already lost its novelty and she looks back at him unfazed. He keeps up the look another few seconds until Annabeth is forced to shove his face to get him to stop. Percy laughs softly, reaching out a hand to keep from flopping over.

"I'll make a deal with you," she says, lifting her chin.

He cocks his eyebrow, eyes searching her face as he waits attentively. "You make dinner from now on and I'll move in with you."

His eyebrow hovers high on his forehead a little longer before leveling out as his lips lift into a smile.

"You've got a deal, Chase."

She lets the butterflies in her stomach have their moment until the worry that's been burning at the back of her throat this entire conversation can no longer be held back.

"This commitment also means you have to stick around, and not be an idiot that gets himself sent to the hospital." The words are heavier than she expects, but she's been holding onto the concern for weeks and they've festered.

It's not completely fair to load all of this onto him, she very well knew the risks of dating a firefighter but also doesn't mean he can run off into every burning building to be a hero. Sometimes she worries he's too quick to act, especially when helping others, and it's going to leave her in a position that's going to get her hurt.

Percy stays silent, a slight tension rolling through his muscles as he takes in what she's said. Annabeth expects him to start off with some platitude about how everything will be fine, about how it wasn't that big of a deal, about how it won't happen again. Things they both know aren't true and are mostly said to ease the tension.

"I love my job, I love doing what I do, but there are risks. I don't like stressing out my mom and I definitely don't like stressing out you but-" Percy lets out a breath, the tension easing out of him and he slumps into the broken couch. "I swear, I swear, I'm going to do everything I can to be safe." He turns his head towards her and gives her his troublemaker smile. "Because I definitely don't want to get ganged up on by you and my mom again."

"Good," Annabeth says with a nod. "Because you're never getting away from me." There's a fierceness in her voice she absolutely means but he only laughs.

"Wasn't planning on it."

Annabeth looks over the man sitting next to her, the man she's agreed to move in with. In any relationship this is a big step, but their relationship didn't have a traditional start, or middle, or anything. Something inside her says she should be afraid, worried that this could all still go horribly wrong and she's only squeezing the grenade tighter, but it's hard to be afraid. Percy is good for her, the counterbalance to her working too hard, not enjoying herself enough, spending too much time thinking. She's good for him too, she pushes him, helps him keep his eyes on the goal, makes him think ahead.

It doesn't hurt that she catches him staring at her sometimes. Watching her like she's a dream and holding his breath as if he's afraid he'll wake up any moment. Annabeth can't be afraid of this, of them, when she's fit perfectly against his side. Arms, waist, thighs, knees, feet all meshed together as if made to be side by side. It's hard to be worried about what could go wrong, when she considers how far in she already is, when he looks at her like he'd step off a cliff and walk through hell for her. It's so much easier to worry about how much further she's willing to plunge herself into this.

Annabeth has never enjoyed the calm, it reminds her too much of a looming storm that she can't see. Somewhere in their future is another big moment, with an even larger question, but there are a hundred other smaller moments and questions before that. Where is his career going, where is hers? What about pets, about cars, about bank accounts and insurance? What about couches and beds and investments and children? What about everything? There's nothing for her to worry about, and everything for her to worry about.

The questions are still far out, waves in the distance she's already preparing for, and wondering which could hide the rocks that will shatter what they have. Annabeth looks at him and sees how easily she could lose him, how easily she almost lost him before. His stupid hero complex could take him from her, or her incessant, ridiculous pride could. As much as she hates herself for it, her mind tells her there's a chance she could lose him like she's lost so many others. It's a fear that settles itself beneath her skin, imbedding in every nerve in her body. She tells herself it won't happen, wraps her hand around his to reassure herself, tries to lose herself in his lopsided smile, and tells herself this is her something permanent.

Their relationship is more than if they should work well together, it's not just about trying to find the right piece of the puzzle to match you own, it's about wanting to stay matching. Annabeth wants to stay matching, she wants to always fit so well against him, and him against her. Even by her own reasoning they shouldn't have worked out, shouldn't have fallen into place so easily together, but they have and Annabeth isn't going to let that go. She finds his hand, twisting their fingers together until she's unsure of where she ends and he begins, and lets herself enjoy the fact that he is so very much hers.