Hello readers! I've been procrastinating on writing the next chapters for my longer stories, and I had no wifi for numerous hours on Thursday... and this is what came out. I've had the idea for a while, but I finally put it into words. :)

A huge shoutout to Helena, one of my best friends and unofficial beta. She also stayed up with me until 2 AM the other night cheering me on as I wrote. Her FF username is GollyGeeWhiz, and I highly recommend you check out her stories, because they are fantastic! Love you lots, girl. :)

And now, onto the story! Please read, review, and enjoy!

•

-January-

Sometimes, Annabeth really considered chopping her hip-length hair off.

Like, all of it.

Maybe she'd shave her head.

Wait, no. She wasn't brave enough to do anything of the sort, she told herself as she heated up a microwave dinner and grabbed a dog-eared book from a shelf.

Her hair had always been one of her defining features, ever since she was young. Her father never let her get anything more than a tiny trim until she was eleven and entering middle school. "I want to cut it short," she told him, her grey eyes widening pleadingly.

"Okay, fine. You can get it short, but I promise you'll regret it," he said after numerous arguments.

She literally skipped to the hairdresser's. "To my ears," she told the lady, who looked doubtful when confronted with the long, gorgeous golden locks.

"Are you okay with this, Dad?" the hairdresser asked.

He just sighed, nodded, and gone back to the magazine. The feeling of glee as the long curls were clipped was glorious. The stylist snipped to her ears, and then blow-dried and straightened the bob. Her dad laughed when she showed him and told her she looked great. She beamed, and he took a picture.

Annabeth grinned to herself as she remembered how pretty eleven-year-old Annabeth had felt, how light and carefree she had left when she shook her head and the chopped locks tumbled around her ears.

It had been perfect – at least, until the next morning, when Annabeth had come downstairs after her shower, her wild, tangled, frizzy curls back and the bob looking like a nightmare.

Her father had tried to fix it; he did his best, but he knew next-to-nothing about hair any longer than an inch long and Annabeth's mother had died when Annabeth was born, leaving no mother-figure to (try) to tame her tangled curls.

Annabeth had never gotten anything more than a trim since.

She laughed, glancing at an old picture of herself at age twelve. Her hair had grown to her shoulders by then, but was still a wild mess. She hadn't really cared about her appearance until high school, when apparently hair that wasn't particularly styled and cared for was banned – at least, if you wanted to be in any social circles. She had straightened it a lot, and worn a lot of buns, braids and ponytails.

Now she was in college, and if she gave a damn about her hair it was a very good day. It was so long she could sit on it, and she rather enjoyed catching the wondering glances of strangers when she wore it down. She hated to be even more of a nerd, but she felt like Jo in Little Woman – her hair was her "one beauty".

But icy winds of mid-January had taken their toll, and even Annabeth had started to notice. Her once-glossy ringlets were limp and dry and brittle. Everyday hair turned into what the heck happened to that tornado hair.

Well, tonight would (hopefully) change that.

Annabeth grabbed her laptop and a blanket, shivering. She had recently moved into a new apartment a few blocks from campus, and while the rent was cheap, apparently they rarely ran the heat. Annabeth could get by because she spent so much time away from it – the library was a second home now, basically – but at night when the apartment was in the mid-fifties Fahrenheit, she deeply regretted her decision to move from the expensive dorms.

She quickly settled herself back onto the couch and logged onto Pinterest. After checking notifications and laughing at a pin on her dash, she got to work.

Masks for dry hair was typed into the search bar.

And about a million results popped up. What the heck?

She scrolled through, but nearly all of them called for almond oil or tea tree oil and really? Her broke butt couldn't afford to spend 15 dollars on a bottle of oil for her hair. The idea.

About 200 pins later, she was about to give up. Screw her hair, it could wait for her annual trim next summer and the special mask her hairdresser usually used.

And then something caught her eye, mainly because it seemed laughable. Mayonnaise? On hair?

She hastily typed mayonnaise hair mask into the search bar and was astounded with her results. Apparently the spread was good for something besides sandwiches. She shrugged as she got up from the old couch and opened her tiny fridge, taking out the bottle of mayo. She didn't have much to lose; why not try it?

Annabeth grabbed the one brush she owned – curly hair and brushes didn't go well together; she really wasn't even sure where she had acquired the bright-blue hairbrush – and yanked it through her curls until the knots had disappeared. Her hair, even as long as it was, soon resembled a golden afro.

She swore under her breath. If this didn't do wonders, she would be ticked off.

A few scoopfuls of the mayo were spooned into a paper bowl, along with a little olive oil she had left from a salad yesterday. She began smearing the stuff on her hair, focusing on the ends and middle like the tutorial said. Wrinkling her nose at the foul smell, Annabeth soon had the entire length of her hair saturated in the thick goo.

Okay, now it says I need a shower cap, she read through the directions quickly. Well, she didn't own a shower cap, but a plastic bag would do the job, right? She grabbed a plastic grocery bag, gingerly tied her mayonnaise-saturated hair into a greasy bun, and pulled the bag over it, knotting the handles tightly around her head.

Ugh. This is gross, Annabeth thought as she wiped down the counter. She washed her hands and grabbed an almost finished carton of cookies-and-cream ice cream. Spoon in hand, she ambled back to the couch, ready to either finish her book or watch a few episodes of Doctor Who, or both. Tonight was a night for introverting.

•

1 hour, 13 minutes later, Annabeth had adamantly decided that, unless her hair looked phenomenal after she washed the greasy stuff out, she would never do this again. The plastic bag was uncomfortably tight around her head and was squishing her ears, and a bit of mayonnaise had squeezed through some of the holes in the bag. The extremely strong scent of mayo had penetrated through the bag, and she smelled like a rotten ham sandwich. Good thing she hadn't decided to try this when she had people over.

Ding, dong.

Annabeth froze, spoon halfway to her mouth. Someone had just rung her doorbell. At 11 o'clock at night.

And she had mayonnaise in her hair.

She cautiously got up from the couch, shivering as the frigid air hit her skin, clad only in tiny pink pajama shorts and an enormous grey sweatshirt that was falling half-off her slender shoulder. She crept to the door, unlocked it and yanked it open only to find –

An incredibly hot guy.

(He was also shirtless.)

Annabeth normally was pretty level-headed. She didn't ogle at Calvin-Klein models or giggle to her friends as they passed a cute young man. But seriously, this dude took the cake. He had these big, greenish-blue eyes fringed with thick black lashes, shaggy black hair swept to the side with a hint of gel, and a chiseled jawline and cheekbones. His toned arms added to the slender eight-pack, all tanned like he had just gotten back from a pool, though how he managed that in the dead of a New York winter Annabeth had no idea. She could tell it wasn't a fake tan; growing up in California she'd learned the difference between valid Vitamin D and a tanning booth.

He shifted, and Annabeth realized with a start that she was staring.

She also remembered she still had mayonnaise in her hair, and a plastic bag on her head, and incredibly tiny pajama shorts on.

Crap.

"Um, hi," she said awkwardly. Score: 0 to Annabeth, who manages to be awkward at any possible moment.

"Hey," the guy said easily. Annabeth wanted to hug his voice – it was deep and slightly raspy, like he had just woken up, and a heavy New York accent. "I, uh, this is my first night in my apartment – I mean, I live next door – like, I was wondering – um I mean I think my heat is turned off and I have no idea how to work the thermostat?" he finished in a rush, his perfect cheekbones highlighted in red.

Annabeth half-grinned, half-sighed. "None of the thermostats actually work. My friend gave me a big old radiator heater thing, which keeps at least one room in here cozy."

The guy grinned. "Well, that sucks. Um, were you eating something? I keep getting whiffs of mayonnaise. Or… something."

Annabeth bit back a groan. May as well completely ruin any respectable, smart reputation with her hot new neighbor now and get it over with. "Uh, I have mayonnaise in my hair, actually."

His brow furrowed. "In your hair?"

"Yup," Annabeth said, her patience beginning to run out. Gorgeous or not, this guy was beginning to get on her nerves.

He, apparently, didn't seem to notice. "Why?"

"Because I enjoy the scent so much I wanted to smell it wherever I go," Annabeth replied sarcastically.

"Really?"

"No, idiot. It's a mask, because I have curly hair and it gets very frizzy and dry in the winter," she told him.

His face brightened, and Annabeth swore he could have passed as a 6'2" five-year-old. "Can I try?"

Annabeth was past caring. In retrospect, it probably wasn't the smartest thing for her to do, invite a random guy she had literally met 5 minutes ago into her apartment, but at eleven o'clock PM and a half-finished Doctor Who episode waiting for her, she wasn't exactly thinking straight. "Why not? I'm sure mayo will look great in your hair," she said irritably, turning around and marching back through the door. The guy followed, talking non-stop.

"Wow, you're right, that heater does make a difference. I think my apartment must be about as warm as outside. Your paint color is different than mine, it's kind of a sickly green and mine's more of a turtle green. Is that your bedroom? Oh, wow, it is cold. Ask you friend where she got that heater 'cause I'm going to need one, I think." He paused when he got to the kitchen. "So… what's this for again?"

Annabeth had to grin. His endearing stupidity was doing something weird to her brain. "You wanted to put mayo in your hair, remember?"

His face brightened. "Oh, yeah!" He suddenly seemed to remember he wasn't wearing a shirt. "Um, all my clothes are either dirty or still at my friend's house, that's why I'm not wearing a shirt. And partly why I was cold. And I'm Percy Jackson," he finished, offering her a hand.

"Nice to meet you, now that you're in my house," Annabeth grumbled, but she shook his hand anyway. "Annabeth Chase."

"Your name is cool," he said politely, like a toddler complimenting his babysitter. "Just wondering, are you blond or brunette? I can't really see, uh, because your hair is under the bag."

"Blonde," Annabeth replied as she got the mayonnaise and a spoon. "Why?"

"That's what I thought," he said thoughtfully, as though trying to remember something. Then he grinned. "Now, how does this work? And what's it supposed to do?"

"Well, this is my first time trying it, but it's supposed to make your hair super soft and moisturized, and I have curly hair, so apparently it's supposed to make my curls look better?" she told him as she dipped the spoon into the jar and took out some of the sticky stuff. She smeared it onto her hands and approached him, grinning. "Now, let's just get some of this stuff in here…"

"Ugh, that feels so weird," Percy groaned, sounding nasal. "And it smells bad too. How long do we have to keep this in?"

"Well, it says for like 30 minutes, but if I wash my hair now it'll be a rat's nest in the morning. So let's both take showers tomorrow morning and see if it works," Annabeth reasoned as she finished smearing the oily stuff over his hair. (Okay, fine, she enjoyed touching his hair. Just a little bit. At least, before there was mayo in it.)

She handed him a grocery bag, which he fumbled tying around his head until she huffed and did it for him. He now resembled a half-naked chef, only a plastic bag instead of a chef hat.

"Thanks," he said sheepishly. "Well, I guess I probably should get back now?"

"Probably," Annabeth said, for some reason slightly unhappy that her bit of impromptu company had to go. "I'll probably take a shower at about 6:30 tomorrow morning, so, um… can I have your phone number so I can text you the results?" That was, like, the smoothest way to ask for his phone number ever, Annabeth. Great job, she scolded herself, feeling her cheeks heat up. "I mean, I know we just met so I guess if you don't want to – "

"What? Oh, yeah, sure, here's my phone, just put it in – " he said immediately, the signature smirk back on his face. "I was just trying to remember if I've seen you before. I feel like we've met before this…"

"If we had met, I definitely would remember," Annabeth muttered, glancing subtly (or not so subtly, sue her) at those abs again.

"The library!" he suddenly said as she handed him back his phone. "I saw you at the library. I mean, I see you at the library. I'm there on Tuesday afternoons, from like 2-5. I noticed you – you always sit at that table in the far corner, with the – "

"Vase of sunflowers on it," they finished together. "Yeah, I spend a lot of time there," Annabeth admitted. "If I'm not in class, I'm there. You go to NYU then? What's your major?"

"Marine biology," he said, slightly sheepishly.

"That's so cool," Annabeth answered, and she meant it. "I'm hoping to get some kind of degree in architecture."

"Interesting," he said, a twinkle in his eye. "I like the paradox. You know, dumb blonde taking one of the hardest courses."

"Don't. Even. Start," Annabeth said threateningly. "You don't know how many blonde jokes I have heard in my lifetime."

"Why was the blonde so pleased when she finished a puzzle in six months?" Percy sang.

"Percy Jackson, I swear I will murder you – "

"Because the box said 2-4 years!" he crowed, dancing around her.

"I'm not listening," squealed Annabeth, plugging her fingers in her ears. "Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream…"

"Why did the blonde…"

"Can't hear ya, Peach!"

His green eyes widened comically. "Did you just quote Finding Nemo?"

"It was my favorite movie as a kid, shut up," she squeaked, still holding her ears.

"Yup, you're definitely going to be my best friend," he said smugly. "So, what did the blonde say when she – "

"Oh my word, stop," she yelped, putting her fingers in her ears again.

By the time he was finally out the door, promising to text her after he took a shower and still spouting random blonde jokes, Annabeth was positive she might have found her best friend, too.

•

Idiot Jackson: Annabeth

Idiot Jackson: Annabethhhhhhhh

Idiot Jackson: I took a shower

Idiot Jackson: I smell like a ham sandwich still hellllllp

Annabeth nearly laughed out loud in class when a stream of texts from Percy came through. It was Monday morning, only 9 AM, and Annabeth was normally in a grumpy zombie state. Today, however, she was in a fantastic mood. She'd taken a shower at 5:30, after her early morning run, and her hair was finally completely dry, and wow. Her curls weren't greasy, but they felt like they had soaked in all the moisture the mayonnaise had had to offer. The smell had completely faded as her hair dried, and the curl she was now twisting around her finger was insanely soft and defined.

Okay, so maybe the mayonnaise had been worth it (in more ways than one.)

She quickly typed a response: Well, it wasn't my idea to put mayo in your hair. You have only yourself to blame.

Idiot Jackson: You let me in. Obviously this greasy mess is your fault.

She tried not to grin. Yeah, right, idiot. Keep telling yourself that.

Idiot Jackson: I will, thx for the sympathy

Idiot Jackson: What class are you in rn?

Uh, Art. Room #124 in building C. Why?

Idiot Jackson: When does it end?

Ten minutes

Idiot Jackson: ok just wondering no reason to know

She held back a laugh. Talk about subtle.

But she'd have been lying if she said she wasn't anticipating getting out of class. The second the bell rang, she grabbed her sketchbook and bolted out the door.

"Whoa, there, princess," said Percy as she ran into him. "Going somewhere?"

"First, don't call me princess. Second – wait, is that coffee for me?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"Yup. Wasn't sure what you wanted in it, but I kind of guessed you were a sugar, no-cream kind of girl, so that's what I put in," he answered, smiling.

Annabeth gaped. "Yeah… yeah, that's exactly how I like it. How the heck did you know?"

He laughed. "Last night as you were getting the mayonnaise out, I saw the inside of your fridge. It didn't have much in it, and cream did not make an appearance."

"What if I had just been out of cream?" she asked mischievously, sipping the dark liquid as they walked down the hall.

"Then I suppose I would go back to the cafeteria and get you some cream, princess," he said, tugging on one of her curls. "By the way, your hair looks great. Much better than mine, I think."

"Your hair looks fine," she told him, ruffling it for good measure. Though Annabeth at 5'9" was not short in the least, he was a good four or five inches taller than her.

She would have been lying if she said she didn't like how he could grin down at her.

•

-February-

At first it was just coffee. Percy picked her up after a particularly grueling class, and she drove straight to Starbucks she worked part-time at to get a double expresso with an extra shot of caffeine (shut up, it was a hard class.) They ended up talking so long that the barista, one of Annabeth's friends named Piper, made them leave.

He showed up at her apartment the next day with some math homework to get done, and his baby-seal green eyes pleaded with her to help him with it until she finally melted. (Fine, he was also wearing Finding Nemo pajama pants and a thin blue t-shirt that really hugged his torso in a nice way, okay?)

Within a few weeks, they fell into a routine – a weird, unprecedented, completely unexpected routine – but a routine nonetheless.

Mondays he would come with coffee for her after art. They'd talk for half an hour until their next classes, and that afternoon they'd often go running together. When they parted ways at the door of Annabeth's apartment Percy would say seriously, "Text me when you get home, 'kay?" and Annabeth would laugh and shut the door in his face, but texting him anyway a minute later.

Tuesdays they both had an hour between their second and third classes of the day, so they'd go to the Starbucks and drink frappuccinos even if it was snowing and throw straw wrappers at each other and sing along out of tune to whatever pop song was playing. Whatever barista was working that day (usually one of Annabeth's friends) would just roll her eyes and chuckle when Annabeth accidently put a piece of ice down Percy's back.

Wednesdays Annabeth had classes in the morning, and then she tutored other students in the afternoons for extra credit. Percy had classes in the morning and swimming practices in the afternoons (Annabeth went sometimes to watch his meets, if she was free; she now knew where he had acquired those muscles.) They'd go back to the apartment complex separately, and then Percy would show up at Annabeth's door with Chinese takeout and homework he had put off the entire week. She would roll her eyes, let him in and work on homework the rest of the night.

Thursdays Annabeth had no classes and she worked all day at the Starbucks. Percy would sometimes drop in, looking like a lost puppy and whining that "he never sees her anymore." Annabeth would just laugh and remind him how he spent more time at her apartment than he did at his own, only going back at night. He would grump a bit more, then blow her a kiss on his way out. She would blush and pretend to catch it.

Fridays were busy days for both of them, but at around six Percy would barge into her apartment, just as she was finishing dinner, with a carton of ice-cream and a movie. She'd act uninterested, but they both knew she would just end up spending the rest of the night doing homework not due until Monday, and really, where was the fun in that?

Saturdays Annabeth often woke up to Percy drooling on her couch after they'd fallen asleep after a movie marathon, and she'd shriek and shoo him off, trying not to show how cute he looked and how that strip of tan skin peeking from under his shirt affected her. They would sometimes go out for lunch, then work on homework the rest of the day.

Sundays they went to church – Percy's mom and stepdad, Sally and Paul, went to a small church on the outskirts of the city, and Annabeth tagged along (mostly because Percy's mom, Sally, was the sweetest person on earth and she would drag Annabeth and Percy home with her after church for a big lunch.) After Annabeth couldn't eat another bite and Percy was bright red from all the embarrassing baby stories his mom had told Annabeth, they would return to their apartment complex, though Percy basically lived in Annabeth's anyway. Keeping with tradition, Annabeth would do some kind of DIY hair mask and Percy would inevitably smear it all over himself, her face, and the counter. After the mess was cleaned up, they'd watch a couple episodes of a TV show or finish homework due the next morning. The night would end with Percy wrapping Annabeth in a bear hug (even though he usually still had some of the hair mask smeared on his clothes) and she'd squeal and tickle him, and they'd both be laughing when he finally left.

It was probably strange, Annabeth thought as she walked to class in the snow, how they had gone from not knowing each other to spending literally every day with each other. And their relationship worked – strictly platonic, no romance or anything of the sort. It wasn't that she'd say no if he eventually asked her to be his girlfriend or something – but she'd seen the looks from other girls on campus when they walked arm-in-arm down the hallways. She was completely out of his league, and she knew it.

Maybe it's better this way, she mused. Maybe it's good to know I don't have a chance, so I won't get my hopes up and then have them smashed. Percy was such a sweet dork that he probably wouldn't catch on for a while even if she did have a crush on him.

(She doesn't, she swears.)

•

-March-

Idiot Jackson: Annabeth

Idiot Jackson: Annabethh wake up

Her phone buzzed again, and Annabeth groaned sleepily. Percy was normally the one she had to drag out of bed on Saturday mornings, but today she felt, plainly put, like crap.

Her head felt like it had been microwaved, then thawed. Her throat was scratchy, raw, and sore. Her entire body ached, and she had been up half the night tossing and turning.

Her phone rang, the stupid duck-quack thing Percy had set as her ringtone when he'd stolen her phone a few days ago. She swore and groped for her phone on her nightstand without opening her eyes.

"You. Idiot," she croaked into the phone, grabbing onto the headboard as she pulled herself into a sitting position.

"Good morning to you too, sunshine," Percy said cheerfully on the other end.

"I can't… believe you woke me up," she groaned, pressing her hand to her throbbing head.

"Wait, are you sick?" Percy suddenly sounded alarmed. "Crap, I'm sorry, Annabeth. I had no idea. When did you get sick? Have you had anything to drink?"

"I don't know," she moaned, her head literally pounding and her heartbeat throbbing in her ears. "I just… want to sleep…" To her fuzzy mortification, she started crying.

"I'll be over in two seconds," he promised, and ended the call. Within a minute she heard the door unlock (they had exchanged keys), and him rushing to her tornado of a room.

"Hey," he said softly as he knelt by her bed. She just groaned, letting her phone drop from her limp fingers. "Annabeth, you're burning up," he murmured, brushing her sweaty hair from her flushed face.

"Head hurts," she muttered, taking a ragged breath.

"I'll go grab you some Ibuprofen," he said quickly, standing up and running to the kitchen. She heard him rummaging through her cabinets and filling a glass of water before returning to the bed. "Here, I'll help you sit up," he said gently, and Annabeth marveled at how his voice was so soft and gentle and unlike the ADHD Percy she normally knew. This was another side of him, and she rather liked it.

He supported her head as she sat up weakly and took the pill. Percy insisted she drink the entire glass of water, muttering something about staying hydrated and bringing her fever down. Knowing Annabeth's love of soundtracks, he put on one of her favorite instrumental songs, a piece called "Run Free" from the Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

The music wasn't what Annabeth would normally sleep to, but Percy's presence and the extra blanket he had grabbed from her closet seemed to push away the headache and relax her tightened muscles. Within a few minutes, the throbbing pain had faded and she fell asleep.

•

She woke up to Percy humming in the kitchen. It was dark, and her headache had mostly gone, so she shakily stood up and walked to the kitchen, wrapping her fleece blanket around her.

Percy was sitting at the kitchen table, shirtless, working on homework and singing along quietly to whatever song was playing in his earbuds. When he saw Annabeth in the doorway, he immediately stood up and marched towards her, enveloping her in a hug. "You shouldn't be out of bed."

Annabeth sighed in the warmth of his arms. "Sorry," she croaked. "Got lonely."

He grinned. "You slept all day, so hopefully you'll beat this bug pretty soon."

She nodded, feeling more and more tired as she stood.

"C'mere," he said, picking her up bridal-style, blanket and all, and carried her to the couch. She made a noise of surprise, but he just laughed at her. "You should have some more liquid," he told her importantly as he re-swaddled the blanket around her and moved her heater closer. "What's your favorite kind of tea?"

She smiled, enjoying the pampering she so rarely got. "Um, I like a lot of teas. But I think Lemon Zinger's the best."

"Really?" he asked as he ambled back to the kitchen and got out two mugs, filling them with water. "I thought you'd be more of a peppermint or, I don't know, chamomile kind of person."

"You really think I'm that boring, Perce?" she teased softly.

He flushed as he dumped the mugs in a teakettle – Annabeth's dad had given her a porcelain teakettle for a birthday present one year, and she kept it on the stove as a reminder of her home back in California. "Nah, just didn't know your favorite tea smells like your shampoo," he drawled. "Organization in all things, right?"

Annabeth laughed, then broke into a coughing fit. Percy rushed to grab her a glass of water and she accepted it gratefully. "Cough drops… in that drawer," she told him, pointing.

"Lemon cough-drops, too, Wise Girl?" he observed as he unwrapped one and handed it to her.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "Wise Girl?" she repeated, popping the cough drop in her mouth.

He stuck out his tongue. "We're best friends. We gotta have nicknames."

Annabeth tried to hold back a laugh. "We gotta?"

"Got to," he huffed. "See, you're proving my point."

"Maybe my personality rubbing off on you," she pointed out as the teakettle started whistling, ignoring the warm, happy feeling coursing through her aching body at Percy's proclamation of best friends. "You were actually working on homework before I forced you to. What's up with that?"

"You're much too good of an example, I guess," he grinned, pouring the tea. "Honey or sugar?"

"Honey's probably better for my throat," she told him. "So, what were you working on?"

"A report on kelp and the effect it has on the food chain," he answered, rather glumly, as he handed her a steaming cup of tea and took a sip of his own.

Annabeth savored the taste of sweet lemon on her tongue. "Interesting. Make any effect on your mind yet?"

"Nope," he replied, popping the P. "If anything it's just clogging my brain up."

Annabeth nodded distractedly, an idea blossoming in her mind. "Brain. Seaweed Brain," she blurted suddenly. "That's your nickname."

He raised his scruffy black eyebrows dramatically, causing her to giggle. "I like it, Wise Girl," he told her mock-solemnly. "Now, shall we watch a movie?"

"Certainly, Seaweed Brain," she answered primly. "I heard that new Disney one, Moana, is out on Amazon Prime now."

"Coming right up," he answered.

As the movie started and Percy wrapped his arms around her, already grinning at the first lines, she honestly thought maybe getting sick wasn't too bad after all.

•

-April-

"We have to," he said, crossing his arms.

Annabeth scowled, rubbing the goosebumps away. "It's April, Percy. Who goes swimming in April?"

"Me," he said stubbornly. "Besides, we're here at Montauk, might as well swim."

"More like get hypothermia," Annabeth muttered, digging her toes into the soft sand. A cool, salty breeze blew around her, setting her curls dancing. "Besides, I didn't even bring a swimsuit."

"Neither did I," he divulged, wiggling his eyebrows. "Skinny dipping?"

"Ew, no," she answered firmly. "Besides, we're here to start your end-of-year project, Seaweed Brain. Not swimming."

"But we just got here. And we're gonna be here for entire spring break. And we don't go on the fishing boat until tomorrow. Really, Wise Girl, what do we have to lose?"

"Our lives," Annabeth deadpanned.

His eyes, so like the sea behind him, softened. "It'll be fun, 'beth. Promise."

She groaned, knowing she had lost. "Okay, fine." She grabbed her oversized sweater by the hem and pulled it over her head.

"Wait, Annabeth…" Percy started, his eyes widening.

She fixed him with a look. "You want to go swimming or not?"

"Um, yeah, it's just – "

"I told you I didn't bring a swimsuit," Annabeth told him matter-of-factly. She stepped out of her ripped, short jean shorts, leaving on her heather-gray panties. "We're gonna have to make do." She pulled off her t-shirt, a rush of gratitude that her undergarments were actually matching today flooding her, and slyly glanced at Percy. He had turned his back with a blush.

"Alright, Seaweed Brain, clothes off," she said bossily, setting her abandoned garments in a heap on the sand. "I'm already cold and I'm not even in the water yet. Move it."

His face like a cherry tomato, Percy took off his worn blue hoodie and threw it onto the sand, then grabbed the neck of his thin navy t-shirt and shrugged it off, revealing the chiseled abs and toned biceps Annabeth would never get used to. She idly wondered why girls took their shirts off by crossing their arms at the hem, and guys took them off by grabbing the hem of the neck hole and pulling them over their head.

He stepped out of his cargo shorts and Annabeth burst out laughing. His boxers, though fitting his backside extremely well (in Annabeth's opinion), were sprinkled with little Nemo fish, with the words Under the Sea! in bright orange letters across the bum.

"Shut up," he said good naturedly, tossing his own clothes in Annabeth's pile. "You ready?"

Annabeth wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. "Yeah, I think so – wait, what the heck are you doing?" she squealed, as Percy suddenly grabbed her by the waist and flipped her over his shoulder as he ran down to the shore.

"Making sure you actually get in the water!" he yelled back, sand kicking up behind him as he sprinted.

"No, no, no, no, Percy, let me down right this instant, because if you don't I swear – oh my word – " her sentence was cut off by a mouthful of frigid seawater. She sank below the surface, the cold feeling like icicles at first, but fading as she got used to it.

She surfaced, coughing up water she'd swallowed and sending death threats towards Percy… who was, coincidently, nowhere to be found.

After thirty seconds of her ranting, shivering, cursing, and beginning to enjoy the water, she started to get worried. "Percy? Percy, listen, I know this is just a joke, but you're starting to scare me."

Another minute and she began to panic, diving into the murky water and trying to find him – anything. "Percy!" she screamed, the wind blowing cruelly against the water in her ears. "Percy!"

It had been so little time, yet she could feel panic welling up inside her.

What if she lost Percy?

She'd never really had anyone to count on in her life; her mom had died giving birth to Annabeth, and her dad had been wrapped up in grief and work most of her childhood. While she loved him, it sometimes felt like she barely knew him.

Friends had come and gone through middle-school and high school; most people Annabeth tried to spend time with, but her shy, bookish personality had never been hugely great at making friends.

She had never really realized what she was missing until she met Percy and spent time with his loveable, dorky personality. She loved his mom and step-dad and knew Percy's parents better than she knew her own.

And in the space of 60 seconds, it felt like all of that could just disappear.

She wasn't sure she'd even be able to cope if she lost her best friend.

She wasn't even sure if she wanted to.

Suddenly, something grabbed her foot and pulled her under. When she rose to the surface again, spluttering, there was Percy, grinning infuriatingly with that cocky half-smile of his.

"Looking for me?" he asked. She slapped him, hard, before turning around and making her way back to shore. His facial expression turned from smug to shocked to confused. "Wait, Annabeth!" he called, wading through the hip-deep water to her, easily catching up. "Why're you mad?"

She ignored him, furiously wiping away tears and praying if he saw her face he'd just think it was wet.

"Talk to me, Wise Girl," he tried again, putting his hand on her shoulder. She whipped around, throwing his hand off her.

"Talk to you? Talk to you?" she repeated, her fists clenched so tight she could feel her nails cutting into her skin. "I – I am extremely angry right now, and I'm not really in the mood to talk. I should probably, I don't know, cool down before I do something I regret."

"Why the heck are you so upset, Annabeth?" Percy said, his tone angry. Annabeth ignored him and sloshed closer to shore, the waves getting shallower. "It was just a joke!"

"Why am I upset?" she snapped, turning around again. "I'm upset because that was a freaking jerky thing to do. Because you just thought it would be funny to make me think you'd been hurt and there wasn't… there wasn't anything I could do… about it," Annabeth finished, trying in vain to disguise the fact that she was, indeed, sobbing. "You listen to me, Percy Jackson. I don't know what I'd do without you. And for a second I thought I'd have to find out. I don't ever want to find out."

Percy's face had completely softened. "Crap, Annabeth, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. "

She turned around again, crossing her arms again and wrathfully brushing away her tears. Annabeth stiffened as Percy's arms snaked around her from behind, and then relaxed in the warmth and security they offered. She hugged him, and the panic that had wedged itself into her mind a few moments earlier dissipated.

"I'm sorry," Percy muttered over and over again into her ear. She squeezed him, silently saying it was alright, she was alright, they were alright.

They both sloshed to shore and shook out their clothes, pulling them back on. Annabeth helped Percy get his sweatshirt over his head, giggling at the sand in his hair.

And if Percy twisted his hand with hers on the long walk down the beach that followed, and laughed that goofy, Seaweed-Brain chuckle as he stuck a little pink seashell into her salty, wind-dried curls – well, she wasn't complaining.

•

-May-

"Go, Percy!" Annabeth screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice joining the hundreds of others as they chanted. It was his final swim meet of the year, against a school they were huge rivals with, and Annabeth – along with Percy's closest guy friends, Grover, Jason, Nico and Frank – were all there to cheer him on.

He literally was a fish in the water, Annabeth had to admit. She loved going to his meets; the atmosphere and cheering crowds, the louds beeps and aqua water, and the smell of chlorine and wet towels seemed to hype up the excitement even more (if it was possible).

And yeah, the speedos Percy had to wear? Those weren't that bad either.

He had already done the 400 meter relay and the 200 meter butterfly stroke, absolutely destroying his rivals and coming out on top by full seconds. The first time she had gone to see him, Annabeth was amazed at how good he was, but now it didn't even faze her.

This race though, the 100 meter sprint, would be tough for even Percy, because the best swimmer for the other team was competing in it. He and Percy had gotten almost identical starting times, with Percy being only milliseconds ahead. Annabeth crossed her fingers, taking a deep breath to push down the nervousness she felt for her best friend.

The cheering intensified as the swimmers came out, dressed in their teams' respective colors. Annabeth waved furiously at Percy, not caring that her voice would be gone by the end of the night. His eyes found hers, and he grinned and waved back, blowing her a kiss. She pretended to catch it and sent him a thumbs up.

She watched as Percy and the other swimmers took their earbuds out and pulled on their swim caps and goggles. His face dark and brooding – Annabeth had teased him before about being a "junior Michael Phelps" – Percy stared at the water.

The ten-second warning beeped out. The eight swimmers competing stepped onto the diving blocks, poised, looking to the pool grimly.

Annabeth counted down in her head – six, five, four – saw Percy break his concentration to wink at her, smiled back at him – three, two –

One.

The buzzer sounded, and the swimmers dove into the water. Annabeth bit her lip as she saw Percy get a slow start into the water, probably because he'd winked at her. Her stomach twisted with worry, because Percy had to get this race, because there were probably professional scouts in the crowd looking for the next Olympic swimmer, and Percy could do it, he could –

The swimmers touched the end other the pool and turned around in the blink of an eye, the speed and swiftness unimaginable – Percy was behind the other guy, he couldn't make up the time –

And then, with a completely impossible burst of speed, he shot ahead and his fingertips grazed the wall and he was first –

Annabeth screamed for him, the crowd leaping to their feet and cheering because Percy, of course, had just set a new record for the school. She could hear Jason, Nico, Frank, and Grover yelling themselves hoarse, but she had to get down there.

She made her way through the crowds of screaming college students and teachers and friends and got down to the pool, where Percy was jumping up and down like a little kid with his swim team, his coach clapping him on the back proudly. He caught sight of her, a broad grin stretching across his face, and she launched herself into his waiting arms.

It might have been her imagination, but it seemed the crowd cheered even louder.

"I knew you could do it," she whispered into his ear as he spun her around, her arms clasped around his neck.

"You helped," he murmured, his smile flavoring his words. "I looked up, and you were there, and I knew you would be but just seeing you made all the difference."

She was laughing as he set her down, arms still around him. "But you had a slow start because you winked at me!"

"Nah, I was way more distracted before that, but you helped me settle down a lot," he told her. "And all during the race I was thinking about you, and then I saw that other guy ahead of me and I knew you wanted me to win. So I did," he shrugged, like it was no big deal.

She laughed and punched his arm teasingly. "No big deal? Only sponsorships and coaches and maybe even World Championships and then the Olympics – "

"Getting a little ahead of yourself here, Wise Girl?" he teased, bopping her on the nose as they made their way to the showers, the cheers of the crowd still ringing in their ears. "I'm just a sophomore, got plenty of time to figure all that out." He kissed her forehead. "You wanna go out with me and the guys for celebratory milkshakes?"

"Of course, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth answered.

He winked. "As much as I'm sure you like my outfit – " he gestured toward the speedo, "I should probably shower and get changed. Meet you and Grover and everyone outside in ten minutes?"

She nodded, squeezing his hand one last time before watching him walk to the showers, throwing her one last grin over his shoulder.

Her life felt like it couldn't get any better.

•

-June-

It could.

"You ready, princess?" Percy asked her, shouldering his backpack.

She winked and saluted. "Aye, aye, sir!"

"Then onward we roll," he said, facing the great unknown, a.k.a. the woods of New Hampshire.

She surveyed it with him. They stood on a small deck overlooking a large valley with mountains gathered around it. A sparkling river flowed through the wooded gorge and disappeared into the distance.

Annabeth checked her watch. "It's 9:30 right now. If we hike fast, I bet we can reach our campsite by six."

"Then let's go!" Percy shouted, running down the dirt trail, his backpack bouncing noisily. "Betcha can't catch me, Wise Girl!"

She rolled her eyes at his five-year-old personality, but ran after him anyway. "You know," she panted as she caught up to him, her feet already feeling constricted in her hiking boots. "We should be saving our energy. It's a long walk, and there's a lot of uphill…"

"Calm down, Wise Girl," Percy laughed, twirling around with his hands up as though basking in the summer warmth. The sun filtered through the early-summer leaves, birds chirped brightly, and she could hear a waterfall in the distance.

They walked for about thirty minutes in silence, simply enjoying the weather and each other's company, before they reached a fork in the trail.

"You know, I should probably check the map…" Annabeth announced, doubtfully glancing at their surroundings.

"Are we taking the orange trail or the blue?" Percy asked, chasing after a butterfly.

"For this fifth time, we're on the orange trail, Seaweed Brain," she told him bossily.

Percy pouted as he watched the delicate creature flutter over the river, out of reach. "Aww, I like blue."

She rolled her eyes, poking him. "You would."

"'Course I would," he said, sticking out his tongue. "But anyway, look at the sign on that tree. The orange trail is this way."

Her eyes widened. "Wow, Perce, you found something before me for once."

He grinned. "I know, my brain isn't completely stuffed with kelp, you know."

"Coulda fooled me," she teased, ruffling his hair. He tugged on one of her curls, pulled back into a messy ponytail.

Percy glanced at her as they resumed walking. "Can we stop for lunch soon?"

"We have a long way to go, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth answered, holding back a laugh. "Keep moving."

•

"Are we almost there?" Percy asked for what Annabeth thought must have been the hundredth time.

She rolled her eyes. "Probably about five more minutes."

"You said that like half an hour ago," he whined, dragging his feet like an unwilling toddler.

"This time I promise," she reassured him. "Can you hear that waterfall? That's what we'll be sleeping next to all night."

"I hope it doesn't rain," Percy said, glancing up at the dusky sky. "I knew we should have brought a tent!"

"A tent costs money, Percy, and neither of us has much of that," she pointed out logically. "Besides, it'll be fun, sleeping out under the stars."

"Yeah, but what if there are bugs?" Percy pointed out.

Annabeth shivered, momentarily picturing a huge spider crawling into her sleeping bag. "Well… it's the woods, Perce. There are gonna be bugs no matter what."

"Okay," he sighed. Then he looked up, his face brightening. "There's the waterfall!"

They ran to it, their weariness temporarily forgotten. It wasn't enormous, just the creek falling over a large rock, but the water was cold and clear, and Annabeth thrust her entire, sweaty face into the pool.

"Brrr," she spluttered, shaking her head and spraying water like a wet dog. Percy splashed her, and she squealed, standing up. "We'd better get started on dinner."

"I'll light the fire," Percy volunteered, taking off his weighty backpack with a groan. "Man, that thing is heavy."

"If you had drunk more of your water I packed for your, Percy, then it would be lighter," she scolded as she unpacked some of the food. "Let's see, do you want the cheesy pasta, or the tomato-ey kind?"

"Cheese," Percy said immediately. "I mean, as long as you don't want it."

"Don't worry, I love the tomato stuff," Annabeth smiled. She actually hated the pre-packaged meals in general, especially the tomato, but she'd rather Percy have it.

His face relaxed into a grin. "Annabeth, you hate tomatoes."

"Well, I mean, they're not so bad in pasta, and – " she fumbled, not expecting Percy to catch on that fast. "Dammit, Seaweed Brain, you know me too well."

Percy laughed and handed her the bag that held the cheese pasta. "It was kind of a test, 'beth."

"A test?" she asked indignantly, finally getting the fire started. Thankfully the last camper had left a large pile of firewood near the pit, so they didn't have to venture into the woods in the shadowy dusk to find any. "What do you mean, a test?"

"Yeah," Percy answered, pouring a bottle of water into a pot and lighting the portable stove they'd brought along. "You're so intimidating, and confident and just, I don't know, strong, but you give up so much. I mean, pasta is one tiny thing, but remember that time you pulled an all-nighter the night before your English exam to help me study? You should have gotten a good night's sleep, but you sacrificed that to help me."

Annabeth shrugged, feeling somewhat vulnerable that her best friend had caught on. "It's not a big deal," she told him as she tested the temperature of the water with her pinky finger and added a log to the now-roaring fire.

"Yes, it is," Percy insisted, looking intensely at her in a way that made her feel strange. "You give up so much for other people. Take your job, for example. Old lady doesn't like her drink? You make her another one, free of charge. Little kid accidently drops his cake-ball? You give him another and pay for it yourself."

"Anyone would do that, Perce." Annabeth shook her head as she poured the now-boiling water into Percy's bag of dry pasta. The spices swirled together, the scent swirling up in a cloud of steam. "You're making me sound like a saint, and you of all people would know that's pretty far from the truth."

"It's not that," Percy maintained stubbornly. "Annabeth… has anyone ever told you you're not worth it?"

Annabeth froze, her mind flashing back to a night many years ago. She'd only been about eight or nine, and had come downstairs late at night for a drink. She had peeked around the corner of her father's study, hoping to ask him for some milk, but had found him with his head in his hands, talking to himself. His words had stuck in her mind permanently.

"I miss you, Athena," he muttered, slumped in his chair. "I love our daughter, but she wasn't worth losing you."

She jerked herself back to the present and shook her head stormily. "Just – forget it, Percy," she snapped, stirring the pasta with more force than necessary. "It's not a big deal."

"I think it is," he said quietly, trying to catch her eye. She ignored him, staring stonily into the fire.

She heard him let out a long sigh, and then the only sounds she heard was the waterfall splashing and the fire crackling until she thought he'd fallen asleep.

All of a sudden, he scooted over to her until they were shoulder-to-shoulder. "I just want you to know," he whispered, leaning her head on hers, "that you're worth everything to me."

She leaned on his shoulder and took a deep breath, unsure of why there were fat tears rolling down her face, but not caring enough to brush them away. "Yeah," she breathed.

He cupped her chin, and for a blissful moment Annabeth thought he was going to kiss her. Instead, he wiped her tears away and pressed a long kiss to her forehead. "I love you," he murmured as he pulled back, "And that's not going to change. You are so, so important to the world, Annabeth, and if it were to lose you I really don't know what I would do."

She let a small smile break through, sinking into his embrace and smelling the mixture of wood-smoke and Old Spice that permeated his clothes. "Thanks, Percy," she said, her voice muffled by his shirt. "I… I love you too."

They relaxed in silence, listening to the crickets chirp and the cool breeze rustle though the trees for a few moments before Percy sat up. "Hey, you want dinner now?"

Annabeth nodded and grabbed both the bags of pasta and a couple of sporks. "I'm serious, though, you can really have the cheese," she told him, offering the bag.

He shook his head, his green eyes reflecting the flickering fire in the dark. "Let's share it."

She nodded again, unable to speak for the choking feeling in her throat, thinking that no words could express the inexpressible emotion warming her very core in that moment.

And later that night, as they lay under the stars in their joined sleeping bags, Percy's arm around her and listening to his soft snores, she decided –

This is what love feels like.

•

-July-

"Annabeth, come in the water!" Percy coaxed.

"No, thanks," Annabeth huffed, gently setting a bucket of seawater on the sand. "This castle won't build itself."

He trotted over, his tan chest shaking water over her like a dog. "Annabeth, that's insane," he said. "How the heck do you build that out of sand?"

She grinned at him, her teal sunglasses shading her sensitive gray eyes from the sun. "Well, first, I'm an architectural major, Perce. Second, your mom has a secret talent for building sandcastles."

He turned to Sally, chuckling. "Do you now, Mom?"

Sally Jackson pretended to look offended. "Don't you remember the hundreds of sandcastles we used to build on this very beach when you were a toddler?"

Percy pretended to consider. "Uh, that would be a no."

His mother rolled her eyes. "I'm so ashamed of you."

Paul joined the group, his salt-and-pepper hair damp and sandy. "Whoa, Annabeth, that sand castle is incredible."

She laughed, carefully using the edge of a plastic spoon to shape one of the spires. "Thanks, Mr. Blofis."

"You want to go swimming, Perce?" his step-dad asked, and Percy nodded enthusiastically before turning to Annabeth with puppy-eyes.

"Nope. Before you even ask, nope," she told him firmly. "I went swimming this morning and I'm still cold, even in this heat. You two go ahead."

"Fine, Wise Girl," Percy sighed, "but can we go to the pool after dinner tonight? We only have one more day till we have to go back to the city."

She laughed at his persistence, ignoring the knowing grins Percy's parents were sending each other. "Fine, Seaweed Brain."

"Awesome. Love you, Mom, Annabeth. See you guys later!" He and Paul ran whooping to the water, kicking up sand as they sprinted.

Annabeth watched them with a small smile on her face. "You love him, don't you," Sally observed softly.

Annabeth jerked around to look at the older woman. "What? I mean, yes, of course I love him, he's my best friend – "

"You know what I mean, Annabeth," Sally reproached, smiling.

Annabeth sighed deeply, scooting back onto her towel under the umbrella with Sally. The shade felt good after being in the hot sun for so long. "Yeah," she admitted softly, still watching Percy and Paul goofing around in the water. "Yeah, I love him."

Sally looked knowing. "But you won't tell him because…"

"Because… I don't know if he feels the same way," Annabeth said quietly. "And if he doesn't, I don't want to ruin our friendship."

"I think he does feel the same way, Annabeth," Sally told her. "He might not even know it himself – he's dreadfully dimwitted with these kind of things – but he does. The way he looks at you, the way he says your name, the way he kisses your cheek; Annabeth, you're truly special to him, and anyone with eyes can see it."

Annabeth grinned wryly. "Anyone but Percy himself, I think."

"I think he'll figure it out soon, Annabeth," Sally said thoughtfully. "Very soon."

•

"I'm bored," Percy said softly, eyes on the road. "Wanna play a game?"

"Sure," Annabeth agreed. "I wish we could stay longer in Montauk, though."

"Yeah, me too," he answered, glancing at the back seat of the van where his mom and stepdad were dozing. "So, whatcha wanna play?"

"Um… Would You Rather is fun," she offered.

"Sure. I'll go first." Percy thought for a moment. "Okay, I got one. Would you rather only be able to eat one food for the rest of your life, or only eat foods you've never eaten before for the rest of your life?"

"Mmm, that's a hard one," Annabeth hummed. "Probably eat new foods. I mean, most foods aren't horrible, and I'd get super tired of whatever food I picked if I chose to eat just one."

"Cool. I'd probably go with one food and eat blue cookies the rest of my life," Percy answered, grinning.

She stuck out her tongue at him playfully. "That's incredibly unhealthy."

"Who cares?" he teased, taking one hand off the steering wheel to poke her. "Your turn."

"Um… okay. Would you rather…" Annabeth considered. "Would you rather have 24 hours where you'd literally be perfect? Like, incredibly intelligent, able to do physically exerting things without getting tired, never having to go to the bathroom, not get sore or sick or anything like that – but then have to go back to normal life, now realizing what you're missing."

Percy nodded thoughtfully as they waited at a stoplight. "Go on."

"Or… would you rather spend 24 hours without something you're used to, like, I don't know, one of the five senses, or loss of a limb, or being extremely sore in a certain area of your body, or even something more emotional – say, forfeiture of a pet or a person you love. And then when the 24 hours are up, you go back to normal life with the realization of how good you have it."

Percy's face scrunched up in thought. "I'd have to really think about this one. What would you do?"

Annabeth considered. "I'd probably do the one where I have 24 hours of perfection. I'd want to know everything, and then write as much as I can down so I could benefit from it later even when my intelligence had gone back to normal."

"There's nothing normal about your intelligence, 'beth, you're already brilliant," Percy teased. His face turned thoughtful again. "Back to the question… I think I'd choose to live without something. Because while I love my life and my family," he gestured to her and his parents and she felt a warm feeling bubble up inside her, "I want to appreciate the time I have and the things I've been given as much as I can. And you always appreciated something more once you don't have it."

Annabeth nodded slowly. "Yeah, I see your point."

He took one hand off the steering wheel again and grabbed hers, squeezing it slightly. "I don't know if I could live without you, though, even if it's just for 24 hours." His words were joking, but Annabeth could sense the seriousness of his tone.

"Don't worry, Seaweed Brain," she told him affectionately. "I won't be leaving you anytime soon."

Of course, neither of them expected her to do just that.

•

-August-

When she first told him, Percy turned ashen. The blood drained from his face, and his hands started trembling. She couldn't stop her own tears, and he embraced her, sobbing into her shoulder, her hair blotting his cries and muffling his weeping.

Lung cancer, the doctors said. Too far gone to save her, to do anything about it but make her last few months as comfortable as possible.

She wasn't even sure how she had missed the signs. The last few weeks she had been nauseous and weak, but she'd thought it was just a bug. Percy had been with her a lot of the time, watching movies together, her reading Pride and Prejudice for the millionth time, only she'd read it aloud. Percy had loved the story far more than she had expected, and it soon became his favorite book as well as hers.

After almost two weeks of her feeling sick, Percy had convinced her to go to the doctor, but her appointment was scheduled for the day he had a meeting with his swim coach. He'd hugged her on his way out the door, apologizing profusely that he couldn't come to the appointment with her. She'd weakly laughed him off and drove herself to the doctor's office.

After numerous blood tests and scans and whatnot, they found a tumor in Annabeth's lungs.

She was going to die.

And now Percy was shaking, trembling in her arms, more vulnerable than she had ever seen him. His tears were hot on her face, and she hugged him fiercely, wanting him to know and understand just how much she loved him. She briefly wondered if he would be okay after she was gone; when he had calmed down a bit they sat down on her bed and talked for hours.

"You'll never… leave afterwards, right?" she asked him, with sinking dread knowing what his answer would be.

He took a ragged breath and looked away. "I – Annabeth, if you're not here I don't know if I want to stay."

"Listen to me, Perseus Jackson," she said fiercely, squeezing his hand so hard her knuckles turned white. "Just because I'm not here doesn't mean I ever want you to give up. I want you to live your life, to graduate and be a marine biologist or an Olympic swimmer or a – a husband and father. I want you to find someone to love and get married and have kids, because you're going to be an amazing dad. I want you to grow old and watch your kids grow up and retire and travel and just enjoy life, because – I'm realizing it so much now – life is such a gift, an incredibly complex gift, and if you ever decide to give up on it, you're throwing away a chance that a lot of people – me included now, I guess – will never get." She was sobbing again, and her words came out broken. "I want you to live… for me."

Percy's green eyes were shining again with tears, his thick black eyelashes wet. "Yeah, Wise Girl. I'll live for you."

"Promise?" she breathed.

"Promise."

•

-September-

It was raining.

Ever since she was little, Annabeth had loved the rain. Sitting in bed with a cup of tea and a good story always seemed so bookish, so far away from whatever problems she had to face in real life. Jumping in puddles was surprisingly therapeutic, and when Percy burst into her apartment with a couple of raincoats, umbrellas, and rubber boots, Annabeth couldn't resist, despite the doctor's orders to not get cold.

"Can't take too long of a walk, but I think we can manage this," Percy told her teasingly as he helped her put on the bright green raincoat.

She stepped outside and twirled around a few times for good measure, feeling the steady rain beat upon her shoulders and her feet dip into the cool puddles outside her door.

"Ready?" Percy asked her, taking her hand.

"Ready," she told him brightly, unfurling her baby-pink umbrella sprinkled with owls.

They skipped down the sidewalk, splashing through puddles and singing Disney theme songs (Annabeth's favorite was "I see the Light" from Tangled, and Percy's was, of course, "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid.)

They finally reached a little parking lot where a huge puddle sat, and they took one look at it, glanced at each other, and jumped at the same time. The result was an enormous tsunami of water and both of them being soaked.

Annabeth's hood had fallen back, and her curls were sopping from the rain and the puddles. Percy had dirt on his face and rivulets of water coursing down his cheeks, but they held hands and laughed at each other until he asked, out of the blue, "What is your favorite memory?"

A series of events flashed through Annabeth's mind, starting when she was little and those happy, rare days when her father was off of work and they'd sit and read by the fire for hours; the time she won a spelling bee in seventh grade and her entire English class had picked her up and carried her, cheering like banshees, off the stage; and then all her time spent with Percy – his swim meets, their coffee "dates", the movie nights and Sunday afternoons with Paul and Sally. Their camping trip and hikes and beach trips and the adventures to tiny, hole-in-the-wall Chinese places at 3 AM after a long study session. Those early mornings when he'd fall asleep, his mouth hanging open and drooling, on her bed after pulling an all-nighter before exams, the time it snowed three feet and they went sledding – and she realized, all her happiest memories were with her best friend.

"My happiest memories are just being with you, Seaweed Brain," she told him quietly.

He took a step closer to her, his arms around her waist. "Can I make another memory?" he asked, his spearmint-flavored breath ghosting across her lips and setting chills up her spine.

"Depends on what you have in mind," she said shyly.

And suddenly he was kissing her, and she couldn't function, couldn't think, couldn't move. He was part of her and she of him, and the rain poured down and lightning flashed and

it

was

perfect.

As he pulled away, Percy sighed, "You don't know how long I've wanted to do that."

"Can't be longer than I have, Seaweed Brain," she teased, still out of breath and not quite thinking straight.

"Ever since you quoted Finding Nemo, that first night I met you," Percy said seriously, and Annabeth burst out laughing.

"Leave it to you, Percy," she said, her giggles spilling out. "I've wanted to ever since you were teasing me with those blonde jokes."

He smiled and leaned his forehead against hers. "And that's the question, which came first?"

"I don't even remember," she told him happily. And when he leaned down for another kiss, the thoughts went even further from her mind.

•

-October-

"What movie you wanna watch tonight?" Percy asked her, flopping onto the couch.

"Perce, just because I'm not taking classes doesn't mean you aren't," she scolded. "Don't you have another essay to do by tomorrow?"

Percy suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Well…"

"Spit it out, Perce," she replied, grinning.

"Well, all my professors know you, either from other professors or students or friends or whatever – I mean, everyone knows who you are now, just look at all these." He gestured towards the mountain of cards and flowers piled on Annabeth's kitchen table. "And they know that we're together now, and that I spend a lot of time with you – "

"And?" prompted Annabeth, pulling her fuzzy blue blanket closer.

"And… one of my favorite teachers, this guy name Chiron Brunner, came and talked to me. He said that if I needed to not take as many classes, he was teaching some summer classes, and I'd be able to catch up with the rest of my class if I took those this summer," Percy finished in a rush. "So… I took him up on the offer."

Annabeth felt a rush of gratitude for her boyfriend. "So, no classes until…" The unspoken Until I'm dead hung in the air.

He nodded solemnly, squeezing her hand. "So we can spend a lot of time together," he whispered, his forehead touching hers. "I want to be with you as much as possible, Wise Girl."

She kissed him. "Me too."

He snuggled closer to her and started the movie – The Fault in Our Stars, one of Annabeth's favorite books – and for a moment, it felt like nothing had changed.

•

-November-

"Percy, you want to carve the turkey?" Sally asked hurriedly as she brought in yet another steaming dish. Annabeth inhaled, the scents of the huge dinner assaulting her nostrils. Turkey, stuffing, corn bread, sweet potatoes with blue marshmallows (courtesy of Percy), green-beans, corn casserole, pumpkin pies and apple pies graced the table, and eggnog and sparkling cider swirled in the cups and mugs.

"Certainly," Percy said with an awful rendition of a British accent. "Wait, actually, Paul, you'd better do it. I'll mess it up."

"Alright," Paul agreed, laughing.

Annabeth's stomach growled. The last few weeks she hadn't been eating much – she hadn't been hungry – and had lost about ten pounds, her formerly fit and athletic frame looking hollow and hungry all the time. Percy, bless his heart, tried to coax her to eat, but much of what she could force down came right back up again.

"Just one slice," she told Paul as he sliced the tender meat.

"One? But Annabeth, this is the best turkey in America!" Paul joked. "I'll probably be having half if the dang bird, if I can manage to eat it before Percy."

Annabeth smiled as Percy countered him, enjoying listening to the father-son banter. She knew that oftentimes the step-parent and child relationship could be awkward, but anyone looking at the two could immediately know they held that special father-son bond.

By the time they said grace and finally dug in, Annabeth's head had begun to hurt a bit, but she didn't mention it. Percy and Paul were now having a pie-eating contest; thankfully Sally had made six pumpkin and three apple, along with plenty of thick, homemade whipped cream and vanilla ice cream, so as soon as their plates were empty, she loaded them up again.

"That was delicious, Sally," Annabeth said an hour later, pushing back her plate. She didn't feel nauseous, which was a good sign, and she felt full for the first time in a long time. "You certainly outdid yourself this year."

"Yeah," Percy chimed in, while Paul clapped and called, "Hear, hear."

Sally laughed, her cheeks rosy. "You keep saying that as you do the dishes, Paul. And Percy, you and Annabeth have a safe walk back to your apartments, okay?"

"We will," Annabeth promised, getting shakily to her feet. Percy leapt from his chair and grabbed her coat for her, helping her get it on.

"Come again soon," Sally told them warmly at the door, planting kisses on Annabeth's and Percy's cheeks. "We love having you."

"As long as you don't make so many dishes next time!" Paul yelled from the kitchen. "I'm looking at you, Percy!"

They laughed, bidding farewell to Paul. Percy turned to Annabeth. "Would you like me to get the car heated up before you get in?"

"Oh yes, thanks, Seaweed Brain," she told him, her teeth chattering as she stood in the doorway.

"Come back in where it's warm until he gets back, Annabeth," Sally told her.

She smiled. "Thanks, Sally. For everything."

"You know what, I think we're much too formal," the older woman said, chuckling. "Call me Mom. Heaven knows you're the daughter I never had."

That sent Annabeth's already fragile feelings into a storm of tears, and she threw her arms around the other woman, thanking her. Sally held the girl tight, and Annabeth felt truly this was the woman she could call her mother.

When Percy met them at the front door again, ready to get Annabeth to the car, he looked rather puzzled as to why both women had red-rimmed eyes and smiles on their faces. "I'll tell you later, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth whispered after one last goodbye to Sally.

They crunched through the snow to the car, the cold biting but crisp. Percy kissed her deeply before opening the passenger door of the car for her.

"Love you, Annabeth," he murmured as they pulled onto the highway.

She squeezed his hand, a goofy little smile pulling the corners of her mouth. "Love you too, Percy."

•

-December-

It was a couple weeks later, only a few weeks before Christmas, that Annabeth was reading The Fault in Our Stars (again) and was struck with a quote. She'd heard it before, but it had never struck her so hard.

The quote read, "There's no way of knowing that your last good day is Your Last Good Day. At the time, it is just another good day."

That was Annabeth's last good day.

That night, she woke up choking and coughing, unable to breathe. Percy scooped her up and they rushed to the emergency room, where she was hooked up to countless IVs and breathing tubes. In her fog she heard Percy claim he was her husband so he could stay in the room with her, and she smiled foggily, wishing it was true.

All night long, he held her hand, whispering comforts in her ear as nurses bustled and machines beeped. Her father, who had been calling Annabeth almost every day since she told him she was ill, called Percy to say he was at the airport in L.A., hopping the soonest flight to New York. At about 4 AM, Sally and Paul burst in, dark circles under their eyes. Worry lines pierced through Paul's forehead, and Sally bit her lip so hard she drew blood.

She slept fitfully, the drugs and medications helping with the flaming pain in her lungs, oxygen machines assisting with her every breath.

At 8 AM she finally woke up for good, chuckling slightly. Percy had fallen asleep with his head in her lap, drooling on her bedspread. She refused to wake him, knowing he had probably been up most of the night already, but at her gentle stirrings he sprang from his position.

"Annabeth? You're awake?" he asked, tears flooding those sea-green eyes. "I didn't think you were going to…"

She smiled softly at him, pulling her oxygen mask up a bit so she could talk. "You drool in your sleep."

He laughed, relief pouring from his stiff-looking shoulders in waves. "I probably do, Wise Girl."

"You most definitely do, Seaweed Brain," she told him bossily before setting the mask back down again.

He took her hand and squeezed it, that old familiar gesture they'd mastered, and Annabeth knew no more words were necessary.

•

-January-

She couldn't breathe.

It was fire, fire in her lungs, in every breath, saturating her nostrils, her head pounding. She couldn't eat – not even the feeding tubes could make food stay in her emaciated body – and the pain wracking through her limbs was enough to make her want it to be over.

She opened her eyes, seeing her father, Percy's parents, and Percy himself standing over her. Percy was sobbing, his handsome, normally cheerful face twisted and wet, his green eyes bloodshot. She wanted to reach up and kiss him, tell him everything would be alright.

But she couldn't.

She could just barely hear him talking, and the buzzing in her ears faded as she struggled for breath, struggled to hear what he was saying.

"…And you're the most amazing person I've ever met, and I don't know what I'm going to do without you, but I won't give up. I'm going to grow up, finish college, maybe go to the Olympics like you wanted me to. Maybe I'll even get married and have kids, because you said I'd be a great dad and I want to make you proud. I'm never giving up, you hear me, 'beth? Because," – she could hear the broken, sobbing laugh in his voice, and it cut through her – "life is a gift, remember?"

He leaned closer to her, and she tried to reach to him, but she couldn't find the strength o lift her arms. So she squeezed his hand instead, that one gesture saying I love you. It's going to be okay.

Percy's voice choked on his tears as he gazed into her eyes. "I love you, Wise Girl. And I'm going to live for you."

Those were the last words she ever heard.

And so the life of Annabeth Chase ended.

•

She'd done a lot of things in her life.

She cut her hair when she was eleven, and never made that mistake again. She won the state-wide spelling bee at age twelve, and read through the entire book of Les Miserable, almost fifteen hundred pages, at age thirteen. She graduated valedictorian at age seventeen, and got accepted to her dream college at eighteen. She was top of her class at age nineteen.

Twenty was her last year, and her most important.

At age twenty, she decided to put mayonnaise in her hair, and because of it, met a young man.

(And he changed her life.)

At age twenty, she fell in love.

At age twenty, she had her first kiss.

At age twenty, she was diagnosed with cancer.

At age twenty, she died in the arms of her closest friend.

(Some would even call him her soulmate.)

But the shortest lives often burn the brightest, and those closest to them fuel it.

And Percy Jackson – well, he had been her fire.

•

-Ten Years Later-

A man stands on a grassy hill, in front of a grave. It is early January, and though there is no snow, the bitter cold seeps through his coat.

He holds a letter in one hand and something else in the other. After staring at the grave for a long time, he approaches the headstone.

Annabeth Chase, the delicately carved letters read.

His head drops and his shoulders slump, and he brushes away tears impatiently before setting the letter and the other object at the base of the stone. He smiled – a brave, broken smile – and walks away, head higher and shoulders lighter than before.

His grief is there, but not so heavy, now.

The letter flaps slightly in the winter breeze.

Dear Annabeth, it begins.

It's been ten years exactly since you died. That was the worst time of my life. I could barely cope – I promised to live for you, I know, but it was so incredibly hard living without you. I spoke at your funeral, but I wasn't able to get out much before my mom had to finish reading my speech.

I mean, when something's a part of you and it's suddenly ripped away – it's so, so hard to move on.

I went home that night and watched The Fault in Our Stars. Remember how you'd always cry at the end, even though you knew the ending anyway? When I first watched it in high school, I never cried.

I was sobbing like a baby before the movie was halfway through.

But, you know, I realize now why you loved it so much. It was the embodiment of someone who knew what you were going through, combined with a great love story and insanely beautiful quotes and philosophical advice, all bundled up in a gorgeously written movie (or book – I read that too, believe it or not.)

I trained hard that summer. Really hard. I took the extra make-up classes for Marine Biology and got a degree in that, but also continued on the swim team. Eventually some top-league person spotted me at a meet, and one thing led to another and I got to the 2020 Olympics, finishing with three gold medals, two silver, and four bronze. The coach I was working with, Gleeson Hedge, told me I could continue in swimming, but I was done.

I went back to NY and a few months later, met a girl named Rachel at a Save the Dolphins protest my friend Grover made me go to. You would have loved her, Annabeth – all fiery-red curls and these light green eyes and freckles. She loves art and working to save the environment, and was super interested in the whole marine biology thing, so we began to hang out a bit more. About six years ago we started dating, and a couple weeks ago we celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary.

We have twin three-year-old girls, Elizabeth (Rachel's middle name) and Annabeth. They both have curly hair, though Ellie's is black and Annie's is strawberry-blond. They also both have these big, bright green eyes and love reading with their dad (yes, you created a bookworm out of a dyslexic!) and painting with their mom. I work at the Ocean Center in downtown NY now, and Rachel is a graphic designer and works at home so she can be with the girls.

We have a good life.

I think, all in all, I just wanted to say I love you. I will always love you, and you still own a piece of my heart. I'm so glad I invited myself into your apartment that night (I promise I've gotten politer since then!) and that you quoted Finding Nemo at me. I'm thankful for our memories together.

I also wanted to tell you I lived for you. Remember that night on the way home from Montauk, and we played Would You Rather? I remember not wanting to live without you, and thinking that I never could.

I don't think I would have if you hadn't made me promise to live for you, and for that I will be forever grateful. I try now to look at everything in life like this is the last day I could have it, because appreciating something while you have it is so much better than missing it when it's gone.

I love and miss you, Wise Girl.

Love, Seaweed Brain.

And so the letter ends, left by the headstone and fluttering in the wind.

The only thing holding it in place is a jar of mayonnaise.

•

If you got to the bottom of that, I applaud you. :)

Thank you so much for reading, and please leave a review!

WM