Percy Jackson is utterly untouchable. He walks the halls of Goode High School like a god. His aura grabs people in, and sends them running the other way just as quick. Percy Jackson is the modern day equivalent of a saint, and no one dares to taint him. That is, until Annabeth Chase transfers to New York. She is the only person who sees the seething blackness in the center of the pure blinding light of his soul. AU.

Percy Jackson was absolutely positive that he was the clumsiest person in all of New York. In a city where masses of people walked in unison with complete practiced ease and self-assured purpose; the weak were trampled. Unfortunately for Percy, he was anything but graceful and driven by purpose. He learned the hard way that aimlessly walking on main streets ended with bruises. And don't even get him started on trying to take a jog. He still had frightening flashbacks of being surrounded by expressionless faces as he was harshly guided and stripped of all control and sense of direction...

The point being, Percy learned his lesson. He had taken to traveling through alleys and back roads that avoided Manhattan's attractions and businesses. He knew the city like the back of his hand.

In those secluded sidewalks was where Percy was now. He climbed out of his self-deprecating thoughts to deal with his current situation.

"Sorry!", he blurted automatically to the latest victim of his clumsiness.

He looked down at the blond girl sprawled out on the concrete with concern. She didn't look injured to him. Her gigantic and thick winter coat had probably absorbed most of the impact. She was laid out flat, arms splayed out from her cartoonish attempt to catch herself. She was resting the back of her head against the ground, with her shining blond hair flared out around her head, like a halo. She stared up at him with perplexed eyebrows, eyes bulging out in indignant disbelief. Her mouth was open in shock, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her breathing was hitched due to the cold and the little clouds from her exhales were appearing and disappearing in rapid succession.

"How did you even manage to do that!?", she sputtered out, trying to catch her breath.

She was starting to overcome her shock as she evaluated the most reckless runner she had ever encountered. She had been leisurely walking, admittedly not paying much attention to her surroundings, as she took the new city in. The next thing she knew, the guy who had been running to the direction of her left was suddenly in front of her. Then approximately 6 feet above her as she found herself looking up at him. From the very hard ground.

"S-sorry", he offered again. He is such an idiot.

"It was an accident", he tried to explain. His ears were rushing with blood, embarrassment tinting his sight. He ran his hand through his hair bashfully. Was there anything he couldn't mess up?

This time he remembered the manners his mother taught him. He held out a hand to help her up. She had been scrutinizing him with suspicious eyebrows. That was when he noticed her eyes. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed them before. They were a startling grey, contrasting beautifully with her tan skin and golden curls. The grey shone as fiercely as silver, making a chill travel up his spine. Her flawless skin was flushed, most noticeably in the curves of her cheeks and the tip of her nose. He briefly processed how beautiful her voice was, even when enriched in anger at him. He drowned out the thought that he had just bulldozed an angel. His ADHD brain was taking in every detail of her as he simultaneously wondered where she was from. No one in New York had a tan like that. And he had especially never met someone with eyes like hers. He felt like she was looking through him, reading his mind and digging through his past.

He looked away.

Annabeth was absolutely positive that she had just been run over by the most beautiful person in all of New York. What started out as an assessment of the guy who ran her over, to see if he was a threat, soon became a selfish examination. From what she could see past his jogging gear of a sweatshirt and sweatpants, he was in shape. His broad shoulders tapered down to his trim waist in a triangular shoulder-hip ratio that was entirely unfair. He had perfectly tousled black hair that clearly came naturally, even when sweaty from his run. He had a deliciously sculpted jaw that complemented his angular greek nose. His pouty red lips contrasted beautifully with his slightly olive-toned skin. He was anything but threatening. His whole face was pinched in concern as he looked down at her, assessing her for injuries, lingering a little too long on her face. She felt guilty as her outburst caused him to physically recoil and stutter out another apology. But what really caught her attention, were his eyes. They were the most vibrant blues and greens that she had ever witnessed. Not even the ocean could compete with the lively depths of his irises. She was utterly entranced, as they seemed to swirl, pulling her in. Then he directed his eyes away from her own, and she was once again aware of the cold around her and the ground beneath her. She then noticed his outstretched hand, probably offered to her a long time ago, but she was too enamored with his looks to notice. She blushed and took his hand.

He was startled out of the recesses of his mind as he was reminded that he had been standing there with his hand out the entire time. He felt like a complete dumbass, awkwardly standing over a girl he had just pushed to the ground. What was wrong with him? He heaved her to her feet, not really noticing that her face was even redder than before.

"Thanks", she said, as she was finally off the ground.

She found herself face to chest with her… her what? Attacker? She was suddenly burning with the need to know his name. She looked up into his eyes again.

"What's your-"

"I'm really s-"

They had both started talking at the same time. They simultaneously blushed as they exchanged embarrassed smiles.

"Anyways", she started once it was apparent that he wasn't going to speak first. "I was trying to ask what your name was".

"I'm Percy", Percy replied hesitantly. His eyebrows creased in confusion. Why would she want to know his name after he just assaulted her.

"I'm Annabeth", Annabeth answered, even though he didn't ask. She was used to taking charge.

"Well, Annabeth", he began, testing her name out on his tongue. He wouldn't have expected anything less than a completely unique name for a completely unique person. "For what it's worth, I am really sorry about running into you"

"Yeah, I got that", she replied dryly. "Now How exactly did you run into me" "Percy", she tacked on, following the same thought process as him.

"Well, I-I…", he stuttered again. He flushed again.

"I kind of just remembered that I forgot my mom's birthday", he finally explained. He mentally added another again to the end of his sentence. Annabeth doesn't want to know about his problems.

"And that caused you to lunge at me?", she asked teasingly. She was enjoying his discomfort way too much. Her tone was devoid of menace and she was smiling at him, but he still flinched back.

"Sorry", he whispered, his head drooping down to stare at his shoes.

"You can stop apologizing", she assured him. She didn't want to see that dejected look on his face ever again.

"Sorry", he said again, reflexively. He was used to blaming himself.

She sighed

"Sorry", he said again, for causing her more distress. He still hadn't looked away from his shoes. He doesn't understand why she hasn't left yet. He's done nothing but spoil her day.

"Percy", she said quietly. He looked back up at her then. "I forgive you"

He was about to apologize to her again, just for good measure, but didn't get the chance. She had covered his mouth with her hand, effectively preventing him from saying that word again. He stared at her with wide eyes, awaiting her next words.

"New Rule", she said to him, looking weightily into his eyes. "No more apologizing to me"

He nodded mutely, her hand moving with him. With her grey eyes piercing through his, he would have agreed to anything she said. She dropped her hand. He immediately misses the warmth of her palm, and she immediately misses the softness of his lips pressed against her hand.

She clears her throat.

"Do you need to get her a present?", Annabeth asks, taking hold of the conversation again.

"What?", he replies dumbly.

"Your mom", she reminds him. She gets the impression that he forgets things often.

"Oh-oh right", he says, remembering why they were both here right now. He then remembers that she asked him a question. "I do. Need to get her a present, I mean"

She nods thoughtfully.

"Do you need help?", she offers.

She doesn't fully understand why she wants to help him so bad. He was like a magnet, pulling her in, with his eyes, and everything else about him. It may be because she finds him attractive, but she knows it's mostly because she genuinely wants to get to know him better. What causes someone to feel the need to apologize so much? He seemed to feel repentant for simply existing, and it made her heart contract painfully to think that someone would feel that way.

"Do you mean-like...you… you would help me", he says in disbelief. "After I just charged you to the ground?"

He couldn't seem to be able to get over hurting her. He refused to grasp the idea of someone wanting to help him. Spend time with him even.

"It's not like you actually hurt me", she tries to reassure him.

He doesn't look convinced. He's looking away from her again. She stops a sigh from escaping her mouth, and tries a different approach.

"Besides, while we're shopping, you can buy me some coffee; if it'll make you feel any better"

He perks up at that.

"I think that can be arranged", he agrees. He congratulates himself on not stumbling over his words this time.

"The mall?", she suggests. He readily accepts her choice. As she turns around and heads toward the main streets, he follows her. It's a bit concerning how easily he relinquishes control. She then realizes a very crucial detail.

"Percy", she says, grabbing the attention of the boy following her.

"Hmm?", he asks, looking towards her.

"Where's the mall?", she asks innocently. He stares blankly at her for a second.

"You don't know where the mall is?", his voice heightened in mock horror.

"I'm from San Francisco. I just moved here last week", she reveals.

Percy's suspicions are verified. That's one mystery solved. Now if she could just answer the mystery of why she's wasting her time with him.

"Umm, well… welcome to New York", he says in a small voice, spreading out his arms unimpressively.

And she bursts out laughing because their situation was not anything she could have imagined when she thought about New York. The cute boy, sure. The cute boy literally running into her, and landing her on her ass; not so much. Going with said cute boy to buy his mom a birthday present, as he welcomes her to his city like he just did; the most surreal joke ever. And soon he's laughing with her because he finds her laughter infectious. And soon she's laughing hysterically because his laugh is the most beautiful sound she has ever heard, and she can't deal with that right now.