It was a week after the Giant War, and Camp Half Blood was slowly returning to normal. It turned out that Romans were quite good at partying. Frank, Hazel, and Reyna had to go back to Camp Juniper, but they promised to visit, and vice versa from their friends in CHB.

"I'm still wondering what I'll major in when we go to college in New Rome," Percy commented, turning to look at Annabeth.

"Surfing wasn't good enough for you?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I could totally be a Greek history professor or something," He mused. "I think surfing's more of a seasonal thing anyways."

"You could teach the language, too." Annabeth suggested. They both smiled at the thought of Percy trying to be a teacher.

"Well, everyone knows that's you're going to be an architect, unless you've been pursuing your secret dream of being a tap dancer." Percy smirked.

"Stand up, Seaweed Brain, you're a comedian." She rolled her eyes now, seeing Percy stick his tongue out at her. "You're never going to get any more mature than this, are you?"

"Anyone who can legitimately say that their nosebleed nearly destroyed humanity can never be a completely mature person."

"True, that." They watched the campers bustle around for a moment. Memories of years past hung in the air, forever to stay. Piper and Jason were practicing sparring nearby. They looked incomplete without the constant presence of Leo at their side. The Seven were split up now, all in their own worlds. Annabeth felt a pang of loss and saw Percy looking like he felt the same.

"Travis! Stop painting my flowers!" Katie ran past them, chasing of one of the Stoll brothers.

"Sorry Katie-Cat!" He yelled, laughing. Annabeth sighed and shook her head, smiling. It was about time those those hooked up.

"I wonder what happened to Calypso," Percy said suddenly. "Maybe Leo did find her. I don't think that kid's dead, I really don't."

"We can't be sure until Nico is powerful enough to officially check." Annabeth didn't want to get her hopes up.

"Where is he, anyway?" Percy looked around. Annabeth didn't know how he felt about Nico crushing on him in the past. She couldn't imagine how strong the son of Hades must be, to have endured so much, and couldn't feel anything but respect for the boy who used to like her boyfriend. She followed Percy's gaze. Nico was talking to Lou Ellen, but saw them watching him and waved, casting a nervous glance at the infirmary before jogging over.

"Hey," He greeted them. "I'm definitely sure that there's something up with Valdez's supposed death. I'd look into it, but I'm kind of restricted from doing anything right now."

"Hi. Thanks for an update on Leo. So, um, you're healing well?" Percy looked a bit awkward as he attempted to appear as though nothing had changed between them, but Annabeth knew that he felt guilty for not noticing Nico's feelings and having a talk with him sooner.

"Yeah." Nico saw Percy's hesitancy and faltered before opening his mouth to say something when he was interrupted.

"Nico di Angelo, I told you not to go running around when you aren't a hundred percent yet!" Will Solace, head of the Apollo Cabin and Annabeth's healer during the Titan War, marched up to said boy.

"I'm not running around, Will!" Annabeth expected to see annoyance Nico's face, but he simply shrugged and let himself be led away. "See you guys around."

"Do you think…?" Percy gestured at the two of them, polar opposites in almost every way.

"Yes, I'm pretty sure." They shared a knowing grin.

"Come on, I've got to show you something." He took her hand and walked with her over to the lake, where no one was watching them.

"What?" Annabeth bent down to touch the sparkling water with a finger, causing ripples to emanate from the point of contact.

And then Percy kissed her, his arm wrapping around her waist. She melted into him, breathing in the scent of ocean air that seemed to hang around him constantly. When they broke apart, she was so distracted by his smirk that she didn't notice that he was forming a water ball in his hands behind his back until he dropped it on her head.

"Hey!" She splashed some water at him in retaliation, but he annoyingly didn't get wet. He dried her off with a wave of his hand, smirking. They snapped to attention when the sound of someone's footsteps hurrying towards them.

"I'll bet you fifty drachmas that there's a monster." Percy said so quickly that Annabeth couldn't protest.

"The Minotaur is in the woods, just outside of camp boundaries!" Juniper, Grover's girlfriend, ran over to them, looking shocked. "Follow me!"

"The Minotaur? I killed that thing twice already!" Percy sighed, uncapping Riptide and following her. Annabeth ran beside him, taking out my dagger that she had been given from Nyssa, Leo's sister.

We found it in a clearing, knocking down trees. When it saw us, it roared, glaring at Percy with undisguised hatred. "Happy to see him again?" Annabeth yelled at it. Percy dove at it, but instead of just cutting it apart, his landed on it's back. He was almost immediately thrown off, hitting his head on the branch of a nearby pine. He didn't get back up.

Annabeth ran at the monster, dodging a swing of its fist and stabbing it right in the chest repeatedly in an uncharacteristically violent way. She didn't even stay to watch it disintegrate, she just ran to Percy's side. "Seaweed Brain, are you okay?" She knelt over him, touching his forehead where it had met the wood.

"Ow." He opened his eyes.

"What were you thinking?" She snapped, relieved and angry at the same time.

"I wanted to ride it like a mechanical bull." This made Annabeth pause.

"Are you serious?" She helped him to his feet, and he brushed dirt off of his shirt.

"Sadly, yes. Bad decision-making on my part." He laughed weakly.

"You are such an idiot." Annabeth shook her head at him, unable to stop herself from smiling as she sheathed her dagger.

"That's why I have a wise girl to help me."

A/N: Okay, thanks for reading my first fanfiction, constructive criticism welcome.