Hey everybody! It's been a while. I know a lot of you (if you're even still there) have been pushing me to write more for A Growing Smile, but it's been a couple years across the whole story and I'm terrible at finishing anything but one-shots. On top of that, I'm really busy. I'm still thinking about it and definitely not wishing to abandon it, but I'm afraid I can't make any promises.

Anyway, this story popped into my head while I was whistling (go figure). I like to whistle when I'm happy and doing other things. I suddenly remembered that I've met a couple people who really don't like whistling or can't whistle at all and I wanted to do something cute with that. So, The Whistler was born. I hope you really like the finished product.

Enjoy! :)

Athena was craving something sweet and Annabeth was not opposed to stopping at the nearby candy shop. It was a small shop filled with all kinds of treats. Some treats were things Annabeth saw regularly in stores and some of them were rarer and harder to come by. It had always boggled Annabeth's mind to wonder how candy shop owners got their hands on such surprising sweets.

Her mother was telling her all about the daily aggravations of her job and how obnoxious it was to work with stupid people. Annabeth didn't pretend to know much about Athena's job, other than that she worked at a law firm in a leadership position. She patiently listened to her mother complain, not wanting to interrupt and have her mother think she didn't care. But then came that whistling and it filled her mind until she was almost unable to hear her mother anymore.

Athena was eventually distracted enough herself by the whistling. She did not appear pleased to have her train of thought interrupted by the sound. Together Annabeth and Athena peered around the aisle to find their whistler was a boy around Annabeth's age who was mopping the floor as he listened to music through his blue earbuds. Annabeth's inability to assess the tune made a little more sense now. He was probably whistling the tune of whatever he was listening to.

The boy wasn't very tall, average at best, and he looked smaller leaning over a mop. His hair was a jet-black mop of its own that swept into his piercing green eyes. It appeared that he worked with his hands a lot because pale scars dotted his olive skin all the way from his shoulders down to his hands. He wore a baggy blue T-shirt and faded jeans. Clipped to the waste of his pants was an mp3 player that he tucked his shirt behind. He also had one of those smiles on his face that you would be tempted yourself to smile at the sight of. And he was whistling happily.

Annabeth thought it was pleasant, until her mother came in and derailed it. "Whistling…" Athena scoffed. "...what a waste of time." She rolled her eyes and went back to searching the shelves.

"Waste of time?" Annabeth inquired, seeming to notice that this appeared to be a little bit of a personal pet peeve to her mother. "He's just enjoying himself."

"Whistling is a carefree activity." Athena told her. "People who whistle are caught up in their own heads, unaware of the world around them, ignorant of the consequences of reality."

"I think it's nice." Annabeth admitted, as she glanced across the shelves.

"Nice?" Athena laughed. "Quite a few people can't stand the sound of whistling. While that boy may be enjoying himself, the rest of the world could be upset at his obnoxious way of showing it and he would be blissfully unaware."

"You make it sound selfish." Annabeth noticed.

"Excellent observation." Athena told her, nodding. She picked a bag off the shelf and quickly made her way to the front counter. Annabeth choose some Twizzler bites, because she didn't feel like being adventurous today. She couldn't help but notice her mother's anxious discomfort, as if she wanted to be out of here as soon as possible.

Annabeth slapped her Twizzler bites on the counter and Athena leafed through her purse while the beautiful brunette woman at the register told her the total. The woman's name-tag indicated that her name was Sally. Sally was a short woman with slowly graying hair, bright blue eyes, and smile wrinkles. She appeared to be a mostly happy woman and she had a gorgeous smile that compelled Annabeth to smile as well. "Hello." She greeted, and she had just as melodious a voice as Annabeth had imagined.

"Hello." Annabeth returned, offering her a subpar smile at best. Athena paid Sally in cash, who carefully took the money and counted.

"Alright, let me just get you your change." Sally said, pressing a button on the register. The drawer didn't seem to respond and Sally knitted her eyebrows together in frustration. This must have happened a lot. "Percy, dear." She called, suddenly. The whistler emerged from one of the aisles and walked up to Sally. Annabeth couldn't help but notice her mother's condescending gaze at the sight of him.

"Yeah, Mom?" The boy asked, yanking a bud out of his ear and flashing a bright smile at Sally. Annabeth was a little surprised, since Sally and the boy (Percy, apparently) looked so phenomenally different in appearance. They did share that incredible smile though, and those bright eyes.

"Could you help me with the register, please, sweetheart?" Sally wondered. "I can't get the darn thing to open again." Sally narrowed her eyes at the register as if it was all new to her and Percy chuckled.

"Sure, Mom." He said, walking around to the other side of the counter and leaning over the register to take a look. He looked tall next to his mother, who was a little shorter than Annabeth. Annabeth watched as he shook the drawer and Athena tapped her foot impatiently looking more and more annoyed as time passed by. Finally, Percy gave the drawer a good yank and it came right out. "There you go." Percy announced, triumphantly standing up.

Sally kissed his cheek and let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Percy." She said, laughing at herself. "I don't know why that thing always gets stuck."

Percy chuckled again and Annabeth couldn't help but think it was endearing. "You're welcome, Mom." He told her, returning the kiss to the cheek. He shoved the bud back in his ear and returned to his work, whistling all the while.

Athena sighed in frustration and Sally turned to her with an apologetic expression. "I'm really sorry about that." She said, handing Athena her change.

"Perhaps you should consider fixing that in the future." Athena said, the frustration evident in her tone. Annabeth narrowed her eyes, upset and embarrassed with her mother's behavior.

"I'll work on that." Sally assured. "You have a nice day." Annabeth had to commend her on her patience and kindness.

Athena nodded and spun on her heel, leaving quickly afterwards. Annabeth offered Sally a small sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry." She said, apologizing for her mother. Sally just smiled and nodded at her. Annabeth quickly spun around to go after her mother. "You didn't have to be rude." She told her mother as she got into the car.

"I'm sorry." Athena said with a sigh. "I'm just grumpy." Annabeth nodded, not going to argue. She didn't understand what came over her mother, but Athena definitely wasn't herself. Normally she tried to be very polite and very patient.

After a long moment of silence, Athena sighed again. "Don't be a whistler, Annabeth." She said. "Be aware of the world around you and be prepared to respond accordingly."

"Alright, Mom." Annabeth said. She turned to Athena with a raised eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

Athena closed her eyes and huffed for a moment before narrowing her attention on the road. "Yes." She told Annabeth. "I knew a whistler when I was your age." And that was the only explanation Annabeth was provided.

…..o0o…..

By the time Annabeth had visited the candy shop the second time, she had forgotten about the first visit. The only thing she hadn't forgotten was what her mother had told her that day. It hadn't been even a full year, but in Annabeth's mind it was ingrained "Don't be a whistler". She had listened to her mother and developed similar thoughts.

She found herself at the candy shop that day because she was craving sugar. She wanted something to keep her on her toes for baby-sitting her twin step-brothers while her dad and step-mom went out on a date. She also felt she deserved something for just that reason. As cute as those twins were, they were quite the troublemakers.

"Hello!" A familiar voice greeted as Annabeth came into view. Almost as soon as she heard that melodious voice did Annabeth remember the cheerful woman at the register. She highly doubted that the woman remembered her though.

"Hello." She greeted, flashing Sally a smile. Sally nodded back and Annabeth weaved her way between the aisles. She was looking for something sour, just to give her that extra little bit of edge for the twins. Nothing seemed to be jumping out at her though. Nothing sounded exciting.

Then there came the whistling. She tried to ignore it, but it was just so piercing. Eventually she gave up trying to pretend she didn't hear it. Annabeth sighed and turned down the aisle where she knew Percy to be. He was stocking the shelves and seemed very absorbed in his music. Annabeth felt bad when she tapped him on the shoulder because Percy jumped in surprise. In that split second of surprise, Annabeth noticed a beaded chain hanging around his neck and something pushed against his shirt from the inside as he jumped. He popped out a bud as he caught his breath. "Can I help you?" He wondered, a little befuddled.

Annabeth spared an apologetic smile. "Would you please stop the whistling?" She requested. It's annoying. Annabeth sighed, deciding that sounded too selfish. "I have a headache." She lied. Oh yeah, good one. Annabeth rolled her eyes to herself.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Percy replied, furrowing his eyebrows in concern. "I'll stop." He flashed that gorgeous smile and Annabeth felt like a shallow person almost immediately. He turned back to stocking the shelves and Annabeth sighed to herself, turning her attention back to the candy. "You know…" Percy said, and Annabeth spun on her heel to meet his eyes. "If you have a headache, my mom would say sugar is one of the worst things you could possibly be eating."

Annabeth spared a small laugh and tried not to look down. She hoped she wouldn't be caught in a lie, especially one as stupid as this. "I know," She told him, with a nod. "But I'm a glutton for punishment." She smiled and Percy chuckled.

"Apparently." He agreed, nodding. He left his station and walked over to her. "What are you looking for?" He wondered. He must have noticed that Annabeth had been searching for a while.

"Something sour." Annabeth admitted, appreciative of any help he could provide.

"Sour, huh?" Percy said. "Someone's living on the dangerous side." He smirked. It was an obnoxious best friend kind of smirk and deep down somewhere Annabeth knew he'd make an incredible friend.

"Yep," Annabeth agreed, shooting him a grin. "I'm just looking for trouble."

Percy chuckled and nodded. "How sour?" He wondered.

"Under Warheads sour." Annabeth told him. "I'm a total chicken." Percy laughed.

"I can't stand them either." He informed her. He bobbed his head a certain direction and gestured with his hand the same way. "Come on, I think I've got just the thing for you." He led her to these little orange candies that were wrapped the classic way. "I think they're Italian." He said, tossing her a small bag, which she caught no problem. "Don't quote me on that though."

Annabeth laughed. "I won't." She assured him, staring down at the candies. "How did you know orange was one of my favorite flavors?" She looked up at him with an eyebrow raised.

"I'm just that good." Percy winked.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "No, seriously." She said.

Percy shrugged. "When you said sour candy, lemon and orange were the first thing that came to my mind. I figured you wanted something new and different, and something about lemon just doesn't scream that to me. Besides, there's conveniently these small little bags full of not half bad orange sour candy that's probably Italian." He snickered. "So, I didn't know, per say, but I did luck out." Annabeth laughed.

"Smart. I'll be sure to let you know if I like them." She assured. "I'll probably be back here if I do."

"I guess I wouldn't mind seeing you again." He decided. Annabeth smiled and offered her hand.

"I'm Annabeth, by the way." She said.

"Percy." He introduced, taking her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Percy." Annabeth replied. She lifted up the small orange bag with a smile. "Thanks for the help."

"Any time." Percy told her, swiping his hand. "Feel free to ask for my help again in the future. I'm sort of a candy aficionado so…" He grinned and puffed out his chest as if he were so proud of that. Annabeth shook her head and elbowed him.

"I'll keep that in mind." She told him. "See you later, Percy."

"I'll look forward to it, Annabeth." He waved as she rushed off and stuffed the bud back in his ear. Almost immediately, he went back to whistling. He must have forgotten what Annabeth had asked of him. Their exchange had been so friendly and light-hearted, Annabeth didn't want to ruin it by requesting him to stop once again, so she tried better to ignore it.

Annabeth stalked up to the front counter and set the bag of orange sour probably Italian candy next to the register. Sally offered her another heart-warming smile and Annabeth decided to pay with a card this time, remembering the last exchange. Sally sighed happily as she leaned against the counter and stared off in the direction of her son. She closed her eyes as if to really concentrate on the sound of his whistling.

"Isn't it a lovely sound?" Sally asked, suddenly. Annabeth yanked her card out of the chip scanner when she was told to do so and looked up at Sally with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" She asked, having just barely been paying attention.

"The whistling." Sally helpfully provided. "Isn't it wonderful?" Annabeth huffed a sigh and nodded slowly.

"I suppose." She said, offering a smile.

"I just love it when he whistles." Sally told her, letting out a small almost wistful sigh as she spared a glance at her son again. "It's such a happy sound."

Annabeth blinked and plucked her bag of candy off the counter. "I find it a little annoying myself." She admitted, trying not to sound too condescending like her mother. Sally faced Annabeth and held on to her smile.

"Well, that's too bad." She said. "It's such a joyful noise." It's also a sound that horror loves to abuse. Annabeth thought, but she didn't say that. "When you hear it, you just know deep down that someone's content. It's a wonderful thing, to be happy where you're at, and it's even more wonderful to show it throughout the daily grind of life. Wouldn't you agree?" She met Annabeth's eyes.

"I hadn't thought of it that way." Annabeth admitted, tilting her head thoughtfully.

"Some people can't whistle." Sally continued. "I know I can't." She chuckled. "But Percy's father used to whistle all the time and it always made me so happy. He whistled so often, it actually got to the point where when he didn't whistle, I just knew something was bothering him." She looked down with a sad smile and her hands gripped the counter. "His son's a lot like him in many ways."

Annabeth bit her lip and glanced at Percy, then back at Sally. She ran something around in her mind for a little while, a little scared to bring it up, but also a little too curious not to. "My mom always said that whistling was something to look down upon." She told Sally. "She told me that people who whistle didn't accept reality and were ignorant of the world around them."

Sally furrowed her eyebrows the way that her son did. "That's a terrible thing to say." She told Annabeth. "Of course whistling can be annoying to some people and that's alright, it's not for all ears, and people are entitled to their opinion after all. But why should your opinion ruin someone else's good time?"

Annabeth nodded respectfully. "I see your point." She said. "But if he really was aware of the world around him, would he really be whistling?" She wondered. Sally narrowed her eyes and stood up straight.

"What's your name, dear?" She asked.

"Annabeth." Annabeth informed her.

"Alright, Annabeth, first I would like to make one thing very clear…" She began, her voice firm. "My son may not be aware of absolutely everything that goes on around him, but he is not ignorant, and he is not arrogant." Annabeth nodded, feeling a little guilty. She hadn't realized it sounded like that was what she thought, although she supposed it was. "Percy knows hate, pain, sadness, deceit, disappointment, greed, jealousy, and betrayal, just like a greater portion of the world…" Annabeth licked her dry lips and nodded. "...but unlike the greater portion of the world, Percy is also well aware of love, happiness, laughter, kindness, generosity, honesty, respect, and healing."

"I'm sorry." Annabeth said, feeling a little ignorant herself now.

"There is more to life than disappointment, Annabeth." Sally told her, with a small sigh. "If all you're expecting from reality is nothing but a series of disappointments then, I hate to have to tell you this, but you will never be happy. Yes, of course life is rocky sometimes, more often then a lot of us would care for...but that does not mean that life can never be wonderful. Maybe you're in a tough place right now and I'm sorry, but if other people want to be happy, why not let them?"

Annabeth looked down. "You're right." Annabeth agreed.

"Whistling is a wonderful thing and it means he's happy. It's okay if you don't like it." Sally told her. "But it is not okay that you judge him by it and it's not fair that you ask him to stop." Annabeth blinked at Sally, surprised that she knew Annabeth had asked Percy to stop. The more she thought about it though, the easier it was to understand.

"I'm so sorry." Annabeth apologized. "I honestly didn't mean to insult your son." She told Sally, honestly. "I really think he's very sweet." She spared a smile and much to her pleasure, Sally returned the smile.

"He really is." She agreed, chuckling. "Too sweet sometimes, actually. Always trying to do everything he can to help everyone else and never taking a moment to think of himself." She shook her head. "I wish I could get that boy to sit down and rest." Sally ripped off Annabeth's receipt. "Would you like your receipt, dear?" She asked.

Annabeth stared at the receipt in Sally's hand for a moment. At first, she wanted to say no, but after giving it further thought she decided that wasn't the right choice. "Yes." She took the receipt from Sally. "Thank you, Sally." She said.

"You're welcome, Annabeth, dear." Sally replied. "Will you pass that message on to your mother, if you can?"

Annabeth smiled. "I'll do my best." She assured her. In the back of her mind, she sort of knew Athena wouldn't listen, but she also knew it didn't hurt to try. She waved at Sally and Percy as she walked out. Percy, who was blissfully unaware of the conversation his mother and Annabeth had had, returned the wave when he noticed.

"Have a nice day, Annabeth!" He called.

"Thanks, Percy!" She replied. "You too!"

…..o0o…..

Eventually, as if it was her destiny, Annabeth made it back to the candy shop. When she came back this time, she sought out the Whistler, not interested in the candy for once. "Oh hey!" Percy greeted when he saw her. "If it isn't the Sour Patch Kid…" He grinned and Annabeth chuckled. "What did you think of the orange candy?"

"You mean the probably Italian candy?" She teased.

"Exactly." Percy replied.

"It was pretty good." Annabeth nodded. "A welcomed change of flavor."

"Good, I'm glad." He told her, shooting her that smile she loved. Annabeth sucked in a deep breath, nervous about her next question.

"Percy?" She asked.

"Yes?" He inquired, meeting her eyes.

"I was wondering if I could have your number?" She bit her lip, twiddling her thumbs behind her back and Percy chuckled.

"Only if I can have yours." He told her, pulling out his cell.

"Deal." She decided. They traded digits and Percy nodded.

"You want to get this budding friendship blossoming, huh?" He asked her. Annabeth looked down.

"Yeah...friendship." She said. Of course, she was interested in him in a little more than a friendly way, but if he didn't feel the same way, she supposed friendship wasn't so bad.

They were quick, easy friends. They had a lot of conflicting interests, but their chemistry was pretty much perfect and the interests they did share, they raved over. And Percy was very supportive of her desire to be an architect and she tried to be very supportive of his desire to be a marine biologist.

Percy actually had a girlfriend already, which sort of explained his obliviousness towards girls. Annabeth thought he chose to be oblivious rather than suspicious, which was actually a welcomed relief to Annabeth. It was comforting to have a friend who wasn't always anxious that someone would stab them in the back any second. Not that Percy wasn't a little bitter still.

Still, it was difficult not to fall in love with him and that smile and those eyes. His dreams, his determination, his fierce loyalty. The way he was so caring and so defensive of his friends. She even liked his hot-headed, self-defensive nature. The only thing she didn't seem to admire about him, was that annoying tendency he had to beat down on himself.

Being friends with him did come with its perks though. For instance, Annabeth finally learned one day what that beaded chain around his neck was connected to. "Oh...this?" Percy said, when she asked. He maneuvered the ice cream cone to his other hand and pulled the chain out from inside his shirt to reveal dog tags. "They were my dad's." He explained. "He died overseas when I was just a baby...freak accident."

Annabeth frowned and leaned forward with her plain vanilla cone dripping onto her jeans. "I'm sorry, Percy." She said, sympathetically.

"It's okay." Percy told her, sparing a smile. "I never did know him...and for a while I kind of hated him anyway...at first I kept them begrudgingly, just to have something physical to glare at and blame...you know?" Annabeth nodded. "I blamed him for a lot of things. Smelly Gabe. My failing grades. My mom's fleeting jobs...it was just so easy." He dropped the dog tags and licked his cone. Annabeth knew all these stories of course, which of course just further proved her mother wrong about Whistlers. "But it was kind of too easy. And eventually I just kind of had to tell myself that beating a dead horse over something that either was out of everyone's control or my own fault was useless."

"I understand." Annabeth said, nodding. It had always been easy to blame her mom for leaving her dad or to blame her dad for marrying Helen, having Bobby and Matthew, and leaving Annabeth feeling left behind. "So...what are they to you now?" She wondered.

"A reminder of a man I want to miss but can't." He told her. "My mom always told me that I was a lot like my dad, so...having them close makes me feel closer to him."

"Makes sense." Annabeth agreed. "She told me your dad was a whistler too."

Percy chuckled. "Yeah, he and I just can't get those tunes we hear out of our heads."

"Imagine if you and your dad whistled the same tune." Annabeth suggested, laughing.

"That'd be awesome." Percy insisted. "I know when I whistle...it does make me feel better. But I kind of have to feel good already to do it."

"I noticed." Annabeth said, nodding.

"You seem to pay a lot of attention to me." Percy smirked and raised an eyebrow. Annabeth blushed and elbowed him.

"Oh shut up, Seaweed Brain." She told him.

Percy winked. "I think it's cute." Annabeth punched his arm.

"You do that again and I may just have to tell Rachel." She threatened. Percy held his hands up in surrender.

"I yield, Wisegirl, I yield." He laughed.

"That's what I thought." She chuckled. Then they both sat there in silence, for the most part, just watching the sunset from the beach.

…..o0o…..

Annabeth had been friends with Percy for quite a while and she talked about it a lot. Her mother always appeared frustrated when she mentioned him. At first, Annabeth had thought it was because of the whistling, but quickly she began to realize just how stupid that was. She became particularly frustrated with her mother's scornful behavior when she heard her make a bitter comment about Percy under her breathe. "Mom!" She cried.

"Yes?" Athena said, as if she didn't do anything at all. Annabeth narrowed her eyes and balled her fists.

"Why don't you like Percy?" Annabeth asked her. "I know it can't be just the whistling, that would be a stupid reason to dislike someone, and you are not that shallow."

Athena locked eyes with Annabeth for a moment and they each held a fierce stare. Finally, Athena breathed a sigh and straightened her posture. Annabeth knew things were about to get serious, she knew her mother, so she sat down. "I told you, Annabeth," Athena said. "I knew a whistler when I was your age."

"What does that mean, Mom?" Annabeth asked, with a sigh.

Athena leaned forward, resting her chin on her folded hands. "His name was Poseidon." She told her. Annabeth stiffened, recognizing the name as Percy's father's name. Athena nodded, seeing that she made the connection. "He was a good friend of mine for several years. It always bothered me that he was so happy...he whistled all the time. I told myself that it was just because I wasn't happy, so it made it hard to be happy for others, so I stubbornly pressed onward. Poseidon and I weren't close like Percy and you are, but we were definitely friends.

The day I became angry with the man was the day he came to me and he broke down in tears, telling me he'd made some stupid mistakes. He'd enlisted in the Navy and he had a son with a woman he was not wedded with...but that was not the end of it.

He began to break down about things that happened years before and I was furious with him because I never knew he was so upset. Had I known, I like to think I would have done something. There I was having been jealous of a man who now seemed no better off then I felt. I boiled in my anger as I sat there and listened to him. I told him it was ridiculous of him to try to pretend everything was alright all the time, especially when it most certainly wasn't. I couldn't tell you if I hurt him or not...but I probably did.

We fell out of touch after that. Then a year went by and he called me up one day to tell me he thought he'd gotten his life back on track. He told me he would never forget what I said to him, that that really meant so much to him. And he was whistling, the man was whistling. I was happy for him, even if we weren't really friends anymore, because after everything I thought that man deserved a win. And then...a couple days later the news made its way to me that Poseidon had died. A freak accident. I couldn't help but be furious with the man again.

I couldn't help but think he'd been ignorant and arrogant. It was difficult not blaming him for his own death. Which is exactly what I did. Maybe we'd fallen out of touch, but I still remembered him as my happy friend, who was always so cheerful, a hand on my shoulder. Meanwhile, he has the nerve to smile through all of his pain. And he has the gall to die after he'd finally accepted reality." Athena shook her head and Annabeth had a hard time not tearing up. She could really sense the pain in her mother's tone at the loss of such a valued friend. "Your Percy...reminds me way too much of his father." She said, meeting Annabeth's eyes.

Annabeth nodded. "Percy isn't like that, Mom." She promised.

She proceeded to explain to her mother what Percy was like in as respectful detail as she could muster. She told her mother a little bit of what Percy's relationship with his deceased father was like. She tried to avoid talking about things that were personal to Percy, because although Athena was her mother, Percy was her friend and she didn't want to disrespect his personal privacy.

Athena nodded as she listened, staying silent longer than Annabeth had ever witnessed before. After Annabeth was done Athena was smiling. "It seems to me you appreciate him very much." Annabeth blushed to herself, realizing what her mother was indicating.

"He has a girlfriend, Mom." She told her. Athena chuckled and nodded again.

"That does not mean you don't have feelings." She told her. After a moment, she huffed a sigh and met Annabeth's eyes. "Very well," She said. "Perhaps I was wrong to judge Percy on the past mishaps of his father. If I do see him again, I'll be sure to apologize. I'm not above admitting when I've done wrong and should set an example for you." She almost sounded as if she were trying to convince herself to swallow her pride. Annabeth smiled and got up.

"Thanks, Mom." She said, turning to leave.

"This does not mean I like whistling." Athena told her, with a smirk, as she shuffled papers together on her desk.

Annabeth chuckled. "No, of course not."

"I'm not sure what you see in that boy, but I'm glad he makes you happy." Athena concluded. Annabeth looked down with a gleeful smile.

"I love you, Mom." She told her. Athena looked up for a moment and locked eyes with her daughter.

"I love you too, Annabeth." She replied. With that, Annabeth left to go meet up with Percy.

"You seem happy." Percy noted, eyebrow raised. He flashed a smirk and Annabeth turned to lock eyes with him.

"Did you know my mom knew your dad?" Annabeth asked him, in response to his unspoken question. Percy shook his head, looking very curious. "Well, let me tell you a story…" Percy patiently listened to Annabeth with a small smile and, when she was done, he thanked her for the new information.

"So, that's why you were so happy, huh?" He wondered.

"Well, let's just say, I defeated a very powerful enemy today." Annabeth smirked and Percy laughed.

"Fine, I don't need to know everything, Wisegirl." He laughed. " I get it." He pretended to be hurt and Annabeth just elbowed him.

"If I don't get to know everything, you certainly don't." She told him, taking a page out of his book and sticking her tongue out at him. Percy set a hand on his chest and pretended to be insulted.

"I am appalled." He told her, over-dramatically. Annabeth punched him in the shoulder.

"Come on, I'm craving some probably Italian candy." She winked at him.

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" Percy asked with a snicker.

"On your deathbed, I might go easy on you." She replied. Percy rolled his eyes.

"I see how it is." He nudged her and Annabeth laughed. This is why she liked to hang out with Percy, he always made her feel good. He made her laugh. He wasn't pushy or evasive. He let her be whoever she wanted to be without feeling the burden of guilt. And that's why she loved him.

…..o0o…..

When she went to visit Percy in the candy shop one day (she hadn't done it in a while) Annabeth was surprised at the absence of a familiar sound. Where was the whistling? She peeked around the aisles and sure enough she found Percy. She'd just spotted him when he was heading to the back and he was still listening to music (she could see the blue wire from his earbuds trailing down the side of his neck). With a raised eyebrow she rushed to catch up to him and slowed to fast walk pace when she was closer. Once within arm's reach she tapped him on the shoulder.

"Gah!" Percy cried jumping and turning to her with a sigh of relief. "Annabeth, you have got to stop sneaking up on people."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, noticing the subtle hostile edge in his voice. "Sorry." She apologized. "You're really jumpy."

Percy huffed and proceeded walking. "Yeah, sorry, I just have a lot on my mind." He began to grab some boxes from the back, seeming uninterested in talking, which was unlike him. Both fortunately and unfortunately Annabeth was a stubborn, worried friend who stopped at nothing until she got to the bottom of something.

"You aren't whistling." She pointed out. Percy sighed and glanced at her for a moment, seeming to realize she had no desire to leave him alone.

"No, I'm not." He agreed. "Nothing to whistle about today." He walked back into the shop space and began to restock candy. Annabeth trailed at his heels like a helpless little girl trailing her father. She was a little more frustrated than a helpless little girl though.

"Is something wrong?" Annabeth asked, despite knowing something was. Percy bit his lip, stopped what he was doing, and turned to her. He met her eyes for a moment before slouching and looking at the floor. He huffed another sigh.

"Rachel and I broke up." He told her, glumly. Annabeth blinked and pursed her lips, unsure exactly what to do in response.

"What happened?" She wondered. Annabeth had met Rachel on several occasions and she seemed like a nice girl even if Annabeth had a hard time hanging out with her do to jealousy. Now wasn't the time to be happy though, she'd feel like a monster if she was.

"She decided a relationship wasn't for her…" Percy explained. "She told me she felt more comfortable being my friend while she explored her interests, sexual or otherwise, and figured out who she really was. She gave me that usual speech, "You're such a great guy...it's not you, it's me…" yada, yada, yada…" He sounded bitter and Annabeth didn't blame him. He balled his fists. "It's like she just tossed aside our relationship. It feels like it was nothing…" Percy looked like he was trying not to cry.

That was it, that was all it took for Annabeth to wrap her arms around him in a hug. "Hey, she wasn't lying. You're an incredible guy and I'm sure despite her personal issues, your relationship meant a lot to her." Percy spared a small, sad smile and returned the hug. "Did you want to talk about it?" She wondered, hoping he would consider. There was a few long drawn out moments where all Annabeth could hear was Percy breathing.

Finally, he nodded. "Yeah." He told her, a pained tone in his voice.

Annabeth spared a small smile and drug him off to some chairs in the back room, where they sat down. She let him rant about everything. How much he loved Rachel. How hard it was to believe it was over. How unfair it felt. How easy it was to believe that there was something wrong with him. He he wasn't sure how to move on. He got angry, sad, confused, and he even cried for a few moments, although they appeared to mostly be tears of frustration. And Annabeth hated seeing him like this. She felt horrible seeing him like this. But she let him get it all out because she knew he needed it.

"...maybe I really am just a clueless whistler." Percy said, staring at the floor. Annabeth's heart skipped a beat.

"What?" She asked, surprised by those familiar words. Percy looked up to meet her face, but avoided eye-contact.

"Maybe your mom was right…" He said. "Maybe I really am just ignorant and arrogant." Annabeth swallowed harshly and bit her lip.

"How did you know about that?" She wondered. Percy let out a small bitter chuckle and shrugged.

"I was listening to you talk to my mom that day." He told her. Annabeth felt a fuzzy feeling boil up in her stomach in embarrassment, so many questions running through her head. "I took your number the next day because I didn't think it was fair to judge you solely off something you had just simply trusted your mother on. And you seemed genuinely sorry. And...I kind of liked you." Annabeth blushed and smiled at the floor.

"You're not ignorant, Percy." She told him. "I think what you just told me kind of proves that." She laughed. "And you are certainly not arrogant." She carefully took his hand in a loose hold, giving him the opportunity to pull away if he felt uncomfortable. "Maybe you're a little oblivious sometimes, but otherwise you are so much better than you think you are."

Annabeth ended up going on a long rant of her own. She told Percy why her mother was wrong originally. She told him what she admired about him. She told him that he was her best friend and that there was no way she'd ever let him put himself down like that. "I think you're incredible." She told him. "And I think you should realize that."

Percy smiled and chuckled meeting her eyes. "You're my best friend too." He told her. Annabeth smiled. "After Grover…" Annabeth feigned a scoff and smacked his arm. Percy laughed. "Sorry, Wisegirl, I made a promise." He winked. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"How about best female friend?" She offered.

"I suppose I could give you that one." He teased. Annabeth shook her head with a chuckle and stood up.

"Come on, Seaweed Brain." She said. Percy blinked and stood up with her.

"Where? Why?" He wondered.

"Let's pile some ice cream into a bowl, go for a walk, and get some sand between our toes." She insisted. "I want to hear you whistling again and soon." Percy chuckled and let her drag him off.

"And here I thought it was annoying." He teased. Annabeth's face reddened and she smacked his shoulder.

"Don't tell me you're a mind reader too!" She exclaimed. Percy laughed.

"You can't hide anything from me." He insisted. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

…..o0o…..

It was several months later when Percy had apparently had an epiphany. He called Annabeth down to the beach for what he called an "urgent meeting". "It's of the highest importance." He insisted, over the phone. She raised an eyebrow curiously and met him down by the waves. He was shifting his weight from his heels to his toes and pursing his lips in excitement.

"What's the big news?" She wondered. Percy turned to her with a beaming smile and a blush that practically set Annabeth's heart ablaze. He took a deep breath and then he took her hands and Annabeth's face heated up.

"So, first…" He laughed awkwardly. "I need to know you like me before I completely embarrass myself."

Annabeth blinked and nodded. "Of course I like you, Percy." She told him.

"Romantically, I mean." He clarified. Annabeth blushed deeper and stared at their toes for a moment before she met his eyes. The sun was beaming overhead, flashing in his eyes like a glaze of gold. His hair glinted blue in the sunlight. The sand was warm beneath her toes, which almost made it worse. They had to raise their voices just a little over the waves crashing against the shore.

Annabeth felt defeated by fate and she nodded. "Of course, Seaweed Brain. I was wondering if you'd notice." Percy blushed and chuckled.

"Good, that makes this easier." He smiled. "Annabeth, I was wondering if you would be my girlfriend?"

Annabeth blinked, caught totally off-guard. She looked down at their toes again and after a moment, she laughed. "It's about time." She said, kissing his cheek. Percy breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank goodness…" He said. Annabeth chuckled.

"Is it really that hard to talk to me?" She wondered.

"It is when I'm asking you to be my girlfriend knowing full well you have the power to kick my butt to the moon and back." He told her with a smirk.

"You're such a drama queen." She teased, shaking her head. She then smirked and raised an eyebrow. "So, where's the whistling?"

"What?" Percy laughed.

"How can I know you're truly happy with this arrangement if you aren't whistling?" Annabeth teased. Percy narrowed his eyes.

"You're picky." He told her.

"You asked me out." Annabeth pointed out.

"I suppose I had that one coming…" Percy chuckled. "Here…" Before Annabeth could do anything about it Percy leaned in and he kissed her. It was a sweet, slow, and patient kiss. She felt warmth and a smile rise to her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Percy broke away a few moments later and smirked. He let out a long, drawn out whistle and Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"You're an idiot." She told him.

"You kissed this idiot, let's hope the disease doesn't spread." He teased, setting his forehead against hers. Annabeth licked her lips and shook her head.

"Maybe I could use a few more of those germs." She suggested. Percy chuckled and Annabeth pulled him into a much longer, much more passionate kiss. "You're mine now." She told him.

"I guess I wouldn't mind being yours." He teased with a smirk.

"You better not." Annabeth threatened, with a laugh.

With that Percy and Annabeth swayed back and forth in the sand, slow dancing to the crash of the waves. They relished in the victory of this moment together. Percy whistled a pleasant tune that made Annabeth's heart melt. She didn't think it could be any more romantic. Percy kissed her cheek. "How about some orange sour candy?" He suggested.

Annabeth laughed and took his hand, dragging him off. "I'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking about those." Percy chuckled and let her drag him along. Apparently, this was just how they were. They laughed and joked all the way back to the candy shop.

As Annabeth popped an orange probably Italian candy into her mouth, Percy followed her lead. She couldn't help but stare into those bright eyes of his. She couldn't help but beam at the sight of that gorgeous smile. Her best friend...her boyfriend. She supposed cravings really could bring you true happiness. With a little help from the joyful sound of whistling, of course. Thank goodness her mother and her came into the candy shop that day.

Thank you for reading! I hope it was well worth the time. I thought I had a couple interesting ideas. I'm sorry if it seems a little rushed towards the end, I couldn't seem to help it. Maybe I'll come back to it later and try to fix it up.

Anyway, I would appreciate it if you would please express your thoughts in a review. I'd love to know what you think. Constructive criticism is always appreciated. Flames

will be ignored.

Best wishes. :)

Samantha's Library.