I looked at Percy, to my right. He looked nervous, and that made me nervous. What was he thinking?, I thought to myself.

"Percy?", I asked softly.

"Mhmm?" He turned around so fast that it startled me.

"Were the cupcakes the only thing you were planning to give me?" I prompted. Even after all those years, I still couldn't believe how dense he was sometimes. He asked me to come to the beach because he wanted to give me a present, and now he wouldn't even talk about it. I looked up dramatically, as if to say, Do I have to do everything?

"Oh.", he said, like he had just realized I was still here. His cheeks grew red as he pulled out a small, grey box from his pocket, and cupped it awkwardly. "Open it.", he said, his eyes sparkling.

I opened the box, and there lay a bronze pendant, attached to a chain.

"Is that -"

"Celestial bronze.", he said, nodding. "Yeah."

I picked up the chain. It was a bronze owl, with a trident jutting out from its back like it was strapped to it. It was beautiful.

I turned to look at Percy. "Did you -"

"Beckendorf did.", he said sheepishly. "He was so glad when I told him that it's for you that he immediately started working on it.", he added, looking flushed.

I couldn't help the blood that rose to my face. Oh, so that's what Beckendorf had been talking about at the Big House. But what did he mean by go easy on him? I was starting to get the tiniest inkling of an idea..

"Thanks, Percy. It's beautiful."

"You should, uh, you know, try it on or something." He started rubbing the back of his neck.

He took the pendant from my hand gingerly, like he was afraid of touching me. "Turn around, Wise Girl."

I did, very excited at this point. All my anger at him for telling Beckendorf went away. "Pull up your hair, or it'll snag.", he remarked.

I did, and he brought his arms around and clicked the chain into place, his fingers brushing against my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

He grabbed my shoulders and spun me around. "It looks amazing, even better than I thought.", he went on.

I was blushing like an Aphrodite girl by now. A wave crashed against a rock, some 50 metres to our left. Percy frowned, and the sea went silent.

I fingered the pendant on my neck. "The owl and the trident. Poseidon and Athena.", I mumbled, as much to myself, as to Percy.

It was really quiet now, with only the occasional flapping of wings as the harpies flew around on guard duty.

"That was really thoughtful, Seaweed Brain."

"Yeah, and it's also, um-" He stumbled over his words. My heart was jumping up and down in my chest now, and I was resisting the urge to do the same.

"Um, it also means, like, you, and-" He took a deep breath. "You and me. It means you and me.", he said finally. He was so red that I was able to make out even in the darkness.

I can count on you, right, honey? Sally's voice sounded in my head. Even she knew how big of a Seaweed Brain her son was.

I looked at him. He was looking at me intensely, but softly, a look I had never seen in his eyes.

"You and me.", I repeated, and kissed him.