Out of school + inspiration = a lot of writing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Mazes are complicated things. They have a fun aspect to them; entertaining, puzzling, and challenge. However, they are also treacherous, confusing, repetitious, and impossible to know if you're actually going to find your way out.

Percy couldn't help but feel like Annabeth always had him running around in a maze of insanity. Hers had tons of twists and turns, and it at times it seemed near impossible to win or loose; he thought he'd remain in the center for all of eternity.

He wasn't quite sure of when he actually entered the maze. Whether it was when he began to find new feelings for her, or when their paths seemed to cross; he'd never know. All that mattered was, once he was in it, he had a hard time getting to the other side.

It started out simply enough; the paths appeared to be leading him in the right direction: to her heart. But as expected, nothing was easy, and then came the first obstacle.

She was kidnapped, taken by Luke, a predator in human form. He took her from him and his friends, and it almost seemed like he was the only one who wanted her back. He traveled across the country just to get her back, just to find that he just might loose her again to eternal chastity.

Luckily, almost as fast as that obstacle came, it went away. Thalia's name was called, not Annabeth's, thus ending it.

Percy thought he was moving along when he was in the ultimate maze; the labyrinth. Before he risked his life by staying behind, she had kissed him, making everything more complicated. No one mentioned it afterwards. Between his visit to Calypso's island and the quest still at hand, it soon became a thing in the past.

Out of the confusion, emerged something even more threatening. One that jeopardized everything Percy was going for. Luke.

Annabeth trusted him, despite him betraying them all. She kept a soft spot in her heart for him, and wouldn't seem to give it up no matter who tried to talk to her. It was clear by the prophecy that she loved him, and it nearly made Percy give up.

He began to try and distance himself, by hanging out with Rachel more. Despite his efforts, no matter how much he tried, he managed to always feel like he was compelled back into the heart of the maze, back to where he was.

As Kronos/Luke was finished, and therefore was no longer a threat, the walls in Annabeth's maze began to deteriorate, leaving a straight path to the other side.

In the end, running through the maze to her heart was well worth it. Especially considering the end result.

***

Ever since Annabeth met Percy Jackson, she felt immediately placed into his maze.

From back when they were twelve, and they were on their first quest together with Grover. Although she didn't like him all that much at first, between his parentage and his bit of stupidity, it just seemed too impossible to even consider it working out.

Despite her protests and attempts at resistance, she still entered his maze. For a while, it felt like the path was simplest enough. She was a daughter of Athena after all, and him being a complete Seaweed Brain made it only easier.

Then a curve ball came at her. One she didn't expect, one that daughters of Athena didn't normally feel. Love.

It seemed to emerge when she was kidnapped and had the weight of the world placed upon her shoulders, she kept on hoping for him. That he'd be her gallant prince to come and save her from Atlas and the rest of Kronos' army. She knew it was a lot to hope for, but it actually came true. Making her surprisingly glad that it wasn't her that was assigned to be Artemis' new lieutenant.

Then, things appeared to be going well to a degree for a short while, they were moving forward. That's when it came.

It was the prophecy for her quest. She thought it was him that the terrible last line was about, and was almost sure of it when he disappeared for the two weeks.

Her sadness immediately changed to anger, once he returned, guessing the worst place possible. He had stayed there for two weeks. For two weeks she thought he was dead. Even after she kissed him on Mt. St. Helens, it didn't seem to do a thing. He almost stayed, angering her more then ever.

This when she wanted to exit his maze. She didn't want to be there anymore, it was too much pain. And it only got worse when Rachel came into the picture.

At the time, she was the annoying red head that increased her chances at failure in the game she didn't even want to play. The game of love, a game in which she was far from an expertise in.

She wanted to get out, but had a hard time doing so. She hid behind the walls she could make for herself, in defense and personal protection.

By the time Percy's 16th birthday came around, Annabeth found herself of growing tired of trying to place him behind walls. That it wasn't worth it anymore, and maybe she should just let her heart give in and t continue on in the maze.

She began trusting him more, and found in return that he too began trusting her more. Between him telling her about his vulnerable spot and then him giving up immortality just for her… he began impossible to resist.

She found the ending of the maze eventually, and there was him waiting at the end. Waiting just for her. So sure, it might have been more difficult that planned and expected, but the ending result was beyond imaginable.

For the two of them, each other's maze was very difficult. It was hard, and at times they both wanted to give up, tired of feeling like second place, and tired of fighting for something they weren't even sure about. But when everything worked itself out and they were able to find their way out of the maze, both of them thought that it was rewarding. They were happier than ever, them together, stuck in the maze of the world.

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