A/N: Sorry for updating unreasonably late. I have been focusing on my other story, But I Often See You as Something More. I know it's rather mean and selfish to leave you hanging like that for quite some time (March 30, 2012, around 6 months) and I apologize once again. I wrote you an outtake with 15,000 words.

I also took several college entrance exams. But I'm not that confident that I'll pass the entrance exam of the most prestigious university in my country and my desired campus. But guys, just pray for me that I'll pass. Pray for me, guys, please. :(

My heart goes out to those Hurricane Sandy victims. :(

I know I said that this was going to be the last outtake but I really wanted the reviews to reach at least a thousand. So I asked advice from my friend if I should write an outtake about their engagement and wedding. She said yes. What do you think? :)

If you want to help me, if you have any complains, questions, suggestions or if you just want to talk, message me. I'll reply. :D

Enjoy! :)

Outtake 4 – Full of Surprises

Annabeth's POV

College is inevitable. That's for sure.

I was packing up all my things for college and I hated every second of it.

It was almost the end of summer. Our senior year in high school is over and our freshman year in college will be beginning soon. We had our graduation just a month ago and we had to move on with life. We just can't dwell in one moment in life.

I was going to Harvard University this fall. Yes, I was delighted at the fact that I was going to school in one of the most prestigious university in the world, actually the world's top university. Percy, on the other hand, was going to be in the other side of the continent. He would be in the state of California, schooling in Stanford University. Of course, I would miss him every day. And to be honest, the fact that I would be far away from Percy is the reason why I was rather reluctant to go to college.

I sighed and continued folding my clothes.

My other friends were going away as well. Names of different universities would pop up the moment I would think about my friends. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Cambridge, California Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Columbia University, University of Oxford, Yale University, New York University, and more. I just couldn't settle with the fact that we were parting from one another this fall. I will miss them so much.

I looked down at my things and realized that I wasn't doing anything productive. All the clothes that I already fixed were the same clothes that I would get and fold. So I ended up folding the clothes I already fold. I sighed and growled in frustration. I balled up the shirt I was holding and angrily threw it on the floor.

"Hey, hey, hey." Someone said in a comforting way.

I turned around and Percy hugged me from behind. My anger suddenly went away the moment I was in his arms.

"I don't want to go through this." I mumbled.

He rocked us back and forth, comforting me further, "You can continue packing tomorrow if you want. You don't have to finish today."

I sighed and closed my eyes, cherishing the moment. Soon enough, Percy stopped, kissed the top of my head, and moved away from me.

"No, don't." I whispered.

He smiled at me and I was back in his embrace. We were quiet for a couple minutes before he talked.

"Well, aren't we in clingy mood today?" He said with a smile in his voice.

"Shut up." I smiled and made him hugged me tighter.

"I'm going to miss this."

"I'm going to miss this and you...so much." I confessed.

He kissed the top of my head and I allowed him to let go of me.

Percy was in my room, helping me pack up for my trip soon. I was packing most of my things and left some clothes for me to use on the days I have left.

"To get your mind off of things, why don't we head out?" He suggested.

"But I have to finish packing up."

"We can do that later. Come on, my treat." He smiled.

"Okay, fine." I said.

He smiled at me and kissed me before standing up. He helped me up as well. We got ready and then left the apartment. Paul and Sally went grocery shopping and they left us to continue packing up for our trip to our respective colleges.

"So, where do you want to go?" He asked me once we were out on the street.

"Wherever you go." I blurted out.

He looked down at me and smiled, "Don't think about college that much. Before we know it, we're back with each other and done with college."

I kept quiet and kissed him. I smiled at him when we pulled away from one another. He still had his arms around my shoulders, bringing me closer to him.

It was already late in the afternoon yet people still had their sunglasses on. The sun gave off a red orange glow and I enjoyed it. Percy and I went to Central Park, walking around until the sun went down. We ended up staying at the playground. We sat down on the swings that were beside each other. Still holding hands, we pushed our swings just enough to make it move.

"What do you think will happen in college?" I asked him a couple minutes later.

"Didn't I tell you not to think about college?" He gave me a disapproving look.

"Come on. Cut me some slack. We're going off to college in a few days. How can you not expect me to think about it?" I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Okay, fine. Well, I think that we'll be fine in college. We will push through. Even though we're far from each other, we will find ways to make it as if we are just beside each other."

I gave him a sad and touched smile and said, "I am really happy that we're together."

He smiled widely at me. He moved his swing enough to make his lips touch with mine. I smiled into the kiss and pulled him closer to me. We kissed for a while and then went back to swinging.

I am definitely going to miss Percy.

We decided to eat out for dinner. We went to Quiznos Sub and ordered. We didn't eat there though. We went back to Central Park. As if it was still by day, we had a picnic. We shared our sandwiches and once we were done, we just lied down on the grass. My head was on his shoulder and my arm was on his abdomen. He was playing with a lock of my hair while humming a hymn. I enjoyed this moment but I couldn't help my mind from wandering off.

Before I leave for college, there is one thing I want to be sure of. During prom, Percy almost confessed. Well, if you count "I lo-like you". I just wanted to know if he felt the same way. Because, no doubt, I loved Percy. Since we had a couple days left to spend with one another before we leave for college, I want him to actually say the words "I love you". Well, I was expecting him to.

"Annabeth."

I looked up at him, straight into his eyes, and said, "Yes, Seaweed Brain?"

He smiled at me, "Do you think we could survive through college being away from each other?"

"I have spent years away from you and look at where it brought me."

"Back to me." He said and kissed the tip of my nose.

I blushed and smiled at him, "I'll miss you so much."

"Don't worry. I'll write to you every day if I have to."

I moved closer to him and kissed his lips. He wrapped his arms around me and carried me so I was lying on top of him. I smiled into the kiss and put my hands on his chest. We stayed like that for a while before I laughed and pulled away from him. I was still on top of him when I smiled down at him. He stared at me with his sea green eyes of his and I felt myself blush. Every time he stared at me, it was as if I just wanted to drown myself in his eyes. I just loved every bit of Percy. He quickly kissed my lips and it left me wanting for more. I kissed him once again and didn't stop for quite some time.

After our little make out session, we got up and unwillingly went home. We disposed of our trash on our way back to the apartment. We also stopped by a food cart to buy some desserts to eat as we walked back. Percy got crème brûlée and I got a soufflé. Then we decided to sit down and eat it before going home.

"How's your dessert, Seaweed Brain?"

"It's delicious. How about yours?"

"I am loving it." I smiled at him.

"Here, have a taste of mine." He said and spooned some of his dessert.

His smiled and fed me. The moment the dessert touched my tongue, creaminess blasted all over my mouth. It was not overly creamy. There was also a subtle hint of orange liqueur. The sweetness and crunch came from the molten and hardened sugar top. Everything just fell into place: the right creaminess, consistency, texture, and the perfect sweetness. It was just right. Perfect.

I felt some sauce on the corner of my lip, which I was about to lick off. But Percy had other plans. He extended his arm and with his forefinger, he wiped it off. He smiled wider at me and continued eating his dessert. I smiled at him and ate my soufflé. We shared our orders with one another and once we were done, we went back to the apartment. While holding my hand, he put his arm on my shoulder so I looked like I was hugging myself.

"So what do you want to do tomorrow?" He asked me.

"We could go to a carnival." I suggested.

"I think we have been to every carnival in New York City."

"Okay, okay. You want to bake?" I smiled smugly at him.

"Of course, I want to bake." He smirked back at me and kissed my cheek.

I giggled and moved closer to him. When we got to the building, Argus greeted us. I greeted him back using sign language while Percy waved at him. We went up to the apartment. I unlocked the front door and I heard Percy's mom calling us.

"Percy? Annabeth? Is that you?"

"Yes, Mom." Percy called back and briefly kissed me before heading to the kitchen to greet his mom face to face.

I smiled and closed the door. I went to the kitchen as well and got a warm welcome from Percy's mom and stepdad. They asked us about our whereabouts and soon enough, they called it a night, leaving Percy and me. We gave each other a knowing look and smiled because this meant that we'll have our make out session.

Cherishing each other's company before we leave for college.

xxxxx

So, tomorrow is the day. The day I'm leaving for college.

I got my bags ready for the trip. I had a couple duffel bags to bring and everything was ready for my trip. All of my things in the apartment were stowed away in the duffel bags. So far, I did not get any confessions from Percy and it did make me question my feelings for him at one point.

It was night. Percy and I were left at home while his mom and stepdad had dinner out with their friends. We already had dinner and now we were on the sofa. He was sitting behind me and we had our legs spread across the sofa. He was hugging me from behind and I had my back to him. He was humming once again and I just closed my eyes, listening to how the notes go up and down while randomly drawing doodles on the back of his hand.

"What time are you leaving tomorrow?" He asked with sadness obvious in his voice.

"The train leaves 1:03 in the afternoon."

"And what time will you be arriving there?"

"4:40. It's just five hours and three minutes of travel. Then I'll get a cab to bring me to the campus." I explained.

I felt him nod and sadness filled me once again. He kissed my neck and nestled against it for a couple seconds before letting me go.

I was about to protest but he said, "I'll just get something, I'll be back." He kissed me before leaving the living room.

He came back a couple seconds later, carrying something behind his back. I suspiciously looked at him and he just smiled. He sat down behind me and placed something on my lap. I looked at it and I instantly smiled. He gave me an owl stuffed toy. Not too small, not too big, just the right size to be hugged. I laughed and looked back at him. He just shrugged and smiled at me. I pecked his lips and hugged the toy. Despite the fact that it was harder than usual stuffed toys, I loved it.

"It's adorable, Seaweed Brain." I said and kissed him again.

"It reminds me of you because you love owls."

I smiled and cuddled with him. He went back to humming the song that was stuck on his mind and soon enough Sally and Paul came back home. They went straight to bed and Percy and I moved to his room. No, we have not slept with each other. We just sleep beside each other, as if spending the whole day is not enough for us. We went to sleep maybe around early in the morning. We were just talking with one another, waiting for the sun to come up. The moment sun light entered and illuminated his room and the sky was orange, we called it a night…or a day. We were face to face. I hugged the stuffed toy he had given me and he hugged me. I listened to his steady breathing and soon enough, I was asleep.

I felt myself take a deep breath, hugged my stuffed toy tighter, and moved around to make myself more comfortable. I felt someone tighten their hold on me and I instantly felt secured and safe. That person took a deep breath a couple seconds later. I later realized that I couldn't go back to sleep. I opened my eyes and looked up at the person. The sudden brightness of the room caused me to squint my eyes. He was already awake and was looking down at me. He kissed my forehead and smiled down at me.

"Good morning, Wise Girl." He greeted.

I smiled and moved closer to him, "What time is it?"

"It's," Then all of the sudden alert filled his voice, "it's already twelve."

My eyes widened and I swiftly got out of his bed. I ran around the room, grabbing my towel and a clean set of clothes. I went to the bathroom and took a quick shower. I realized that this may be the last time I'll take a shower here before I probably come back for the holidays. Once I finished taking a shower, I dried myself up and wore my dark skinny jeans and a plain shirt. I went back to Percy's room and continued getting ready there. I grabbed my scarf and shoved it in my bag. I wore my doll shoes and brushed my hair. I decided not to tied my hair or anything and let it curl as it dried. Percy took a quick shower as well. While waiting for him, I readied my duffel bag and brought them to the living room. I got the stuffed toy that Percy gave me and sprayed it with my favourite perfume of his. The scent of the perfume made me smile.

"Well, aren't you being a stalker or what?"

I turned around; saw Percy with a towel wrapped around his waist, and said, "Ha-ha. Hurry up. I might miss the train."

"I can't get ready with you in the room can I?"

I smiled and walked towards the door. I was just out his door when gave him a wink and closed the door. I went to the living room and checked my things once again also stuffing my stuffed toy in one of my bags. When my bags were alright, I sat down and waited for Percy. He insisted that he'd bring me to the train station today. My thoughts drifted off to his muscular body, his ripped abs, and well-defined arms and I couldn't help but smile.

"Do you have everything?"

The voice snapped me back to reality and I said, "Yeah, I have everything."

"Well, give this place one last look before you leave." Percy said.

I did what he told me to do and scoped the apartment one last time while he carried my bags. I sighed in sadness and helped Percy carry my bags. We got to the lobby and Argus gave me a sad smile. I smiled back at him and went to him. We shared a hug and I told him that it would be a while before I come back here. He told me that he would really miss me and I replied that I would miss him just as much.

We exited the building and loaded the car with my bags. I sighed as I got seated on the shotgun seat and put my seatbelt on. Percy looked sadly at me, turned on the engine, and drove away from the building.

I was staring blankly at the road but my eyes would sometimes drift off to Percy's white knuckles as he tightly gripped the steering wheel. I sighed and put my hand on his knee. He looked at me with a confused smile and a raised eyebrow. I smiled back at him and played with the radio. When we were a block away from the train station, I could feel my heart beat faster, my hands turn clammy, and my breathing short and shallow. Then all of the sudden, I felt my body move towards him. The first thought that I had was we got into an accident. I heard cars blow their horns at us and Percy laugh. I realized that he took a very sharp turn.

"Where are you going? I'm going to miss my train!" I raised my voice with my heart still beating fast.

"I'm driving you to Harvard." He smirked at me.

"Wait, what did you just say?" I asked still somewhat screaming.

"I'm going to drive you to Harvard."

"Why?"

"Well, if you want to take the train, it's fine. I'll bring you back to the station. I just wanted to spend more time with you." He looked sad.

"No, no, no. I didn't mean it that way. It's just so all of the sudden. I mean do Paul and your mom know what you're up to?"

"Yeah, we have been talking about this since you started packing up." He said. "So, I'll bring you back to the station."

"No, just drive on. I'll be your DJ." I smiled at him. "Just so you know, I still hate you."

He laughed back at me and looked back at the road, "No, you don't."

I was happy and giddy that Percy and I would spend more time together but the same time I was anxious because I still haven't gotten an "I love you". Perhaps I would hear it on our way to Harvard.

"So, wait, how about your flight?" I asked him as we waited in traffic.

"It's still the day after tomorrow." He smiled at me.

"You…liar." I laughed. "So everyone was in it except me?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Surprise!" He laughed.

"You'll be staying overnight in Harvard. But where? I don't think the dorm I'll be staying in allows visitors."

"I got us a reservation in one of the inns near the university." He looked at me.

"I'm really the only one who doesn't know about this. I bet you have your bag at the back of the car and that's why you insisted on bringing me to the train station."

"You know me too well." He smiled and pecked my lips before returning to the road.

"So you'll be sleeping in Harvard for one night then you'll go back to New York City to fly to California, am I right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

I nodded my head and continued playing with the radio.

After what seemed like hours, Percy decided to stop over and stretch our legs. We stopped by a convenience store and I decided to buy some snacks for the road. I went in the store and got some bags of chips and candies and two bottles of water. I was at the counter, waiting for the cashier to entertain me, when someone covered my eyes. A smile immediately spread on my face.

My hands slowly crept up to the ones on my eyes and removed it, "Hey, Seaweed Brain."

He wrapped his arms around my waist and sad, "Aw, you always know it's me."

"I'll always know." I smiled at him.

He kissed my cheek and let go of me. He moved to face me, leaning back against the counter.

"What did you buy?" He asked me.

"Some bags of chips, candies, and two bottles of water. Did you want anything else?"

"Hmm, want a lollipop?" He smiled, offered me one, and quickly pecked my lips.

I rolled my eyes and said, "Put it on the counter as well."

"W-would that be all?" Someone asked, flustered.

I looked up and saw the cashier blushing, "Yes, that would be all."

Percy straightened himself and stood beside me. The cashier rung us up and Percy placed his arm on my shoulders. We got what we bought and left the convenience store. I couldn't help but laugh at how the cashier reacted. Percy laughed as well and when we got into the car, we were back on the road.

"So where are you staying for tonight?" I asked him, opening the package of the lollipop.

"Where are we staying is what you mean." He smiled, "I'm not letting you sleep alone in your dorm room."

"Of course, you aren't." I rolled my eyes at him but still kissed his cheek.

"Well, we're staying at Blue's Bed and Breakfast. I booked us a room. I hope you don't mind. It's just really near Harvard."

"It's excellent." I smiled at him.

"Why don't we drop my bags off at the dorm before we go out?" I suggested and ate my lollipop.

"Of course. Then we can go around Cambridge. What's the flavor?"

I raised my eyebrow at his sudden question, "It's caramel."

"Let me taste." He said while looking at the road.

"But I already licked it. It's already covered with my saliva."

"And you don't have a problem when we kiss. Sure, Annabeth. You just don't want to share." He looked at me and I can see the smile in his eyes.

"You caught me red handed, Seaweed Brain." I laughed but gave him the lollipop.

We shared the candy until it was finished. The next thing we shared was the bag of candies. While he drove, he would hold his hand out and I would give him a couple pieces. Since the road wasn't that filled with cars, Percy offered to let me drive the car. I was hesitant at first but he cheered me on, making me smile. At first, I was tightly holding the steering wheel but soon enough, I got comfortable with driving. And we did have random stop overs when we'd just have a make out session.

When we got to Cambridge, we switched once again because I didn't know where to go. He turned right and left as if he has been here before. I looked out the window, noting the different shops and sites I wanted to visit. There were a lot of people walking around. They were probably new college students as well.

"Wow, look at the building." I stared at the building.

"That's the library."

"Definitely going there." I smirked at him. "Wait, it looks like someone did research."

"I wouldn't let you go somewhere if I didn't know each and every thing about it.

I was touched. I smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

A few minutes later, he stopped in front of a building, "Here we are."

"We're at the dorm, right?" I asked, just making sure because the only time I saw the dorm was through Google Maps.

He smiled and kissed me before getting out of the car. I got out of the car as well and helped him carry my bags to the dorm. I went to the front desk as we entered the lobby.

"Good evening." She greeted me.

"Good evening." I smiled.

"I'm guessing that you are new here."

"Annabeth Chase."

"Ah, you are new. Well, I just need you to sign a couple things and I'll show you around."

She gave me her clipboard. I read every paper and signed all the blanks she checked. While I did this, Percy patiently sat down on one of the chairs provided.

"Alright." She smiled at me. "Follow me."

She led me to a room on the second floor and gave me my keys. She told me that I could leave my bags in the room before she showed my around. Percy and I left my bags in the room and continued the tour. She showed me the cafeteria on the ground floor, the laundry room, and their other amenities like their CCTV cameras and fingerprint door locks. As she showed me around, she explained to me the rules and regulations of the dormitory. Like our curfew which was only up to eleven in the evening. Visitors were only allowed up to ten-thirty in the evening. They strictly prohibit smoking and drinking in the dorm.

With all the strict rules implemented by the dorm, no doubt my parents wanted me to stay here. Mom and Dad talked to me about it. They were searching for good dorms in Harvard and they both decided that I stayed here because they say it's the safest one. I couldn't really disagree because also Percy agreed with them. My parents should've been here with me, helping me move in to my dorm but they had a couple things back at home that were stopping them. It was alright with me because I had Percy to help me and Mom and Dad promised to visit me soon.

"So, I hope you will enjoy your stay here." The lady said once she brought us back to my room.

"I'm guessing that I will." I smiled. "Thank you."

She smiled back at me and left Percy and me. We looked at each other and went in the room. I took a good look at the room and sighed. It was a small room compared to the one I had at the Jackson residence. It had one single bed, a study table, a bathroom of its own, and a closet. It already had appliances like a lamp on the study table and an electric fan.

"I'm going to miss my room." I said.

"Shh, it's going to be okay." Percy said as he hugged me from behind.

"I'll miss you."

"We have the whole night and the whole day tomorrow. We're going to be alright." He said but sadness was clear in his voice.

"I might as well fix my things." I said.

He hugged me tighter, kissed the top of my head, and let go of me. I opened one of my duffel bags and started loading up the closet. Percy just sat down on the bed and looked at me as I fixed my things. As I fixed my things, I noted the different things that I'll buy to make my stay here more efficient like plastic baskets for my used clothes, adhesive hooks, and so much more.

"Do you have your bag for the overnight stay?" Percy asked as I lied down on the bed, taking a break.

"Nope. I'll get to that later." I said and closed my eyes.

I felt him peck my lips and I instantly smiled. I kissed him back and wrapped my arms around his neck. We kissed for a while until I made up my mind that I should fix my things. I got up and left the bed despite the groan from Percy. I grabbed a random bag from one of my duffel bags and stuffed in the clothes I'll be using for tomorrow. I also got the stuffed toy that Percy gave me last night and hugged it.

"So, let's go?" I asked him as I turned to him.

"You won't fix your things anymore?"

"I'll do that tomorrow. For now, I'll focus on spending my time with you." I said and bowed down, pecking his lips.

"Well, let's go." He looked up at me and smiled.

I locked my door, hugged my stuffed toy tight, and we left the dorm. We got in the car and looked for a place to eat at. We ended up eating at a local restaurant. I ordered a salisbury steak while Percy got a burger. As we ate, I scoped the room and I noted that this place is quite decent. Maybe, when my parents come to visit me, I can bring them here. The food was good and rather affordable.

"A penny for your thoughts."

I looked at the person across the table who was smiling at me and smiled back at him, "I was just thinking about my parents."

"They'll be here soon." He said as he comfortingly touched my hand.

"I know." I said. "I was just thinking that if ever they are here, I'll bring them here for dinner."

"Oh." He looked down and looked back at me with another smile on his face. "You know, I never actually had dinner with your parents."

"You did! When we graduated, Christmas, when they visited or when we visited them."

He laughed, "No, like one on one dinner with your parents. We never had dinner, just the both of us and your parents."

"Then when we're having dinner together, I'll tell them how amazing you are." I joked.

"Maybe."

"Oh you just want to hear me say how great you are." I stuck my tongue out and laughed.

I realized that he wasn't laughing along and he didn't look like he was happy. I immediately stopped and readied my rebuttal.

"No, no, I didn't mean it that way." I said, seriously, "It's just they already know that you're great. Amazing even. They have been hearing me talk about you since we got together. You don't have to hear me say it, I bet you already know because I lov–my parents love you." I smiled at him.

He smiled back at me and continued eating.

"Just so you know, my parents adore you." I said and continued eating as well.

After we ate dinner, Percy and I went to a coffee shop to eat a dessert. Well according to him, the best dessert will be found in coffee shops because unlike restaurants which serve meals, they have so many dishes to perfect and coffee shops just have to master making coffee and of course, making desserts. His words, not mine. He also wanted to take me around Cambridge so I get to know the places with him.

We went in the coffee shop and the delicious smell of coffee greeted my senses. Percy smiled at me and guided me to the counter. I ordered a cup of hot chocolate and a slice of chocolate cake with meringue frosting while Percy ordered the same drink and a chocolate tartlet. We got a table and sat down.

"You know, I can imagine you staying here with your college friends." Percy said after he let me taste his dessert.

I thought about it for a while and said, "Well, I can imagine you visiting me after a couple months and both of us are here, hanging out." I smiled.

He smiled back at me and we continued eating. We left the coffee shop and went to the inn he booked us in. He parked Paul's Prius and opened my door for me. We got our bags and he locked the car. We went in the house and checked in.

"Are you new here?" The lady asked us.

"As a matter of fact, we are. I'm going to study in Harvard soon." I smiled at her.

"I hope you enjoy your stay here. Hi, my name is Blue. Harvard is a great university."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Annabeth. So I heard."

She smiled back at me and gave me the key to our room, "Have a lovely evening, dear."

"Thank you. You too." I said and Percy and I went up to our room.

I unlocked the door and my eyes immediately widened when I saw the room. It was amazing. It wasn't amazing like those luxurious hotel rooms. It was homey, warm, and comfy. I mean, there's even a fire place. I put my bag down and smiled at Percy.

"The room is great." I said.

He smiled back at me and replied with a kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and tiptoed so he didn't have to bend down.

We got ready for bed but didn't go straight to bed. We sat down on the couch as we watched the fire burn up the wood in the fire place. He was hugging me from behind and I was hugging the stuffed toy he gave me last night. He was humming Frédéric Chopin's Prelude Opus 28 Number 4. He has been working on that piece. Ever since we got together, he went back to playing the piano. I ask him to play some piano pieces and what he was humming is one of them.

He immediately stopped humming and said, "Wait, I forgot something."

I turned around and raised an eyebrow at him, "What?"

"I just need to get something."

"Oh ok." I said and moved away so he can stand up from the couch.

He got up and left me on the couch for a while. I had so many questions in my head but I decided to keep my mouth shut and continue watching the flames. I looked down at my stuffed toy and smiled sadly at it. I'm really going to miss Percy. After a while he came back and sat down on his spot. He gave me a kiss on the cheek and positioned the way he was before. I took a deep breath through my nose, closed my eyes, and moved closer to him. I started to hum one of the piano pieces that Percy played for me, Liebestraum Number Three or Dreams of Love by Franz Liszt. With my eyes still closed, I drew random patterns on the back of his hand. He started to hum along with me and then started kissing my neck. I ended up laughing. I opened my eyes and realized that there was a package on my lap.

I looked at Percy who smiled encouragingly at me. The package was rectangular and hard. I held it and slowly removed the covering. I stared at it because it had everything. It had what I wanted the most. The gift was a picture frame where you can put multiple pictures. There were nine spaces for pictures and I looked at each of them with a huge smile on my face.

The first one was probably my favorite baby picture of Percy because he was shoving sand in his mouth. The second one was another old picture. It was the both of us, still kids, trying to make a sand castle. The next one was a picture on our recent trip to Montauk and we were making a sand castle that looked so much better than what we made in the picture before. The fourth one, still taken from our recent trip, was another picture of us. I actually remembered taking this. I held the camera away and pointed it toward us. I was smiling and as I pressed the button, Percy kissed my cheek all of the sudden and that was how the picture turned out. The next picture was one of the pictures he took. I was on the reclining chair, relishing the warmth of the sun. He placed a flower on my hair and took a picture of me without my knowledge. I have to say, I look so peaceful in the picture. The next picture was Percy writing something on the sand.

Now what could he be writing?

The seventh pictured showed me Percy with a huge smile, showing off what he wrote on the sand. My heart skipped a beat as I read it. He wrote "I love you". My eyes widened because I finally got what I have been yearning for a while now. I looked at the next picture and it was the both of us again. We were at the beach. He was hugging me from behind. Our eyes were closed but the looks on our faces clearly showed that we were enjoying each other's company. And last space had a handwritten note.

I love you, Annabeth. –Percy

I kept quiet because I was rather still in shock with what happened. It was a good kind of shock, don't worry. And I didn't know what to do. I wanted to turn back and kiss him. I wanted to say it back to him. I wanted to hug him while murmuring those words again and again. I wanted to hear him say it himself. In other words, I was overwhelmed.

"Te amo, Wise Girl." He whispered in my ear.

I shivered as I felt his breath against my neck, "Wait. What did you just say?"

"I love you." He said once again. "In Latin."

I looked back at him, straight in the eye, and said, "I love you too."

He smiled widely at me and kissed me full on the lips. I kissed him back with just as much gusto. After a while, we stopped and got comfortable in the same position as before.

"I love you." He said once again.

"I love you too." I smiled.

"I love you."

"I know. I heard you the first time."

"I just like saying it." He said making me giggle.

"Good, because I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing that."

After a while, we moved to the bed. We kissed for a while and ended up just lying down on the bed. I was lying down sideward in an L position with my head propped up by my elbow. Percy used my legs as his pillow and lied down beside me. We were facing one another and just talked and talked until we called it a night.

I woke up feeling ecstatic. After our exchange of I love you's, I was still on cloud nine. But realization sank in. It was our last day today. Percy would be leaving for New York City tonight so he can fly to California by tomorrow morning with his cousin, Nico. I started to regret waking up because I just wanted to be in Percy's arms forever.

"Good morning." Percy whispered when he caught me sneaking a peek at him.

I groaned, "Morning."

Staying in bed for the whole day seemed like a good idea but we eventually had to get up and move around. Percy let me use the bathroom first. I went in the bathroom and brushed my teeth and washed my face. I went back to bed after that. It was Percy's turn to use the bathroom.

I was just lying down on the bed, figuring out what we would be doing for today. A couple minutes later, Percy sat down on the bed and looked down at me. As if reading each other's minds, we just reached for each other and kissed with fervor. He pulled away and smiled at me. He placed a very delicate kiss on the tip of my nose, making me smile as well. I pulled him down and kissed him on the lips.

Knock! Knock!

Percy groaned as he pulled away from me to answer the door, "Don't move. Just stay like that. Don't even breath."

I laughed and lied down.

Percy came back a couple seconds later, smiling at me.

"Who was that?" I asked him.

"The owner. He just informed me that they're already serving breakfast." He shrugged.

With one last kiss, we got ready for the day.

We spent the whole day going around the campus and around Massachusetts. We discovered great restaurants that sold delicious dishes. Well, we pretty much spent the day cherishing each other while we still can. Enjoying each other's company before one leaves the other.

As darkness loomed over the city and the light from the moon shined, I just wanted to rewind the day and play it over again and again. I couldn't bring myself to say goodbye to Percy.

We checked out of the inn and he brought me back to my dorm. It was already late and we were just standing by the car. I couldn't say anything. I didn't say anything. I tightened my cardigan around me as the chilly air started to bite my skin. I couldn't even bring myself to look at Percy in the eye, fearing tears would spill.

"Say something." Percy said.

I looked up at him, teary eyed, "I'm going to miss you."

When a tear streamed down my face, I laughed and nervously said, "I'm sorry, I don't even know why I'm crying." I wiped my tears.

"Come here." Percy said, grabbed me, and tightly held me against him.

Instead of breaking down, I sucked it up and made myself stop crying. Percy rubbed my back to soothe me. I pulled away from him and assured him, telling him that I was fine.

"You're going to be alright." He smiled encouragingly at me.

"I hope so." I smiled back at him.

"Now, give me a kiss before I go." His smile was sad.

I tiptoed and kissed him tenderly. I wrapped my arms around his neck and I felt him hug me tighter against him. I pulled away from him after a while.

"You better get going. It's getting really late." I said.

He wiped away a tear that I missed and brushed his lips against mine one last time.

"I love you." He said as he as he put his forehead against mine.

"I love you too." I replied as I stared into his eyes.

"I'll come back to you." He kissed my cheek. "Promise."

That made me smile.

He got in Paul's car and drove away.

And with that, he was gone.

xxxxx

Well, after a couple months into college, I found out that it is really different compared to high school. Despite the massive change, I managed to cope up.

As for Percy and I, we managed to stay strong for each other. We found a way to communicate with one another every day. We would use our laptops and video call one another. And there was never a day that our call our go less than an hour. Percy says that he is doing great in college. His swimming practice was killing him but it was alright because he knows that it would pay off soon. His subjects weren't killing him though, which was good. But there are times when he would ask me to explain a certain lesson much further.

Sometimes, if I have spare time, I would ride the train to New York City and visit Mr. and Mrs. Blofis. I can go back and forth as much as I want. Sadly, Percy was on the other side of the continent and he didn't have enough time to ride a plane to visit them.

Since I have a week off of school, my parents got me a ticket for a flight going back to San Francisco. I packed my things and got on the plane. Now, I was back in my old room in my parent's house. I missed this place. I dropped my bag on the floor and lied down on my bed. I closed my eyes and let myself relax. I heard Bobby and Matt arguing about something I was sure that didn't mean anything. And then I suddenly remembered Percy. I haven't told him anything about my trip!

I quickly stood up, grabbed my bag, and scoured for my laptop. I opened it but before I could press the power button, my parents called me. I groaned and left my room.

"Yeah?" I called as I went down the stairs.

"There's someone at the door for you." Mom said.

I groaned again and rolled my eyes, "Is it Sam?"

"Nope. Go check." Dad said with a smile in his voice.

I went to the door and opened it. My visitor smiled at me and I just stared. After being in the state of shock, I just jumped at my visitor. Hugging and wrapping my legs around his waist. Even if he took a few steps back because of how I greeted him, he hugged me back tightly. Once I pulled myself together, I let go of him and got off of him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and smiled at him. He smiled back and leaned down to kiss me.

"How did you know I was here?" I asked him.

"Your parents told me that you were going to visit." He smiled.

"I mean I haven't told you anything. I was about to before my parents called me." And what he told me sunk in. "Wait. What did you just say?"

He chuckled, "Your parents told me about your flight."

"I – well, wow. I didn't expect that."

He kissed me once more, "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

I rolled my eyes and grabbed his hand, leading him inside. When we got to the living room we had four pairs of eyes staring at us. Mom and Dad were smiling at us while Bobby and Matt sat at the steps of the stairs with surprised expressions.

"Look who decided to visit us." I announced.

"Hello, Percy." My parents greeted him.

"Percy!" The two boys shouted with glee.

"Hi guys. Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Chase. Thank you for the call." Percy smiled at them.

"It's our pleasure." Dad looked at me and smiled.

Matt and Bobby rushed down the steps and grabbed Percy's hand, pulling him away from me. Percy gave me a nervous look and I just laughed at him.

"We were playing Mythomagic and maybe you can play with us because we demand a rematch!" Bobby said, leading Percy up the stairs with Matt bobbing his head.

"Boys! Hands off. He's mine for today." I called.

The three boys turned around and looked at me with different expressions. Matt looked surprised. Bobby looked defeated. Percy on the other hand looked relieved while he had a smirk on his face.

I went up the stairs and grabbed Percy's hand on the way. I brought him to my room and sighed because we were finally away from my brothers. We sat down on the bed and we gave each other knowing smiles. We started leaning towards each other.

"Remember our open door policy, Annabeth." Dad called out.

I stopped and bit my lip, embarrassed with my Dad. Percy chuckled and pecked my lips, which made me smile.

"How did you get here?" I asked him.

"I borrowed my friend's car and drove here. It's only an hour away." He said.

"Who's your friend?"

"Remember Tyson?"

"Oh yeah." I smiled. "I remember him. I see he's also going to Stanford. How is he?"

"He's great. He says hi by the way."

I stared at him for a while, taking note of the smallest things that have changed over the time we were apart. His hair grew longer. He had a few days stubble on his face. He got buffer than before. But other than that, he was the same old Percy.

"What?" He asked me.

"Tell me you're going to shave your stubble." I said.

"I don't think so. It looks good on me. You know, change can be good."

I gave him a straight face. I wanted him to shave despite the fact that it looked good on him. I just prefer seeing him with a clean face. No stubble or anything.

"Okay, okay. I'll shave, I promise."

"I missed you." I said.

Percy smiled back at me, "I missed you too."

I smiled. I leaned towards him and kissed him tenderly. I wrapped my arms around his neck and moved closer to him. He kissed me back and wrapped his arms around my waist as I got into a kneeling position. Soon enough, he was lying down and I was on top of him. I stopped and pulled away for a while. My hair enveloped us in our own little world. Percy smiled at me and kissed my lips lightly.

I heard a creak and we immediately stopped. I started laughing and Percy laughed as well. I sat up and pulled him up as well. I looked at him and kissed him once more.

I asked Percy is he wanted to go out and he said yes. I got my bag and my cardigan. Since it was November and Christmas is fast approaching, the air was chilly and cold. We went downstairs and I told my parents that we were heading out. They allowed us to leave but told us to be back for dinner. I kissed their cheeks and left the house with Percy.

Percy opened the door for me and I sat on the shot gun seat, putting on my seat belt. The moment I got in, I could tell that the person who owns this would spend hours taking care of it. Tyson must really have a thing for cars. Percy got in the car a couple seconds later and smiled at me. He gave me a quick kiss and put on his seat belt.

"So, where to?" He asked.

"Just drive." I smiled at him.

I decided to bring Percy to Lombard Street. I have been there before with my family but I just wanted to let Percy try driving down the turns of the street. As he drove down, I told him some random facts about the street. Percy on the other hand was having fun as he drove, telling me that it was a good challenge for a driver.

Next thing we did was take a bay cruise. It was rather pricey but bringing Percy around and letting him see the place I grew up in means more than the money we spent. I also decided to go on the cruise because I knew how Percy loved being in or being surrounded by water. He always loved the water, ever since he was a kid. We saw the cityscape in a different point of view. This time, we weren't in the city. We were outside and away from the city. Percy and I looked up as the boat passed under the Golden Gate Bridge. We looked up at the clear blue sky as the cold air bit our skin. Percy wrapped his arms around me to keep me warm.

Mostly I breathed in the sea air and thought about Percy. Gods forbid I ever had to break up with him. I'd never be able to visit the sea again without remembering my broken heart.

We went around Alcatraz and I made a mental note to bring Percy there sometime.

After our cruise, we ate a late lunch. Then we went to Golden Gate Park and just stayed there until it was late in the afternoon. As we went around, I would say random facts about the park. As much as I wanted to explore and show Percy the entire park, I realized that a couple hours can't do it because it was huge.

When it was dark, Percy and I went back home for dinner with my family. Percy was nowhere near nervous because he already had lots of dinners with my family. He opened the door for me and we went in.

"Mom? Dad? We're home." I called out.

I heard fast and heavy footsteps a couple seconds after my announcement. I sighed but smiled because I knew that the footsteps belonged to my happy and excited brothers who were waiting to have their quality time with my boyfriend. They rushed down the stairs, holding a stack of cards, and ran towards Percy.

"Come on, Percy. We demand a rematch." Matt said.

Percy sighed and said, "Alright, alright. I'm just going to prove to you guys that I am better than you."

"Nope! That was just beginner's luck back then. You will not win against us this time." Bobby raised his chin.

"Well, let me join." I butted in.

Matt and Bobby looked at me with annoyed expressions. I raised my eyebrows at them and Percy gave me a smile.

"No, you most certainly can't join us." Matt said.

"And why not?"

"Because you always win." Bobby stuck his tongue out at me.

"Fine. Alright. I won't join." I said. "But just so you know, Percy is going to beat the both of you."

"We'll see about that." Matt said.

"And, Annabeth, no coaching Percy." Bobby told me.

I rolled my eyes and watched the three boys play Mythomagic. I really wanted Percy to win just to shut my brothers up. Their match was intense but I could tell that Percy was going to win against my brothers once again. One of the perks of not playing along with them is that I could look over their shoulders and see what cards they were holding. I looked over at Percy's cards and made my own moves. When it was Percy's turn, he placed a card down and my brothers instantly grin like the Cheshire cat. I immediately knew what Percy was doing. He was making them win. To be honest, I could not bring myself to do that. I can't make myself lose on purpose even if I was fighting against kids.

"In your face, Percy!" Matt said as he placed down his card.

Percy feigned a frustrated groan and threw is cards down as if he was annoyed. Bobby laughed and high fived his twin.

"What you did was a good thing." I whispered in Percy's ear as he stood up.

"Well, at least that will get them to shut up." He said in a hushed voice.

I smiled and kissed him tenderly, "I love you."

"I love you too." He smiled back at me.

"Dinner is ready!" Mom announced.

We filled the dining room and sat down on the dinner table. A couple minutes into dinner, my parents started interrogating Percy. I smiled encouragingly at him as he answered their questions one by one. Bobby and Matt listened eagerly as well. I have no idea why but they did.

After dinner, Percy said that he should get going because he still had to drive back to Stanford. My parents offered him to stay over for the night because it was already late. Percy was rather hesitant because he didn't bring any extra clothes but my father said that Percy could borrow his. Eventually, we convinced him to stay over for tonight. I smiled happily at Percy and announced that I would ready the guest room.

Once I was done with the guest room, I went back to my room and got ready for bed. I was tying my hair into a high ponytail when Mom knocked on my door. She went in and sat down on my bed. She started asking me about Percy and me and soon enough she was giving me the birds and the bees talk. I told her that nothing like that was happening between us after her speech. She sighed and smiled at me. She said good night to me and left me in my room.

Well, that made me awkward.

When I was done getting ready for bed, I furtively went to Percy's room. As if he knew my plan, he opened the door before I could knock.

"Hi." I smiled.

"Hello." He smirked at me.

He let me in and we stayed on the bed, just lying down and talking. I placed my head on top of his chest with one of my arms draped over his abdomen. He had his arm around my waist or sometimes playing with a lock of my hair.

"Mom just had the birds and the bees talk with me a while ago." I blurted out as Percy tucked my hair behind my ear.

"Really?" I heard the smile in his voice. "Well, your brothers just had a talk with me."

I laughed, "What did they tell you?"

"They threatened to make me regret living once I hurt you."

I felt touched with what my brothers did. I smiled and looked up at him. He was looking down at me as well. I reached up and gave him a quick kiss.

"I bet they challenged you after the threat." I said after the kiss.

He laughed, "Nah, I made them think that I was afraid of losing to them once again."

"I appreciate what you have done though."

"Thank you." He said.

"You're welcome." I smiled and moved closer to him.

He smiled at me and we shared another kiss. He pulled away and quickly kissed my lips one more time. I placed my head back on his chest and closed my eyes. I felt him take a deep breath and he started humming another piano piece.

"What do you do if you don't have any school work or swimming practice?" I asked him after a while. "I always forget to ask you."

"I talk to you."

I smiled, "Other than that."

"I go to this cafe in the university campus and I play music." He said.

I looked up at him again, "Oh you do? Are you some musician now?"

"As a matter of fact, it does make me a musician." He smiled. "Sometimes, I get some money out of it. The cafe calls me up when they have a gig and at the end of the night, they would pay me."

"Well, Mister Musician, tell me what you play." I said and placed my hands under my chin.

"Different kinds of songs. Sometimes, I play songs that I played for you or songs that I learn off of the internet."

"Do you write your own songs?" I asked, truly interested.

"Well, I'm trying. I already have one song but it just needs some polishing."

"Sing it to me." I said.

He didn't say anything and I encouraged him to sing. He ended up singing because he didn't really have a say in it.

"It's beautiful, Percy." I smiled at him. "What inspired you to write the song?"

"You, actually." He blushed.

I blushed as well and gave him a quick kiss before I put my head on his chest once again. He went back to humming a piano piece. It took a while for sleep to find me. Maybe it's because I didn't want to miss a second with Percy by sleeping. But when I was finally ready to sleep, I looked up at Percy and said good night to him.

"I love you, Seaweed Brain."

He stopped humming and said, "I love you too, Wise Girl."

And then it was one of those nights when I slept with a smile on my face.

I woke up feeling happy, which rarely happened. I looked up and saw Percy's sleeping face. He looked so serene and peaceful and it made me smile. I slowly moved out of his hug, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and went back to my room to get ready for the day.

I tied my hair into a high ponytail, washed my face, and brushed my teeth. I went downstairs and was greeted by the scent of pancakes. My stomach made a sound and I just ran towards the kitchen. My parents greeted me good morning and I greeted them as well. I sat down and eagerly waited for the pancakes.

"Seems like you had a fun night." Dad said.

I stuck my tongue out at him, "Not the part where Mom gave me the talk."

Mom laughed at me and gave me a pancake.

"But other than that, I was happy." I smiled at them.

"Good morning." Someone said.

I looked at who it was and instantly smiled. Percy had his hair fixed and I know that he only did that because my parents were here. I asked him to join us and he went over to the table and sat down beside me. To be honest, I preferred his hair unruly and messy. We ate together until my brothers came and joined us as well.

After breakfast, Percy got ready for his drive back to Stanford. When he was about to leave, my parents and brothers wished him a safe drive back and gave him hugs. I walked him to his car and gave him a kiss. He told me not to worry because he'll try to go back and visit before I leave. We had our exchange of I love you's and he drove away while I went back inside.

For the remaining days, I caught up with my friends here in San Francisco. My family also brought me around. As my days in San Francisco became scarce, all I started to care about was maximizing my time with my family and seeing Percy once again.

I was in my room with Bobby and Matt. They brought their stack of Mythomagic cards and we have been playing for a probably around thirty minutes now. They still hadn't won one game against me and I wanted it to stay that way. I know that they knew they can't win against me so I was rather curious why they wanted to play with me. Maybe they just really wanted to spend more time with me before I leave.

"Annabeth, you have a visitor." My dad called.

I looked out the window and saw a familiar car. A smile immediately spread across my face. I looked back at the boys apologetically and placed one killer card. They groaned as I smiled evilly at them. I told them that I'll be back to beat them in another game after I attended to my visitor. I got up and went downstairs. As I passed by a mirror, I fixed my hair and smiled at myself. I went to the door and eagerly opened it, thinking it was Percy. With a huge smile on my face, I was face to face with Tyson. Trying my best to hide my disappointment, I smiled at him and shook hands with him.

"Do you want to come in?" I asked him.

"Oh, no thank you. I was just dropping by to personally tell you that Percy can't make it today. He's stuck in his dorm making a very important project that is due in a couple hours. He tried to compromise with the professor but the prof wouldn't budge. He says he's really sorry about missing you on your last day. He promises that he'll make it up to you." Tyson said.

I think my smile faltered because Tyson gave me a sad smile and offered me a hug, which I accepted willingly. I thanked him for the comforting hug and being Percy's messenger and asked him what he will be doing in San Francisco.

"I'm visiting my girlfriend here." He smiled and I could see the faint blush on his cheeks.

"Oh, Ella? How is she? I didn't know she was studying here in San Francisco." I started a small talk with him.

"Yeah, maybe Percy forgot to mention that. Anyway, she's waiting for me…" He trailed off.

"Oh sure, sure. Tell her that I said hi." I smiled at him.

We shared one more hug and he left me. I closed the door and went back to my room. The boys looked expectantly at me and I gave them a shrug and a smile that says, "Oh well". They gave me sad smiles and told me to play it off.

Well, the boys and I pretty much bonded on my last day in California. We talked about anything we wanted to talk about while we play Mythomagic, chess, watch movies, and more. I love my brothers. I knew that they were doing everything just to cheer me up.

When it was late in the evening, my brothers and I stayed in my room. They invited themselves in, sat on my bed, and started talking to me about relationships. They talked to me about the girls that they have a crush on. On the back of my mind, I knew that they wanted me to talk about Percy. I smiled to myself but gave in to them. I talked about how great Percy is, how much of a gentleman he is, and that they should see him as a role model. In the middle of my sentence, I heard something that made me stop talking.

I looked out my window and saw nothing but the road. I told the boys to keep quiet and listen as well. A couple seconds later, they agreed with me that they were hearing something as well. I looked out the window as well and now, I saw someone holding a guitar. Percy walked towards our house while playing the guitar. A smile instantly spread over my face because of him. My brothers looked out the window as well. I opened my window and stuck my head out.

He immediately stopped walking and playing, scrunched his eyebrows, and said, "Be careful."

I smiled wider and said, "I'm fine."

He smiled back at me and started playing the guitar again. He was already on our lawn. He looked down at his guitar and looked back up at me, smiling. He started singing and the moment I knew what song he was playing, I immediately blushed. He was singing the song that he wrote for me. I have to say, Percy can be a songwriter if he wanted to be. The song lyrics were laced with so much love and caring.

Once he was done, I ran downstairs and threw the door open. I cautiously walked on our porch, looking for Percy. I saw him still standing on our lawn with the guitar on the ground, his arms wide open, and a wide grin on his face. My smile was as wide as the Cheshire cat's as I ran out to the lawn. I just jumped into his arms, wrapped my legs around his waist, locked my arms around his neck, and buried my face into his neck. Percy on the other hand didn't even step back from the impact of my jump. He hugged me very tight, not allowing space between us. He nestled his head closer to mine and murmured how much he missed me.

I didn't care if it was already late at night and my flight back to New York is only a couple hours away. I clearly didn't care that I was wearing my night clothes that consists of short cotton short and a tank top. The cold air that was starting to bite my skin wasn't cared about. The extra eyes watching us upstairs as well. All I cared about was the person I loved who was right here, right now, hugging me.

When Percy pulled away from me, I still had my legs wrapped around him and my hands on his shoulders. He placed his hands on the small of my back and stared straight into my eyes. He moved closer to me and gave me the tenderest kiss I have ever received. I smiled and pulled him closer to me.

"Better keep it PG 13. Your brothers might still be watching us." He whispered after a while.

I laughed, looked up my window, and saw Matt and Bobby looking down at us, "Say hi to Percy."

They smiled and waved at us causing me to laugh.

I was about to go down but Percy stopped me. He insisted that he'd carry me inside. I rolled my eyes but agreed with him. He carried me back inside and went back out to get his guitar. When we were about to go up the stairs, I realized my parents were already on top of the stairs.

"Well, look who decided to show up." My dad said with a smile on his face.

I smiled back at him while Percy rushed up the stairs to give my father a handshake and give my mom a hug. Mom insisted she gets hugs from my boyfriend, not handshakes because he's practically family to us.

I went up the stairs as well and then held Percy's hand.

"Looks like Annabeth wants to spend some quality time with her Percy." Mom said. "Let's go back to bed, Frederick."

"Annabeth, remember our open door policy." Dad said as he looked at me dead in the eye.

"Yes, Dad. Good night." I said kissed my parents cheeks.

"Good night, Mr. and Mrs. Chase." Percy said.

We went back to my room and my brothers were nowhere to be found. They must've gone back to their room to give us some privacy. I looked back at Percy and smiled. He smiled back at me and moved closer and closer to me until my back touched the wall. He pressed his body against mine and I could feel my heartbeat hastening. He gave me a smile that made my heart skip a beat. He slowly leaned in and gave me a kiss. I ran my hands through his hair and pulled him closer to me. He hugged me with his hands on the small of my back and pulled me closer. I smiled and kissed him with more gusto. He carried me and I wrapped my legs around his waist once again.

He pulled away from me and whispered, "I love you."

I smiled and kissed him, "I love you more."

He chuckled, "I love you most." He said as he kissed his way down my neck.

I laughed and pulled him back to my lips. Our kisses became deeper and needy. He moved us away from the wall and sat down on the foot of my bed. He slowly lied down on the bed and I kneeled over him. After a while, he pulled me down on him and rolled us over, putting him on top. He pulled away and smiled down at me. He kissed the tip of my nose and my forehead. I closed my eyes and smiled as he did this. I hugged him and buried my face in his chest.

"I missed you." I murmured.

"I missed you too." He faintly said.

He lied down on his side and we shared the single bed. We hugged each other and didn't say anything for a while. The silence was comfortable.

"I thought I wouldn't see you before I leave for New York." I said.

"I'm sorry. I had to do the project on the last minute."

"I could've helped you, you know. I could just jump on the bus and stay at your dorm."

"I…would get really distracted if you did that and I might end up not passing the project at all."

I laughed and got up. I closed the window because I was starting to get cold. Percy repositioned himself. He sat on the end of the bed where I place my pillow with his feet dangling off the bed. He smiled at me and I lied down, using his lap as my pillow. I got the stuffed toy he gave me and hugged it as we talked. I was playing with the toy when it suddenly spoke.

"I love you, Wise Girl."

I stared at the toy and then looked up at Percy. He was smiling at me. I scrunched up my eyebrows.

"This has a recording device inside…?" I said.

He laughed, "Yeah."

"All this time I didn't know." I looked at him and smiled. "I love it."

I sat up a little bit just to give him a quick kiss and then lied back down. We continued talking until the sun came up. I looked at the clock and realized my flight was an hour away. I got up and started to get ready. I told Percy to take a nap while I got ready. I went to the bathroom and took a shower. Now I know what talking all night meant. Percy and I didn't get any sleep last night because we were afraid that if we fell asleep we wouldn't be spending time catching up or what. We didn't want to waste our limited time together by falling asleep. I went back to the room only to find Percy wide awake and waiting for me.

"I thought I asked you to take a nap or what." I said.

"I wanted to go with your family when they bring you to the airport." He smiled.

"You think we'd leave you here?" I raised my eyebrow at him. "Pfft, my brothers would wake you up."

After having a quick breakfast, we were off to the airport.

My parents were telling me last minute reminders. My brothers were just hugging me, not letting go even just for a second. Percy was giving me a sad smile. When the speaker announced that my flight would be leaving in a few minutes, my family backed away from me and gave Percy and I some time to say good bye to each other.

We hugged each other for quite some time and I pulled away slightly to give him a kiss.

"Just press that button on the stuffed toy if you miss me." Percy reminded.

"I will. We video call each other anyway, I can hear and see you while you say 'I love you.'"

He smiled, "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you more." I said sadly.

He sighed, "I love you."

I kissed him, "I love you too, Seaweed Brain. Just come back to me, okay?"

"I will." He promised. "You do the same."

He gave me one last kiss and let go of me. My family and Percy waved at me as I left them.

Oh gods, I hate good byes even if they were temporary.

xxxxx

Well, a couple years into college and I have fully adjusted to the lifestyle. Late night reviews, early morning classes, and more. Percy and I were still together. Little fights here and there but they were petty fights. Our daily video chat was still there, never going less than an hour. My family would visit me from time to time and I'd visit them in San Francisco as well. Sometimes Percy would visit me while he was visiting his family in New York City.

Now, I'm in my dorm room, lying down on the bed, hugging Percy's stuffed toy while my iPod was on shuffle. I was still wearing my pajamas because I didn't have classes today. It was raining cats and dogs outside so I decided not to go out today.

I was on the verge of falling asleep when my phone vibrated. I groaned, got out of bed to get my phone off the table. I looked at the caller ID and suddenly, I was no longer annoyed.

"Hello." I said with a smile on my face.

"Hey, Wise Girl."

"What made you call? Do you miss hearing my voice?" I suggested.

"I always want to hear your voice. What are you doing right now? Are you in your dorm?" Percy asked.

"Yes, Mom." I smiled as I rolled my eyes. "It's raining hard and I don't have any classes. So why not stay at the dorm?"

"What are you doing right now?"

"Oh, you know just lying down on the bed, thinking of the best way to pass time. What made you call?"

"I'm just on my way to this place. You should check with the front desk of the dorm. I think something came in for you."

"Did you send me something?" I said already excited to go down.

"Just check." I heard the smile in his voice.

"I'll go check it. Will you call me later?"

"I will. Plus, we have our scheduled video call. I love you." He said.

"I love you more."

"I love you most."

I laughed and then hung up. I got one of my coats because right now I was just wearing shorts and one of the shirts I stole from Percy, which I wore during those days when I would suddenly miss him. I tied my hair into a messy ponytail and headed downstairs to check if I did have any package like what Percy suggested.

"Hey, do I have any packages?" I asked the person behind the front desk.

"Oh, great, you're here. You don't have any packages but you have a visitor."

I immediately turned around and looked at the people who were waiting in the lobby. Most of them looked like they were just waiting for the rain to pass. I looked at each of their faces and saw a familiar one. I instantly smiled and turned around to thank the personnel. I slowly and calmly walked towards my visitor.

"So, do I have a package?" I smirked at my visitor.

"I do actually." He said and showed me a box.

"Oh, why don't we go to my room to check what could be inside my package?" I suggested.

Percy laughed and stood up from the chair. We went up to my dorm room, hand in hand. I couldn't stop smiling at the fact that Percy was here. We got to the dorm and I just tiptoed and brushed my lips against his. I stared into his eyes and smiled at him. He smiled back, placed the package on the floor, wrapped his arms around my waist, and carried me. I giggled and kissed him. He kissed me back and walked towards my bed. He laid me down on the bed and we continued kissing. I smiled into the kiss and pulled him closer to me.

Once we pulled away from each other, I stood up and tied my hair into a tight, high ponytail. I faced him and smiled because he had scrunched up eyebrows.

"You know the shirt looks very familiar." He said and raised an eyebrow at me.

I looked down at my shirt and remembered that I was wearing a shirt that I stole from him. I looked back at him and smiled. I got his shirt when I visited his mom and Paul a couple weekends ago. I went to his room and grabbed the first shirt of his that my hand came in contact with. When I go visit New York City, I would sometimes grab a shirt and bring it to Harvard with me. I would wear those when I would miss Percy.

"It does?" I asked him with a playful smile.

"Yeah, it looks like one of those shirts that I bought earlier this year."

I laughed, "I got it from you. Don't call me a kleptomaniac or what. I wear it when I miss you."

He laughed and said, "I say it looks better on you that it does on me."

I smiled and turned around for him while asking, "It does?"

He laughed once again and pulled me down so I was sitting on his lap. I held his face and kissed him full on the lips. I felt him smile into the kiss and it made me smile as well.

"What's in the package?" I asked after our second round of make out session.

"A little of everything." He said. "Some things from Tyson and me, some things from your family, and some things from Mom and Paul. A little something from Stanford, San Francisco, and New York."

"Aw, that's sweet of them." I smiled.

I opened the package and was overjoyed with what they got me. Percy told me which ones were from my family, his family, and from Tyson and him. I got some new clothes, shoes, and a plane ticket from my parents. Matt and Bobby gave me handwritten letters which I found very adorable. I got some pastries from Percy's mom and step-father like Percy's favorite blue chocolate chip cookies, baked butterscotch bars, baked cappuccino bars, brownies, and so much more. Tyson and Ella gave me a hoodie and a blouse. Percy on the other hand gave me a necklace that had a ring as its pendant.

I examined the ring and saw that Percy's name was engraved on it. I wore the necklace, looked up at Percy, and smiled because I noticed he was wearing an identical one as well. The necklace we had a leather chord instead of a silver chain or what so either sex could wear it.

"Thank you." I said.

"You're welcome." He smiled back at me.

I reached up and gave him a kiss. The kiss went on for quite some time and it turned into something deep. This time, I pulled away from Percy because my iPod, which was on shuffle, played the song that seemed like the perfect song that would describe our relationship. I smiled and told him to listen as well.

What if we were made for each other? Born to become best friends and lovers. I want to stay right here in this moment with you over and over and over again. What if this could be a real love, love, love?

He laughed and looked at me straight in the eye, "It suites us."

I smiled at him and kissed him briefly, "I love you."

"I love you more." He whispered.

"I love you most." I smirked. "Hah! I finally beat you!"

Percy rolled us over, placing me under him. I giggled and he kissed me senseless.

Percy's phone rang and he pulled away, giving me an apologetic look. I smiled at him and told him to go and answer it.

"Hey, Mom." He answered the call. "What made you call?"

I sat up and decided to fix the clothes and things that I have received. I stowed away the clothes in my closet and placed the pastries on my table. As I was doing this, I looked over at Percy because what his mom decided to bring up seemed something serious.

"I'm in Annabeth's dorm right now. Yeah, she loved your gifts. She says thank you. Okay, I'll tell her. So you called about only that?" He said as he sat down on my bed, played with the stuffed toy he gave me, and looked out the window. "What? A hurricane? Here in New York? I'll be careful, Mom. Yes, we'll be careful. Be careful too, Mom. I love you too."

He hung up and looked down at the stuffed toy.

"What did your mom tell you?" I said as I sat down beside him.

"She just informed me that there's a hurricane in New York. Hurricane Sandy. She just warned me."

"Oh that's bad. How are they? Are they fine?" I asked with scrunched eyebrows.

"They're fine. She just called to inform us about it." He sighed.

"So, are you going to go back to Manhattan or..." I trailed off.

"No, I'm staying there. Mom told me to stay here and make sure that you'll be fine." He smiled at me.

I smiled back at him and said, "Maybe I could get you a spare room here in the dorm."

"Let's check that later."

I sat down beside him. He wrapped his arms around me, placed his head on my shoulder, and sighed.

I smiled to myself, ruffled his hair, and reassured him, "They'll be fine. Don't worry." I kissed his head.

"I know they will be but I'm just worried about them."

"If they need help, we'll get on a bus or ride a train to Manhattan."

When we parted, I yawned and Percy told me that I should get some sleep. After all, it was a rest day for me. I lied down on the bed and invited him to lie down beside me. He followed willingly. I felt myself shiver unconsciously as I felt his body against mine. He immediately stopped and drew the blanket over me, separating us. I was about to complain but he told me that I was cold. I knew arguing with him wouldn't change his mind so I just sighed. I grabbed his hand so he can drape his arm over me. He kissed my cheek and spooned me. I was starting to get warmer and then smiled to myself once Percy started humming a song. Soon enough I was falling into sleep.

I later woke up only to find myself on an empty bed. I quickly sat up but vertigo hit me faster. The room seemed to turn around. I just closed my eyes and waited for the feeling to pass. I felt someone hold my hand. I opened my eyes and saw Percy with a concerned look on his face. I didn't say anything, but I grasped his hand weakly as if to say, "Be right with you, as soon as the world stops spinning."

"Where have you been?" I asked him once the vertigo went away and I properly sat down on the bed.

"I bought a pack of marshmallows."

"Marshmallows? Why would you buy a pack of mallows? To play chubby bunny?" I laughed.

He laughed as well and said, "I bought mallows because I made you some hot chocolate."

I smiled and thanked him. I also asked him if it was still raining and he nodded as he gave me my beverage. There were small marshmallows floating on top. I took a sip of the warm beverage and was reminded of the hot chocolate that Percy's mom made for me when I moved in their apartment years ago. He made the beverage just like how his mother does.

Percy made a cup for himself as well. We drank our hot chocolate and ate some of the pastries that his mom sent over for me. I asked about him and how he is in Stanford.

He stared talking but his classes and professors. He was still part of the swimming team of the university and apparently, he is the team captain. Percy got a high score in the SATs, high enough to get into Stanford. Not only did he pass but he also got a scholarship because of his swimming reputation. With his relentless training, fast approaching competitions, and his studies to focus on, it was a miracle that he would have spare or free time. Whenever he gets his free time, he could hang out with Tyson and his other college friends, visit my family in San Francisco, or try to spend time with me through our video calls.

I, on the other hand, was just as busy and loaded as Percy. I had my subjects to focus on and I was part of the volleyball varsity of the university, which meant that I had a lot of practices and trainings. I was also part of the Harvard Speech and Parliamentary Debate Society and Harvard Chess Club. Sometimes, I have to admit that I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I barely had time to myself because of all the things that I have joined. As if the subjects alone weren't bad enough for me. But I always made sure that I would have enough time to spend with Percy and spend on myself. On free or spare time, which I rarely got, I would jump on the train and visit Mr and Mrs. Blofis, spend time with my friends, or try to bond with Percy through our calls and video chats.

Percy and I kept each other company throughout the storm, the brownouts and the blackouts. Percy's mom would call us from time to time to check if we were okay. We would also call them to ask about their condition. They said that nothing has ever happened except for the brownouts and blackouts. They said that the lobby of their building is flooded but it wasn't reaching their floor.

Percy was allowed to have a spare room on the ground floor. The owner and staff of the dormitory discouraged the people to go out because of the hurricane. So they offered the stranded people some rooms and some food for a cheap deal.

That night, Percy stayed late in my room and we were just lying down on the bed. He hugged me and I was just enjoying the moment.

My life is full of surprises. From when I had Percy as my best friend, when I lost him, when my family went to San Francisco, when I went back to New York City, when he became my enemy for something he did in the past, when we became friends once again, and up to now. Up to when I had him as my boyfriend. I mean, if you asked me when I was a kid, ending up with Percy would be weird for me and now that I am, it's one of the best things that happened to me. Of course, our relationship was filled of surprises as well. I mean, even the hurricane was unexpected.

"I love you." He whispered.

I looked up at him and stared at him dead in the eyes. He smiled down at me. I saw so much love and caring in those sea green eyes of his. I smiled to myself and gave him a quick tender kiss.

"I love you too."

A/N: Thanks for reading! :)

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