A/N: I've been in a bit of a writer's block lately, so my chapters might have a bit longer of a wait than usual, sorry. I loved your guys' response last update though! Keep it coming! (Also yes, I am practically a fangirl over my own story sometimes... *whispers* especially this one because fluff)

Speaking of responses - okay you guys know that I don't call people out personally for their reviews, but I would like to thank AshleyDaughterofApollo, you made me laugh, that was glorious - like I normally read my reviews on my email from my phone but I had to get redirected to the website to read the full message. You are - as a daughter of Apollo - golden.

Also, if you guys liked the fluff in last chapter...*giggles mischievously*... I'd make more notes, but I don't want to give any spoilers!

Thanks for reading and keep reviewing!

-Abby

As soon as she opened the door, Annabeth was trapped in strangling embrace, given by none other than Percy Jackson. Her arms were pinned against his chest and she could hardly breathe, but she buried her pride enough to admit she liked it. Percy kept her in his arms for at least a full minute before he even loosened his grip.

"I'm so glad you're safe," He murmured, kissing her hair and unaware of the color that had been rushing to her face.

"It's fine, really," She choked out.

"Oh gods, I'm strangling you!" Percy quickly let go and jumped back a step, his face turning bright red. Annabeth just laughed, causing Percy to look down and chuckle nervously.

"Percy, I -"

Suddenly he leaned down and he kissed her. It was light and hesitant, as if he was asking her permission.

And so Annabeth did what seemed right - she kissed him back. To be perfectly honest, Annabeth had accepted that she would never have a kiss as amazing as the first time Percy had kissed her.

But this one proved her so wrong. Annabeth's hands went on either side of his face as Percy's arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Everything now seemed so easy, so blissfully natural as she felt Percy smile against her own lips.

This, she thought, is how it's supposed to be.

Annabeth was pleasantly surprised within the next few days how easy it was being with Percy. Although he would never let go of her hand, they could still goof around and steal cookies; and she found herself smiling and laughing more in those three days than she had in years.

Now, her and Percy could share things they never had before. She could curl up against him as he played with her hair and talked about the first time he'd seen her. "I thought you looked like a princess," He'd said, his face flushing.

Annabeth had just laughed. "A princess? Oh come on, Percy!"

"No, really! It's your curls," He'd insisted, twirling her blonde ringlets with the gentle touch he always used with Annabeth. "You look even more like a princess now. I mean you're not just cute anymore." He'd continued, looking straight into her eyes.

"You're beautiful." Then he would lean forward and softly kiss her lips.

Annabeth discovered something as she caught herself staring at the goofy green-eyed boy for the millionth time. She was happy. It had been so long since Annabeth had felt so genuinely happy. But now she was able to giggle and laugh and kiss and be kissed.

And she loved it.

She loved the way Percy would shamelessly stare at her face all googly-eyed, and then Annabeth would punch him in the arm (even though she secretly loved it). She loved the way Percy's mother would grin hugely every time she saw their hands linked together, and the way Percy would blush whenever this happened

She loved the way Percy would kiss her, and the way that their hands fit together like pieces of a puzzle. She loved the way that that they would both smile stupidly whenever their lips came together.

Annabeth had almost completely forgotten about Luke, because after all, what she loved most was Percy.

Annabeth woke up bright and early on Monday morning because it was, of course, the day Thalia was coming, and she couldn't be more excited.

It did dampen her mood to realize that they probably wouldn't be able to hang out with Luke. Annabeth had been so distracted by Percy these last few days she didn't really think about what she would tell Thalia about Luke. So she figured that if he came up in conversation, she would just say that they had dated recently, and things... well, things hadn't worked out between them.

But Annabeth was sure that Thalia would be thrilled about her and Percy, even though she had only met him once before. The time they met, Percy and her were only just becoming close and Thalia had guessed that Percy had a crush on her. But at the time, Annabeth had refused to believe it.

Before she knew it, Annabeth heard a knock at the door. She ran towards it and heard a squeal before she even saw the face.

Thalia had changed a lot. She had cut her long black hair, so that it was now a short and spiky pixie-cut. Her electric-blue eyes were framed with thick black eyeliner and she was wearing a ripped band t-shirt, black skinny jeans, and worn out black combat boots.

"Annie!" She squealed, and stretched out her arms for a hug. Although she looked different, she was still Thalia, and Annabeth didn't hesitate to wrap her in a tight hug.

"Gods, Thals! You've changed!" Annabeth observed as they pulled away.

"Oh dear lord, I know." Thalia moaned as if it wasn't her choice. "But it pisses off my dad," She whispered, shooting Annabeth a wink.

They sat comfortably on Annabeth's bed, catching up with the last few years of their lives they'd missed. Thalia's dad had made her join an all-girls summer camp called The Hunters. It focused mainly on womanly independence, abstinence, and the rise of the matriarchy. "It seriously just makes me wanna whore around whenever I'm not there." She had said, making Annabeth laugh.

"Speaking of..." Thalia raised her eyebrows suggestively. "Any boys you should be telling me about?"

Annabeth just blushed and grinned widely.

Thalia practically fell off the bed. "Ahhhh!" She squealed. "It's Percy, isn't it?"

Annabeth nodded, causing her to squeal again. "It's only been a few days," Annabeth said quickly. "But it's going really well, and—"

"Well of course it's going well!" Thalia interrupted. "I totally called it, too! Oh gods, Annabeth," She gasped and leaned in closely, whispering, "Did he get hot?"

Annabeth just giggled and nodded furiously. "His eyes, Thalia!" She fanned her face dramatically. "And his hair!" She fell back onto the bed as they both cracked up.

Once Annabeth had composed herself, she sat up again. "But he's just so sweet, too, Thals. He really cares about me." She said, smiling to herself. "And it just seems like we're so... so right for each other. Everything just fits." She finished, looking back up at her friend.

Thalia was smiling at her warmly. "I'm glad you're happy, Annie."

Annabeth just giggled. "Do you wanna meet him again?" She asked excitedly, hopping up from the bed. "Let's go see him!"

"Ugh, I can't. I'm sorry, Annie." Thalia told her. "I told Luke I would meet him over at his place in half and hour, but I promise I'll hang out with you guys soon, okay?" She said happily, getting up from Annabeth's bed.

She skipped out the door, and Annabeth sighed loudly and flopped backward onto her bed. She could tell how excited Thalia was to see Luke, and she had thought about telling her what had happened in the last few weeks. But she felt that if she had tried to explain what had happened, then Thalia wouldn't believe her, and Annabeth couldn't bear the thought of losing Thalia, especially after what happened with Luke.

A/N:I hope you guys liked this chapter! It took a bit longer to write but I personally loved it. Like I said last time though, I don't know how I am at writing Thalia so I'd love some feedback about that. Thanks again!

-Abby

PS: Next chapter will be very different from the others, as it will be centered around Thalia instead of Annabeth, so stay tuned :-)