Work Text:
“God, Silena, I look like Santana in that awful Christmas episode.” Annabeth whines, tugging on the end of the bright green skirt she was wearing as she stepped out from behind the curtain of the changing room.
“Yeah, well, we’re short an elf since Katie quit on us to go spend her vacation with Travis, so you needed to step up.” Silena responds, then her eyes skim Annabeth’s body, “You look hot, by the way.”
Annabeth studies herself in the small floor length mirror, a huff escaping her. How she got roped into becoming a mall elf was beyond her, but she truly regrets ever signing up as she eyes the costume. She wore a green, strapless dress that hugged her body completely and landed mid-thigh, with red trimming and small bells around the end. In an attempt of modesty, she’d tossed on white thigh-high socks, but they only added to the hot-factor she’d been avoiding. Her accessories consisted of green gloves and a headband that had a small elf hat glued onto it, and all in all, she wants to choke Katie Gardner and her relationship.
“Once again, Santana Lopez.” She finally says, turning away from the mirror, and Piper, who had been in the changing room beside her and finally stepped out, lets out a laugh. She wore the same outfit Annabeth did, as did Silena, and she held a red tube of liquid lipstick in her hand.
“I think it’s a great look.” Piper says, handing the lipstick to Annabeth, “Maybe you’ll find someone and stop being a little Grinch because you’re single.”
Silena laughs, which only makes Annabeth roll her eyes, obediently applying the lipstick Piper handed to her, “You two are evil. I’m definitely not gonna find a date as a mall elf, it’s all gross parents or creeps.”
“Famous last words.” Silena says, then claps her hands together, “Alright! Your shifts start in 15 minutes, good luck! I’m out of here.”
Within two hours of her shift, Annabeth understood why Katie ditched out on them. Children were absolutely impossible to deal with, aggressive with anyone who wasn’t the old, rude man sitting in Santa’s chair, and the man they’d hired as Santa Claus was far too touchy for Annabeth to tolerate him.
“I think I’m gonna end myself before this shift ends.” Annabeth huffs to Piper, handing another child a small goody bag of candy as they leave. Piper rolls her eyes, laughing, “You’ve been here a day, weakling.”
“I didn’t want to do this!”
“Yeah, well, you joined the sorority, so suck it up.” Piper responds, giving a child a wave. Annabeth rolls her eyes, “Fuck this sorority, I only did it because of the whole ‘legacy’ thing.”
“Uh huh, so did I. Now stop complaining.” Just as those words leave Piper, the two of them see the man dressed as Santa walk off the small stage. Annabeth turns to Piper, who’s staring at the scene with just as much confusion as Annabeth has.
Annabeth’s quick to chase after him, “Wait, where are you going?”
“Taking a break, what does it look like?” The older man responds, and Annabeth raises an eyebrow, “There was a line of thirty more kids out there.”
“And they can wait thirty minutes. Distract them or something.” The man leaves no room for argument as he heads towards the Starbucks stand that’s a few feet away from them, and a string of curses leaves Annabeth as she approaches Piper.
“Well?” She asks, and Annabeth can’t stop the eye roll, “He’s taking a break. What can we do to distract the kids?”
“There are a bunch of bags of candy in the back, I guess I’ll just go through and pass it out?” Piper offers, then she grabs Annabeth’s arm, “Wait! There’s a bunch of books in Santa’s house, just, um, pick one and read it to them while I give out the candy.”
“That was not part of the job description!” Annabeth argues, and Piper rolls her eyes, “Yes, but you do presentations in class all the time. All I do is write. So, Chase, please grow a pair and go pick a book.”
With that, Piper runs off to grab more candy and Annabeth squares her shoulders, making her way to the center of the stage where Santa’s chair was. She claps her hands together, a weak attempt to get the kid’s attention, but surprisingly, most are already staring at her.
“Hi kids!” She calls, plastering a smile on her lips, “I’m Annabeth, one of Santa’s elves. Santa needed to go refuel on some milk and cookies, so we’re gonna give you guys some candy and read a story, how does that sound?”
The small crowd of children all cheer, and Annabeth lets out a sigh of relief. Before turning to the house, an idea crosses her mind and she heads towards the line, approaching the first child in line-a young, tan girl with two adorable pigtails who’s clutching a white teddy bear in one hand. Annabeth crouches down in front of her, “Hi, what’s your name?”
“Estelle.” The girl responds, and Annabeth gives her a smile, “Well, Estelle, since you’re next to meet Santa, would you like to come into his house and pick the book I read for you guys?”
Estelle brightens instantly, and she nods without hesitation. Annabeth’s smile only grows, “Perfect! But first, I need to know if your parents are okay with it.”
Estelle turns to the older person behind her, tugging on their hand, “I need to go to Santa’s house!”
Annabeth bites back a laugh as she stands up, meeting the eyes of whoever Estelle had been talking to. As she does so, she momentarily freezes, her gaze fixating on sea-green eyes, dark, curly hair, and a single dimple on his left cheek that made her stomach dip.
For a second, Annabeth thinks that maybe he’s staring too, but the moment is gone before she can dissect it, with Estelle grabbing his attention, “Please, Percy!”
He laughs, “I’m not your parent though, Stell.”
She turns to Annabeth, “Can my brother give permission?”
Annabeth nods, her gaze shifting from Estelle to his eyes once again, “He definitely can. Hopefully quickly, too, because these kids are not patient.”
He grins, and, without breaking his gaze from Annabeth, nods, “Alright, yeah, she can go.”
The smaller girl jumps between them, and Annabeth reaches over to undo the velvet rope to allow her in. Annabeth leaves it open for a second, “You can come too, um…”
She trails off, tilting her head slightly. She’d heard Estelle say Percy, but she didn’t quite know if she should try or see if he introduces himself. He grins, “Percy. And, yeah, maybe I should. She’s chaotic when left alone.”
Annabeth laughs, and she steps aside so he can enter as well before returning the rope back into the clasp. She grabs onto Estelle’s hand and guides her into Santa’s house, with Percy following in tow.
Once they’re inside the small room, Annabeth claps her hands together, “Alright, Estelle, go ahead and pick two books for me to read.”
She nods, placing her teddy bear down and digging through the books on the small shelf. As she does so, Annabeth turns to Percy, “So, how does an older brother get roped into coming to meet Santa Claus?”
“It’s called my parents taking advantage of me being done with classes for the semester.” He responds with a grin, crossing his arms over his chest. Annabeth laughs, and Percy shakes his head, “Nah, I honestly offered. She’s been wanting to meet Santa since fucking Thanksgiving, and my parents are busy.”
“Percy, you can’t say bad words in Santa’s house, or in front of an elf.” Estelle says, her gaze fixated on three books she’d laid out on the floor, and Annabeth bites back a laugh, “Yeah, Percy, watch your language. I’m gonna tell Santa.”
“Oh, come on! I’ve been good all year!” He defends playfully, and Annabeth swallows the laugh, raising one eyebrow, “Somehow I don’t believe that.”
He opens his mouth to respond, and Annabeth sees his eyes momentarily graze over her body. She takes that opportunity to lean forward, nodding once, “Yeah, definitely don’t believe that.”
It’s an odd thought, she thinks, to be flirting in the middle of a mall Santa’s house, but she mentally sends out a thank you to whichever one of her sorority sisters chose the elf costumes. Percy looks like he’s going to respond, but before he can, Estelle’s off the floor and handing Annabeth two books. “I’m ready!”
Annabeth grins, taking them from her and turning her attention to the younger girl. She leans down, “Thank you! Since you did this for me, how about you sit next to me while I read them to the crowd? Percy can wait on the side, if you’re okay with that.”
She agrees instantly, and Percy gives her a small hug, “Once Santa comes out, I’ll come onto the stage with you, okay?”
Annabeth watches Percy exit the small house before grabbing onto Estelle’s hand and heading out to the crowd of children. She settles both herself and Estelle onto Santa’s large chair, tugging her skirt down to cover the way it practically rolled up into her lap.
Annabeth spots Piper handing out candy in the crowd, with the children settling onto the floor as Annabeth gathers their attention to read the books. By the time she’s halfway through the second one, Santa thankfully makes his return, and she jumps off the chair as he settles back into the role. Annabeth returns to her spot near the exit beside Piper as Santa goes back to taking photos with kids.
“That was quick thinking.” Piper says to her, and Annabeth nods, exhaling a breath, “That chair smells like piss.”
Piper laughs as Estelle, who had just finished her photo with Santa, runs towards them. Instead of accepting the small goody bag from Annabeth and running off, she wraps her arms around Annabeth’s waist into a hug.
Annabeth laughs, and crouches down, allowing Estelle’s arms to shift to her neck, “Thank you for helping pick the books, Estelle.”
“Thank you for letting me see Santa’s house! I hope he gets me what I asked for.” She responds, half muffled in Annabeth’s hair, and Annabeth pulls away from the hug, “If you tell me what you asked for, I might be able to help.”
She studies her for a moment, then shakes her head, “I think it’s better if it stays a secret.”
“Stell, I hate to ruin your new friendship with Annabeth, but there are kids waiting to get candy from the elves.” Percy’s voice interrupts their small bubble, and Annabeth stands up and hands Estelle the small bag, “It was really nice to meet you.”
The girl beams at her, “You, too!”
Annabeth’s eyes shift to Percy, whose gaze is fixed on Annabeth. She grins, “I’m telling Santa you cursed in his house.”
“And if I get coal, I’m blaming you.” He responds, a smile on his lips. Annabeth rolls her eyes, “I think you would have gotten coal anyway.”
“Uh huh, yeah.” He rolls his eyes, but the smile remains on his lips, “Bye, Annabeth.”
She waves, watching the two of them walk away and pulls another bag of candy out of the box behind them. As she does so, Piper nudges her, “What the fuck was that?”
“What was what?” Annabeth responds, handing a bag to another child and giving them a wave. Piper shoves her a second time, “Do not play dumb. You were flirting!”
“No, I wasn’t. Plus, it’s not like I’ll even see him again for it to matter.” Annabeth says, as a way to close the conversation, and Piper rolls her eyes, “Believe me, with the way he was looking at you, he is definitely coming back to see you again.”
Annabeth says nothing, instead focusing her attention back on giving out candy.
When her shift comes to an end, Annabeth grabs the two books she’d hidden behind one of the trees and enters the small Santa house, returning the books Estelle had scattered onto the shelves. As she does so, she notices the white teddy bear resting in the corner of the room. She knows there’s a lost and found for the mall, and maybe she should go drop it off, but instead, she takes the bear and puts it in the small locker she has in the fitting room.
Annabeth doesn’t expect to see Percy again for a while. She knows Estelle probably noticed her missing teddy bear, but children also have short attention spans and more often than not, they forget they even lost toys in the first place. However, only two days after the day Estelle had come to meet Santa, she’s helping with line management when she spots Percy on the side, giving her a small wave.
First time she’d seen him, he’d been in a maroon sweater and dark jeans and looked as though he’d been making an attempt to look better for the photo with Estelle. Now, though, he was in black jeans, a navy crewneck, and a denim jacket and he looked even better than she remembered. His hair was tucked under a black beanie, and Annabeth momentarily takes a pause from helping out Silena to approach him.
“Hi.” She begins, adjusting one of her gloves, and Percy grins, “Hey. I know you’re probably, like, working and not allowed to do this but um, Estelle left a bear in Santa’s house when she was here and I was wondering if you maybe saw it?”
“White teddy bear with an Elsa dress on, right?” She asks, and he nods. Annabeth grins, “Yeah, I have it.”
A look of relief passes over Percy, “You’re a lifesaver.”
She feels the familiar dip in her stomach, and she glances back at where Silena and Piper were working before turning back to him, “I have 10 minutes on the clock. Wait for me?”
He nods, “Yeah, of course. Thank you.”
She gives him one last smile before running back to Silena and Piper, and Piper immediately nudges her, “He’s back!”
“Who’s back?” Silena asks, passing candy to a child, and Piper grins, “There was a cute guy here a few days ago with his sister and Annabeth flirted with him.”
“Oh my god, the dress worked?” Silena laughs, and Annabeth rolls her eyes, “Shut up, he’s here because his sister left a teddy bear and I kept it for her.”
“So, what’s he doing now?” Piper asks, and Annabeth hands candy off to another child, shooting them a smile, “He’s waiting for me. The toy’s in my locker.”
“Wait, what are you doing then?” Silena straightens, giving Annabeth’s shoulder a small push, “I’ll cover the rest of your shift, go flirt with a cute guy!”
“He could be taken, you know!” Annabeth responds, but she still places down the candy and makes her way out of the Christmas set up. Percy’s on a nearby bench waiting for her, typing something on his phone, and Annabeth approaches with a smile, “Hey, ready?”
He looks up from his phone and grins, “Yeah, of course.”
Annabeth guides him to the back of the Christmas Wonderland set up, back where the mall had created a makeshift locker room for the people working for the holidays. She tugs open her locker as Percy leans on the wall behind her, and she pulls out the white teddy bear and hugs it, “Told you I took care of it.”
“You’re a lifesaver.” He lets out a sigh of relief as she hands it to him, and he quickly shoves it into his backpack, “Stell was two seconds away from a full meltdown over this bear.”
“Glad I could help.” She grins, and then turns away for a moment to tug off the headband and gloves, as she does so, she hears Percy shift behind her, “Could I, um, maybe buy you a cup of coffee?”
She pauses, turning to face him and ignoring the flutter in her chest. He has a slight blush on his cheeks, and Annabeth mentally frames the image. He tilts his head to the side, “You know, as a thank you for saving my sister’s teddy bear.”
She bites back a smile, “Is that the only reason why?”
He raises one hand, giving her shoulder a small nudge and the spot burns, “I may also want to just spend time with the cute elf who keeps teasing me.”
At that, she feels her cheeks burn and can’t hide the smile that’s on her lips. “Do you have anywhere to be right now?”
He shakes his head, and Annabeth turns to pull out a pile of clothes from her locker, “Give me five minutes to change? I’ll meet you outside.”
He complies, and Annabeth’s quick to change from the elf costume into the jeans and sweater she’d arrived in. She manages to wipe off the bright red lipstick, settling for the stain that remained stuck on her lips. Once she’s done, she messily shoves her costume into her locker and grabs her jacket and purse, making her way out of the locker room and to Percy.
An easy smile forms on his lips once she approaches, and Annabeth feels the dip in her stomach again. Annabeth returns his smile, “I don’t know if you particularly want Starbucks mall coffee, but if not, I know a small place two blocks down that makes really good coffee.”
Percy agrees, and the two make their way out of the mall and into the city streets, the gust of wind hitting Annabeth stronger than she’d expected.
“So,” Percy begins, shoving his hands into his pockets, “tell me how you got roped into working as a mall elf.”
Annabeth huffs out a breath, avoiding a dog that had run towards her as they crossed the street, “I’m part of a sorority and they volunteer to help every year.”
“That explains the outfit.” He says, and Annabeth gives him a shove as she looks up at him. He stumbles for a moment, laughing, “I’m joking!”
“Uh huh, sure.” She rolls her eyes, “And I’m gonna pretend like you weren’t checking me out in that elf outfit.”
At that, he falls silent for a moment, and Annabeth feels the flutter in her chest again. He clears his throat, “Which college are you going to?”
“Columbia, and I’m a sophomore. You?”
“What the fuck? You’re in Columbia?” He ignores her question for a second, pausing to stare at her with wide eyes. Annabeth feels her cheeks burn, and she nods, “I did good in high school.”
Percy gives her a small nudge with his shoulder, “You definitely did more than just good, but alright. I’m at Hunter, by the way. Sophomore too.”
“Major?” She asks, then grabs his forearm, “The cafe’s right here.”
He holds the door open for her as the two of them enter, and they approach the line to order. Percy is quick to swat Annabeth’s hand away when she makes a move to pay, inserting his own card before she can argue, “I said I was buying you coffee, didn’t I?”
She doesn’t respond, and the two settle into a table in the corner. Percy shrugs off his jacket, “I’m a psych and early childhood education major, by the way.”
“That’s cute.” She responds, and Percy rolls his eyes, “Uh huh. What about you?”
“Architecture.”
“Smart and pretty.” He says, and Annabeth feels her cheeks turn red. Under the table, she gives him a small kick, “Cute and caring.”
He rolls his eyes once again, but there’s a smile on his lips regardless.
They stay in that coffee shop far longer than they should have, refilling their cups when they realize that maybe they should leave, neither of the two of them wanting to part. By the time they exit and head towards the subway, the sun is well past set and it’s far colder than Annabeth expected.
“So, where do you get off?” He asks, swiping his card behind Annabeth, who turns to an empty corner of the platform and stands there, “I live on 68th.”
Percy’s lips instantly form into a grin, “I’m on 73rd. I’ll walk you home.”
Annabeth rolls her eyes, “You don’t have to.”
He shakes his head, grabbing her hand as the subway approaches and guides the two of them into the train, “I want to, though.”
She doesn’t argue against it for the rest of the night, and instead savors the way he’s so, so bright even under dingy New York street lights and he makes her chest flutter in the best way possible. When they finally reach the door of her apartment complex, Annabeth turns to him, “Thank you for walking me home.”
“Thank you for keeping Estelle’s teddy bear safe.” He grins, and Annabeth shrugs, “It’s the least I could do.”
“Can we do this again?” He asks, his tone hopeful and a small blush on his cheeks that Annabeth can spot even from underneath the street light. She exhales a breath and nods, a smile forming on her lips, “I gave you my number, didn’t I?”
She sees a small breath leave him as he nods, and she leans forward and presses a short kiss to his cheek, “Good night, Percy.”
The smile doesn’t leave her face even after she’s buried her bed.
“Annabeth Chase has a date!”
“It’s not a date, Pipes.” Annabeth counters from her spot in front of the bathroom mirror, capping the eyeliner pen she was using. Piper scoffs, sitting up the rim of the bathtub, “You’re literally going out with a guy you’ve been texting nonstop for a week, that’s a date.”
“He never said it was!” Annabeth pulls out her eyelash curling, carefully pinching the hairs before pulling out her mascara, “Plus, we haven’t texted nonstop.”
“Didn’t he bring her coffee to work, too?” Silena says as she walks past the bathroom door, and Piper raises a hand, pointing at Silena’s passing figure, “Yes! See, it’s a date.”
“Uh huh, okay.” Annabeth closes the mascara tube, then steps away from the counter, “Okay, how do I look?”
“I thought this wasn’t a date.”
“You’re impossible.” Annabeth responds, then exits the bathroom with an eye roll and makes her way to her own bedroom.
“Hey! I was joking!” Piper chases after her, tossing herself onto her bed as Annabeth tugs out her combat boots from her closet. She sits down on her desk chair, undoing the laces and tugging them on, “I hate you. Get out of my room.”
“You look hot!” Piper responds, then turns towards the door, “Silena! Come tell Annabeth she looks hot!”
Annabeth ignores the comment and instead studies herself in the floor length mirror by her closet. When Percy had texted her about going out, he hadn’t specified what the outing would entail and instead solely mentioned that she should dress warm. Annabeth hadn’t quite figured out how to pair cute with warm, but she managed to put on a black tennis skirt she paired with a white turtleneck and a maroon cropped cardigan that she hoped would be enough layers. In an attempt for added warmth, she put on a pair of thick, white thigh high socks and a black beanie with a maroon pom pom. All in all, she thinks she looks cute.
Silena enters Annabeth’s room and joins Piper on the bed, a smile on her lips, “Look at her Pipes, all grown up and dressed to impress a guy she claimed she would never meet working at the mall.”
Piper fakes wiping a tear, “They really do grow up so fast.”
Annabeth picks up a spare tube of lipgloss off her vanity, tossing it in their general direction, “I genuinely hate both of you.”
“Hey! You look cute!” Silena responds, picking up the lip gloss and removing the lid, “You also look hot. Like, I’d date you.”
“Make sure to put on that cherry lip gloss you have.” Piper adds in, and Silena nudges her shoulder, “Do that too.”
“He never said it was a date.” Annabeth reminds them, but she still pulls the gloss out and applies it to her lips anyway. She sees Silena roll her eyes in the mirror, “It’s definitely a date. He’s texted you for a week straight, he’d randomly drop off coffee for you when you were working, and he planned an entire night for the two of you. That is a date, Chase.”
While everything Silena said rang true, Annabeth still felt a bundle of nerves in her chest. Since the day she and Percy went out for coffee, the two kept up through Facetime calls and texts, never quite having a mutual gap in their schedules to meet up. She’d learned a lot about him through the texts, though: He worked part time at a children’s center, he lived with his family but wants to move in with his best friend Grover soon, his favorite food is his mom’s blue chocolate chip cookies, and he was a swimming pro. She’d shared as well--how she’s only in the sorority because her mom was and she’s desperate to impress her, how her family’s in San Francisco and she lives with her two closest friends, how she hates summer, how she was a cheerleader for all of high school.
When the intercom buzzer rings, Annabeth turns to her two friends, who instantly jump off the bed and run to the door. She grabs her bag and follows after the two of them, “Don’t you dare answer the door!”
“Too late!” Silena sticks her tongue out, and Piper stands guard of the handle, “Go grab your jacket, we’ll handle Percy.”
“He does not need to be handled!” Annabeth defends, but turns to grab her jacket from the closet regardless. She knows she should choose warmth over her outfit, but instead of grabbing her puffy jacket, she opts to borrow a black trench coat Silena has. The hem lands at the same length as her skirt, and just as she tugs it on, she hears the bell ring.
Piper is quick to tug it open, and Silena stands beside her as Percy comes into view.
“Hey, Percy!” Piper waves, and Annabeth mentally strangles her.
He manages a smile, “Hi. You guys are Piper and Silena, I’m guessing?”
“Aw, he remembers!” Silena coos playfully, and nods, “Yep! I’m Silena, that’s Pipes. So, what do you have planned for tonight?”
“Can you two stop?” Annabeth finally chimes in, grabbing Silena and tugging her back, allowing Annabeth to properly see Percy. She meets his eye, and she sees his eyes slowly graze over her appearance, before relocking with hers, “Wow.”
Annabeth feels her cheeks warm, and she smiles, “Wow yourself.”
He’s in black skinny jeans and a navy sweater, and from underneath the sweater, Annabeth can see the collar of black turtleneck. He’d paired the outfit with boots, a black jacket, and a black beanie and Annabeth felt something in her chest clench at the site.
“Have her home by 2.” Piper says, then gives Annabeth a small shove. Percy laughs, taking a step back so Annabeth can exit the apartment, “I’ll have her back in one piece, I promise.”
“Good, because we know a girl that could beat you up.” Piper teases, then waves, “Have fun, Chase!”
“You’re dead to me, McLean.” Annabeth says in response, then turns to Percy, “Shall we?”
He grins, “After you.”
They bound down the stairs and into the streets of New York, and Annabeth tucks her hands into her pockets, “So, where are we heading off to?”
“Depends on what you want to do first.” He responds, “They’re all in the same area, relatively, but I wanted to know if you wanted to grab dinner first or do something fun.”
“Will you tell me what the something fun is?”
“Nope! You just have to trust me.” He responds, his hand reaching to brush over her lower back, guiding her towards the stairs of the subway station. Through her jacket, Annabeth’s skin burns, and she shifts closer to Percy. They make their way through the subway station, and Percy gives her a smile, “Well?”
“Let’s do something fun first, I guess.” She responds, making Percy’s smile grow, “I was hoping you’d say that.”
“If this was a trap to murder me, I’m gonna be really upset.” Annabeth says, causing him to laugh. They slide into the train as it pulls up, and Percy’s hand finds itself on her lower back once again, “I thought I said you had to trust me, ‘Beth.”
She feels her cheeks burn, and she gives him a smile, “I don’t have a choice now, do I?”
He rolls his eyes, but the smile stays on his lips nonetheless, “You have no faith.”
“Okay, fine, I guess I trust you.” She responds, a small laugh leaving her, and he exhales a breath, “Good, now, tell me what your favorite foods are.”
A train ride later, the two are stepping off the station platform and into Bryant Park, with Percy guiding her toward the ice skating rink.
“Wait, we’re ice skating?” Annabeth asks, and Percy grins, “Yeah, have you skated before?”
She watches him pull out his wallet as he gets tickets for the both of them, and Annabeth shakes her head, “I think once, when I was like, 15, but that’s it.”
“Well, I’ll teach you, come on.” He grabs onto her hand and the two slip into skates and onto the ice, and Annabeth’s hands are shaking as Percy guides her to the edge.
“Ready?” He asks, fog coming out of his mouth with every word, and Annabeth nods once, “I guess.”
He grabs onto both of her hands as he explains how to maneuver her feet, Annabeth following his directions with furrowed brows and far too much focus it’s embarrassing.
“We can stick to the sides right now, until you get used to it, or you can grab onto my hands. Your choice.” He says, and Annabeth lets go of one of his hands as they begin moving along the edge of the rink.
“Just don’t let go right now.” She says, and Percy laughs, squeezing her hand once, “Never.”
They stay like that for a moment, skirting along the edge of the rink and making two laps. Annabeth gradually let go of the ledge as they went around, and eventually, she found herself able to skate without the extra help from Percy’s hand. She never lets go of it, though, even as they make their way through the center of the rink and skate around.
“How did you even get good at skating?” Annabeth asks, watching Percy skate a small circle around her. He grins, “I take Estelle almost every week. She loves it--it reminds her of Frozen and for some reason it’s her favorite thing. There’s also a great hot chocolate stand, so that’s an added bonus.”
“Are you saying you’re gonna buy me hot chocolate after this?” Annabeth teases, nudging Percy as they skated past a kid holding onto one of the training penguins, and Percy grins, “Let’s do dinner first, then I promise I’ll get you hot chocolate.”
She smiles, “I’ll hold you to that promise.”
As the words escape her lips, she stumbles over her skates, a small yelp leaving her as she falls backwards. She’s prepared for the collision of her body with the floor, however before she hits the ice, Percy’s arms are around her and she’s propped upwards.
“You good?” She hears his voice ring in her ear as he lifts her, and Annabeth feels like she’s on fire. She manages a weak nod as she straightens, “Y-Yeah, thank you.”
He looks almost reluctant as he unwinds himself from around her, however he keeps one hand in hers, “Think you wanna call it on the ice skating?”
Annabeth lets out a shaky laugh, “Yes, please.”
Once the skates are returned and the rink is behind them, Percy guides her to a small restaurant a block away. “I didn’t know what your favorite food is, but hopefully you like either ramen or sushi?”
Annabeth grins, “I love both, thank you.”
She sees him exhale a breath as he holds the door open for her, and something about that sends a flurry of butterflies through her chest. They settle in a small booth in the corner, skimming through the menu the waiter brought to them.
Once they’ve ordered, per Percy’s recommendation, Annabeth gives him a small kick under the table, “You put a lot of thought into tonight, huh?”
His cheeks flush, and a small, sheepish smile forms on his lips, “Would you make fun of me if I said yes?”
She shakes her head, biting back a smile, “Not at all. It’s sweet.”
“It’s just…” He pauses, exhaling a breath as he leans forward on the table, “I wanted to impress you, okay? Like, I don’t know what your track record for dating has been like but I wanted a really good first date.”
Annabeth opens her mouth to respond, but before she can, Percy quickly adds, “If you want this to be a first date, I mean. If not, that’s cool too, but, yeah.”
She laughs, her cheeks flushing as Percy shoots her a venom-less glare, “You’re making fun of me.”
“I’m not!” She defends, sobering up for a moment, then leans forward on the table, “It’s really sweet.”
She gives him a small kick under the table, and he takes the opportunity to hook their legs together. She meets his eyes, and there’s a glint to his that sends another wave of butterflies through Annabeth’s stomach.
Slowly, carefully, she runs a finger across Percy’s hand, watching him shift his hand so his palm is upward, allowing Annabeth to trace the skin, “I do want this to be a date, by the way.”
He grins, “Am I doing a good job so far?"
She gives the center of his palm a small poke, “Definitely are.”
Almost two hours later, Annabeth’s holding a cup of hot chocolate as they wander through Bryant Park, listening to Percy tell her a story from middle school.
“Wait, so you made a toilet explode?” She asks, and Percy nods, a small laugh leaving him, “Yeah. Not sure why Grover willingly stuck by me after that, but he did. Got suspended for it, though, even though it wasn’t technically my fault.”
“Don’t we just love technicalities.” Annabeth responds, and Percy laughs again, “Hey! It got me out of a full expulsion, so I can’t complain.”
“At least I now know never to make you angry.” She says, giving his shoulder a small nudge with her own, “Or else you’ll blow up a toilet.”
He shoots her a playful glare, giving her a slightly more forceful shove, “You’re no fun.”
She laughs, stumbling slightly before Percy grabs onto her hand, steadying her. She straightens, her cheeks flushed red, “You almost made me fall!”
“I caught you!” He defends, and Annabeth rolls her eyes. They’d stopped walking, instead settling on a spot that overlooked the massive Christmas tree in the center of the park.
“I should be getting you home now, you know.” He says, softly, one hand reaching up to twirl one of her curls around his finger. Annabeth lets out a breath, “Do you want to?”
He shakes his head, “I don’t want tonight to end, but I also don’t want to keep you in the cold.”
“Do you have any other spots we could go to?” She offers, hoping her voice doesn’t give away the way she can feel her heart fluttering in her chest. Percy shrugs, “I don’t know any places that stay open that late, but we could also just go to mine and watch movies. We have pretty much every holiday movie backed up.”
“You really want me to meet your family on our first date?” She responds, and Percy shrugs, “Not to come off as too forward or anything, but I don’t see this being our last-not by a longshot. So, yeah, I don’t mind.”
He lets go of the curl he’d been playing with, meeting her eyes, “Whatever you’re comfortable with, ‘Beth.”
She exhales a breath, ignoring the pounding in her chest from the softness in his voice and the way he’s staring at her, and squeezes the hand that was holding his, “Let’s do my apartment for tonight, if that’s okay?”
“You sure Piper and Silena won’t mind?” He says, but guides her towards the subway entrance anyway, and Annabeth laughs, “They definitely won’t, I just need to make sure they don’t act as annoying as they did when you first came by.”
“It was cute.” He swipes his metrocard and Annabeth does the same, and she rolls her eyes, “You don’t have to act like it wasn’t annoying.”
“I’m serious!” He laughs, stepping onto the platform with her following behind, “It was cute-it shows they care. And, you know, they’re funny, so I liked them.”
Annabeth studies him for a moment, then, before she can lose her courage, leans up and presses a kiss to his cheek. She lets her lips linger for a second before pulling away, watching the way his cheeks flush and his lips fall open. “Thank you.”
The words are a barely there whisper amongst the volume of the subway station, but he hears it all the same. It takes him a moment to respond, swallowing before giving her a smile, “I didn’t even do anything.”
She shakes her head, squeezing his hand as she pulls him into the train, “Shut up and take the thank you, Jackson.”
He laughs, his arms moving to wrap around her waist and pull her against him, her back pressed against his chest in the process. He leans down, his chin resting on her shoulder and sending her heart hammering in her chest, “Whatever you say, Chase.”
The feeling in her chest never goes away.
“What are your plans for Christmas?”
They’re curled up on Annabeth’s couch, with Annabeth’s head on Percy’s shoulder as a random episode of New Girl plays on the TV in front of them. Annabeth sits up once the question leaves Percy’s lips, and shrugs, “I don’t have any. I was just gonna lay around in bed, to be honest.”
“Wait, what about your family?” Percy asks, and Annabeth feels her chest clench. She avoids his eyes as she picks at a loose strand on her sleeve, “I don’t--we’re not close, Percy. I see them once a year, usually during summer, and that’s about it. Piper and Silena both are heading home once the 21st hits, so I didn’t bother.”
“You’re not spending Christmas alone, ‘Beth.” She looks at Percy’s face, and he reaches forward and grabs one of her hands, “Come over on Christmas.”
“Percy…” She breathes out his name, but she can’t argue further, because he’s sitting up and staring at her with far too much intensity for her to say anything else, “No, listen--I can’t let you spend it alone, and plus, my family has always been big on holidays and my mom’s always been used to friends tagging along.”
Annabeth exhales a breath, a small smile tugging on her lips. She squeezes his hand once, feeling her stomach dip at his words, “Is that all I am? A friend?”
Percy’s eyes widen for a fraction of a second, and he’s quick to shake his head, “Fuck, no, that’s not-that’s not what I meant, I just-fuck.”
She laughs, the bubble in her chest popping as he stutters through his response. She feels him pinch her hip, “You’re fucking cruel, Annabeth Chase.”
“I couldn’t help it!” She argues, leaning her head back on the cushion as she studies Percy’s face. He brushes a strand of hair behind her ear, “Please spend Christmas with me.”
“Isn’t that a little soon? We’ve known each other for, like, two weeks.” The words leave her in a quiet whisper, her eyes fixed into his, and he shrugs, “I mean, yeah? I guess.”
His hand runs across her jaw, sending her heart pounding, and he carefully traces her lower lip with his thumb, “But I also know I don’t want to let you go. We never labelled this or anything, but I’m not letting you go. Plus, by Christmas it’ll be three weeks.”
Annabeth sighs, tilting her head slightly so she could press a kiss to Percy’s skin, then pulls away, “You have to help me pick a last minute gift for Estelle.”
Despite the nerves in her chest, his smile and the exhale of relief that leaves him make it worth it.
When Christmas rolls around, Annabeth is a ball of nerves as she raids her closet for a cute outfit while Piper gives her advice through Facetime.
“You know you could easily wear anything and he’ll think you look good, right?” Piper says, and Annabeth rolls her eyes as she digs a skirt out from the bottom of her drawer, “I’m meeting his family, Pipes, I have to look good.”
She tugs the article of clothing on, smoothing down the front of her shirt before standing in front of her phone, “Thoughts?”
She’d pulled on a black and red plaid skirt and paired it with a white mock neck sweater, tossing on black thigh high socks for added warmth. Piper gives her a thumbs up, “Very cute. 10 out of 10. I’d kiss you.”
Annabeth exhales a breath, picking up her phone to prop it onto her vanity as she begins doing her makeup, “Well, let’s hope Percy thinks the same thing.”
“If your first kiss really is on Christmas, I will combust. That’s so fucking unfair—meeting someone a few weeks before the holidays and getting to be completely cheesy.”
Annabeth sticks out her tongue in response, to which Piper groans, “I hate you. I’m literally hanging up.”
“I love you, too! Merry Christmas!” Annabeth responds, and she sees a smile form on Piper’s lips, “Merry Christmas. Remember to put on red lipstick, but also do that trick with setting powder so it doesn’t get everywhere. Have fun!”
With that, they hang up and Annabeth finishes getting ready. Percy had texted his address last night, and as she slides on her boots, her phone buzzes.
>> percy (4:32 PM) : merry xmas :DD
<< annabeth (4:32 PM) : merry christmas <3
>> percy (4:33 PM) : mom would like an update on your eta
<< annabeth (4:33 PM) : i’m 2 blocks away, do you guys need any last minute things picked up?
>> percy (4:34 PM) : no, just get here already
<< annabeth (4:34 PM) : patience u big baby
>> percy (4:34 PM) : :p
Annabeth can feel her heart in her throat as she rings the intercom buzzer, hearing the gate buzz to let her in seconds later. She doesn’t know how she manages two go up two flights of stairs while balancing a plate and a big gift bag, but she does so anyway. Percy had told Annabeth there was no need for her to get gifts for his family, arguing that just one for Estelle was more than enough, so Annabeth decided on a loophole-baking.
She carefully rings the doorbell, adjusting her hold on the plate as it swings opening, her eyes meeting Percy’s. He’s dressed in a crimson sweater and black jeans, with a santa hat propped on his head that she finds adorable.
He exhales a breath, “Hi. You look beautiful.”
He steps aside, allowing Annabeth to enter, and she feels her cheeks burn, “Thank you. You look really cute.”
She shrugged off her jacket and pressed a short kiss to Percy’s cheek, “Should I put Estelle’s gift–?”
She wasn’t able to get the sentence out, instead being attacked by a five-year-old wrapping her arms around her waist, “Annabeth!”
Annabeth stumbled backwards, a laugh leaving her as she grips the plate tighter in one hand and uses the other to hug Estelle, “Hi, Stells!”
“Thank you for saving Snuffles for me when I forgot him.” She says, her voice half muffled in Annabeth’s skirt, and Annabeth laughs again, “Of course. I also got you a present, wanna put it under the tree until after dinner?”
Estelle untangles herself from Annabeth and nods, taking the present from her and running towards the living room. Percy places his hand on her lower back, “My parents are in the kitchen, I’ll give you a tour once they’ve said hi.”
Annabeth nods, exhaling a breath. He tugs her closer, guiding her toward the kitchen, “Don’t be nervous.”
She carefully pinches his arm, “Don’t judge me.”
He laughs, and Annabeth and he stop at the doorway of the kitchen. Percy’s stepdad, Paul, is at the sink, working through a pile of dishes as his mom, Sally, checks on whatever was in the oven.
Percy clears his throat, “Mom, Paul–this is Annabeth.”
Sally straightens and Paul turns towards them as Annabeth gives them a smile, “Hi–thank you so much for having me, it’s really nice to meet you both.”
Sally steps forward first, and Percy’s hand lowers as the older woman gives Annabeth a hug. She manages to return it with one hand, the other still gripping the plate of cookies.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Annabeth.” She says, a warm smile on her lips. Paul gives a wave, his hands covered in suds, “I don’t want to get you covered in dish soap, but it really is nice to put a face to a name.”
“He’s right. Percy never stops talking about you.” Sally adds in, causing Annabeth’s cheeks to flush. She gives Percy a quick glance, and she sees the tips of his ears burning red, which only makes her heart pound in her chest, “All good things, I hope.”
Percy rolls his eyes, his hand moving to hold onto her waist once again, “As if I could even say anything bad about you.”
Annabeth feels her body shift closer to his, leaning up to press a short kiss to his cheek, “You’re a big flirt, Jackson.”
He grins, “Only for you.”
She rolls her eyes, but the smile doesn’t leave her lips as she turns her attention to both Sally and Paul, “I, um, I bought cookies. Percy said I didn’t need to do gifts, but I felt like I needed to bring something, so I baked and got something for Estelle.”
She holds out the tin foil-wrapped plate to Sally, who takes it with a warm smile, “Oh, you really didn’t have to.”
Annabeth waves her off, “It’s the least I could do. They’re snickerdoodles, by the way.”
She watches Sally lift the foil to peek, and sees the smile widen, “They’re blue!”
A small laugh leaves Annabeth, and she feels her cheeks burn, “Yeah, I know-Percy told me about your blue food tradition and I kinda felt like I needed to follow through. They probably won’t compare to your cookies, though, but it’s the thought, right?”
She doesn’t glance at Percy, yet she feels his eyes on her the entire time. Sally reaches forward and gives Annabeth’s hand a small squeeze, “I’m sure they’re delicious. I’ll put them aside with the other desserts. Perce, why don’t you finish showing Annabeth around? The food will be done by then.”
They leave the kitchen shortly after, Percy guiding her towards the living room with the hand resting on her lower back, “You made blue cookies for me?”
She gives his shoulder a small shove with her own, “Not entirely for you, but yes.”
He’s practically beaming as he walks her through the apartment, showing her around the entire place and refusing to allow her to linger on the miscellaneous framed photos of him littered throughout the place. When they finally reach his bedroom, he lets the door fly open and makes his way onto the bed, laying onto it and using his forearms as a pillow. “Alright, ‘Beth, you can snoop now.”
“Who said I was gonna snoop?” Despite the fact that she responds that way, she still lets her eyes wander throughout the bedroom. It was fairly decently sized, with a full-size bed with navy sheets in one corner with a single side table. On the other side of the bedroom he had a corner desk setup, with one desk containing a mess of papers and notebooks and the other with a gaming setup. She studies the corkboard above his desk, pointing to one of the notes, “You missed your test.”
“You’re not funny.” He doesn’t look at her, and it only makes her smile grow. Littered across his walls was a mess of photos and prints, and, when she made her way to his bed, she saw his closet and the way his clothes were messily stored away. She lays down on the bed beside him, turning her head to face his, “Cute room.”
“Did you have fun snooping?” He turns to look at her, their faces inches apart and so close Annabeth’s voice catches for a moment, “Loads. I especially liked that camp photo you have near your desk.”
Percy grins, the dimple in his cheek popping out, “Of course you did.”
She grabs onto his hand, intertwining their fingers, “Do you mind if I give you your present when we’re alone?”
“You got me something?” He squeezes her hand, and she nods against the comforter, “Of course I did.”
He leans forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead, “Thank you. And, yeah, we can do it after dinner and stuff. I’ll give you your gift then, too.”
She beams, and the smile he gives her in return makes her want to kiss him more than anything.
Meeting Percy’s friends had absolutely terrified her in theory, but once they all sat at the dinner table together, Annabeth completely forgot why she was afraid in the first place. Almost instantly, she found herself clicking with the four that came over: Leo, Hazel, Grover, and Reyna. The dinner itself was amazing and she felt all the tension leave her as the night progressed. Once it was over, they’d decided to do presents and dessert in the living room, and Annabeth watches Leo and Grover debate the best Christmas movie to play as Estelle curls into her lap.
“Comfy?” Annabeth teases, and the younger girl nods, nuzzling her cheek in Annabeth’s chest. She wraps her arms around her, and for a moment she’s silent.
“Okay, wait, we need a decider.” Leo finally says, then his eyes turn from Grover to Annabeth, “Annabeth, is The Nightmare Before Christmas a Christmas movie?”
“100% yes.” Annabeth responds, nodding her head, “It’s the best Christmas movie.”
Leo whoops, switching to Disney+ on the TV as Grover lets out a groan, “I had faith in you, Annabeth.”
“She’s a Jackson, of course she would like Nightmare Before Christmas.” Reyna says from her spot on the couch, a grin on her lips.
Annabeth feels her cheeks burn, her eyes momentarily shifting to the kitchen doorway, where Percy was busy helping his mom out with hot chocolate, “Definitely not a Jackson.”
“Might as well be.”
Annabeth rolls her eyes, but a small smile forms on her lips regardless. As Leo hits play on the movie, Sally and Paul make their way into the living room with plates of cookies and mugs of hot chocolate for everyone. Estelle gives Annabeth a small poke, climbing off her lap, “Can you tell Percy to get me milk?”
“Is hot chocolate not good enough for you?” Annabeth teases, playing with one of her curls, and Estelle sticks her tongue out, “Please?”
Annabeth complies, standing and making her way to the kitchen to hunt for Percy. Just as she’s entering, Percy is walking out, stumbling into her. His arms immediately snake around her waist to prop her upwards, “Caught you.”
She feels her cheeks burn as he tugs her a bit closer, her voice coming out almost breathless, “Thank you.”
He grins, his eyes shining, “Of course.”
She straightens while still in his arms, and she almost regrets taking off her boots earlier as she tilts her head up to meet his eyes.
“You can let go of me now, you know.” She says, although she really doesn’t want him to, and he shakes his head, “Nope. Can’t do that.”
“And why’s that?”
He leans down, brushing his lips close to her ear, “You realize we’re standing under mistletoe, right?”
Annabeth’s eyes snap up instantly, and sure enough, on the doorframe of the kitchen hung a small sprig of the plant. When she meets his eyes again, he’s biting back a smile.
“You set this up, didn’t you?” She asks, but her arms move to wrap around his neck regardless. He leans down, and Annabeth’s breath catches in her throat as he brushes his lips against hers, “I plead the fifth.”
“Please just kiss me.”
She barely finishes the sentence before he properly presses his lips to hers, her eyes fluttering shut as he tightens his hold on her. She knows this is an absolute cliche: Meeting someone before the holidays and kissing under the mistletoe, but somehow Percy makes it all okay. She also knows that his entire family is steps away from them and has a full view of the two of them, but then he deepens the kiss and the thought is gone as she tangles her hands in his hair.
They part to the sound of Leo’s whooping and Reyna telling him to pipe down, and Annabeth can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of her as she buries her head in his chest. Her entire body is burning, and, as she rests her head against him, she hears his heart pounding.
“Did you really have to do that, Perce? Now I owe Hazel and Leo 20 bucks each.” Grover says, over the sound of the opening song of the movie, and Annabeth’s arms only tighten around Percy.
“Yeah, I kinda did.” He responds, and she feels him press a kiss to the crown of her head. She pulls back, finally, and his cheeks are flushed and he’s smiling and Annabeth’s heart feels like it’s going to burst.
He grabs her hand to guide her back to the sofa while Hazel and Grover debate how cliche they’d expected Percy to be, and before she can sit down onto the sofa, she feels Percy grab her and pull her into his lap.
“Hey there.” She says, quietly, turning her head to face him, “Gonna let me sit down now?”
“Nope.” He pops the ‘p’, “I think you’re stuck here.”
Rather than responding, she adjusts her position so her head can rest in the crook of his neck. She feels him press another kiss to her head, his arms tightening around her, and for a moment, Annabeth’s eyes wander to Sally. She’s watching with a warm expression, and, as the two lock eyes, she gives Annabeth a smile, and all she can do in response is give Percy a small squeeze.
Hours later, after presents were exchanged and Percy’s friends left before they crashed on from a sugar high, Annabeth and Percy made their way into his room and curled up on his bed with a movie playing on his laptop screen.
“This movie is kinda stupid.” Percy says quietly, his lips brushing Annabeth’s jaw as the words leave him. Her back is pressed into his chest, his arms around her, and she rolls her eyes, “Shut up. It’s my favorite Christmas movie.”
“It’s a cliche.” He presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth, and she tilts her head so she can face him. She raises a hand that was previously intertwined with his to brush back one of his curls, a small smile on her lips, “Aren’t we?”
“Well, yes,” he says softly, his voice coming out a raspy whisper against her skin, “but in the best way.”
He kisses her properly, adjusting his position so he’s propped on top of her. She melts, her arms finding their way around his neck and tugging him closer. A sigh leaves her as he deepens the kiss, one hand finding her waist and giving her a small squeeze.
When her lungs feel like they’re about to collapse, she finally pulls away. His lips are stained red from her lipstick and his pupils are much larger than they were moments ago, and all in all, she feels her heart pounding.
He kisses her jaw, “You know I’m fucked if my parents walk in right now.”
She laughs, tilting her head as his lips trail down her skin, “Yet you won’t stop kissing me.”
He pulls away from her neck, a grin on her lips, “And who’s fault is that?”
She raises an eyebrow as her fingers play with the hair at the nape of his neck, “Are you blaming me right now?”
Percy plants a kiss to the corner of her mouth, “You walked into my house in that skirt and those socks and expected me not to kiss you?”
Annabeth feels her cheeks burn as he kisses her jaw once more, “And now you’re in my bed and you’ve been a fucking dream all night and all I want is you, ‘Beth.”
She exhales a breath, giving him a small tug so he can meet her eyes. She studies him for a moment–the way his eyes darkened from their kisses, how his lips are destroyed from her lipstick, and the way his hand is running along the hem of her sock and making her entire body shake, and runs her thumb across his jaw, “You have me.”
He gives her another kiss, much sweeter than the previous one, and lasts less longer, but still leaves her heart pounding just as much. When they part, he gives her a smile, “Can I give you your present now?”
She nods, and she sits up as Percy reaches into his nightstand, pulling a small, neatly-wrapped box from inside it. Slowly, he hands it to her, “I didn’t wrap it myself.”
Annabeth laughs, leaning over and giving him a kiss on the cheek, “It’s the thought that counts.”
She rips at the paper, her eyes widening at the Pandora logo on the box. “Percy…”
“Open it.” He matches her quiet tone, and she props the box open. She feels her heart in her chest as studies the charm bracelet inside the box–a silver band with 3 charms: a small Santa, a dangling heart, and a mini castle. Percy reaches over and grabs the piece of jewelery and unclaspes it, “I tried to find personal charms, but I guess architecture related charms aren’t too popular.”
She laughs, blinking back the tears in her eyes as he places it on her wrist. He lets his hand rest on top of hers for a moment, “Hopefully these are good enough, though.”
“I love it, so much.” She uses her free hand to cup his jaw, giving him a short kiss, “It’s perfect.”
He exhales a breath, “I was really scared you’d hate it.”
She laughs, pulling herself into his lap. His hands instinctively wrap around her waist, and she pulls hers around his neck, “I could never hate anything you get me.”
He rolls his eyes, but kisses her regardless. When they part, she carefully reaches across the bed and grabs her purse, then meets his eye once again, “Close your eyes.”
“What? Why?”
“For your present, you baby.” She shakes her head, and he gives her a raise of his eyebrow but complies regardless. As she pulls the small box out of her bag, he gives her a small squeeze, “‘Beth, as much as I think sex as a Christmas gift would be great, my parents, are like, right there.”
She pauses, her hands holding the box open as a laugh leaves her. She pulls the necklace out of the box and gives him a quick flick on his chest, “It’s not sex, dummy. We just kissed, why would I gift you sex?”
He shrugs, and Annabeth takes the opportunity to lower the chain around his neck, “You can open your eyes now.”
Once he does, his eyes immediately lower to the bar necklace Annabeth placed on him. It’s something she stumbled across on Etsy, and as he lifts it in between his fingertips, he sees the roman numerals inscribed on three of the sides–Sally, Estelle, and Paul’s birthdays.
“You said family is the most important thing in the world to you,” Annabeth says softly, studying his face for any indication of what was running through his brain, “so I figured you could carry them around this way, you know? I had to message your mom on Facebook for these dates, so technically we lied about meeting for the first time today but I hope you like it.”
“Annabeth.” He breathes her name out, finally meeting her eyes, “I love it.”
“Really?”
He lets go of the pendant, allowing it to fall to his chest, and rewraps his arms around her, “Really.”
She exhales, her hands moving to hold his shoulders, “I’m glad. There’s also, um, space for one more date–you know, if you ever find someone you care about that much.”
His eyes are shining as the words nervously leave her, and he presses his forehead to hers, “You should have already added your birthday as well, I already care about you that much, Annabeth.”
She feels her heart clench in her chest, and she swallows back the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She feels so much she could combust, and, rather than speaking, she kisses him once again.
Sure, she hated the costume and most kids she had dealt with when she was working as a mall elf, but now, with Percy wrapped around her and his lips on hers, she really wouldn’t have traded that job for the world. After all, it led her to him, didn’t it?