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“Okay, so the medley is Sleigh Ride, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” Percy says to Annabeth who is still half asleep. “Silena just sent me the cut.”
He pats her leg through the covers of his bed. She rolls away from his hand and sighs into the pillow.
“That sounds very festive,” she mumbles. “Give me five more minutes.”
Even in her barely conscious state, Annabeth can feel how excited Percy is. Truth be told, she is too, but she’s just a little slower to come around in the morning.
They’re taking the day off from their usual training, but they still need to get to the arena for their scheduled time on the ice, Annabeth pushes herself up into a seated position and reaches her arms over her head in a long stretch.
Their flights to NYC for Christmas are only a few weeks away and Annabeth had left most of the trip planning up to Percy. It’s his hometown, after all. What she hadn’t expected was that he would want to skate with her.
Well, maybe she had pictured them going to the Rockefeller Center and just holding hands and skating around, blending in with the other couples, friends, and families. Percy however had other plans. He’d called Rachel, who then called one of her many “friends,” who booked them the Rockefeller center for a special fundraising holiday performance.
“We can have Silena choreograph us a fun holiday themed piece,” he’d suggested when he ran the whole idea by her.
“Or we could make it up ourselves!” Annabeth had responded.
It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that it was the morning of the day they had set aside to make up their own choreography Annabeth is feeling a bit less confident.
Fast forward to a couple hours later and Annabeth and Percy are standing in the middle of the ice rink while Chiron, Silena, Clarisse, and Will are watching them and chatting with each other.
“Should we do hip hip shimmy shimmy?” Annabeth asks as she marks through the movements. “Or shimmy shimmy hip hip?”
They’ve been going back and forth for long enough until Clarisse finally yells across the ice, “There are only two of you. Percy shimmy first. Annabeth do your hips first. If you don’t make decisions you’re going to be here all night.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t remember inviting an audience of guest choreographers!” Annabeth hollers back.
“I would like to say that I was invited,” Silena interjects.
Annabeth immediately feels bad for bursting. “Of course you were. Silena feel free to give guidance. But everyone else can zip it, so that Percy and I can do this together.”
She rolls her shoulders back and turns to Percy. His eyes are a little wide, but he gives her a reassuring nod. “Let’s walk through it from the top.”
Annabeth isn’t sure why she wants control over this holiday performance. It would make sense and probably be easier if she just left it to the true choreographing professionals like she usually did. But there’s something that’s so enticing about making something with Percy. She loves the idea of looking back at this performance and knowing that it’s something they created together for each other. Even if it's just a quick silly skate.
Percy lets her lead, but frequently offers suggestions as they piece together a dance that has some exciting but not too tricky figure skating elements and a lot of fun and heart for the audience.
When they’re about two thirds of the way through the choreography and Annabeth gets stuck, she turns to Percy and asks, “What do you want to do next?”
“How about a lift?”
“We’ve already put in so many lifts,” she laughs.
“What can I say? Maybe I just like lifting you?”
“Okay, but this is the last one.” She holds up her finger.
“The last one before the big finish,” he counters, holding out his pinky.
It’s the weirdest, smallest pinky promise she’s ever made and it probably is just a subtle ploy to touch her hand a little more, but she loves it. Just like she loves him.
They rehearse the holiday skate at the end of all their regular training sessions and in no time at all Annabeth finds herself resting her head on Percy’s shoulder while they fly to New York.
Their training schedule is tight, especially because Nationals is getting closer and closer, so they only have a few days away from Colorado.
“I’m excited to meet Paul and Estelle finally,” she says quietly. “And to see your mom again.”
She chooses the word excited over nervous, even though what she’s feeling is truly a mix of both. Skating in front of hundreds of people is nothing. Spending the holidays with her boyfriend’s family for the first time is huge.
“Did I tell you Estelle got her first pair of figure skates?” he replies.
The image of Percy holding his little sister’s hand as she finds her footing on the ice flashes through Annabeth’s mind and she could cry just thinking about it.
“She’ll have to come out on the ice with us after the performance,” Annabeth says.
“You’d have a hard time stopping her from what I’ve heard from my mom.”
She reaches for his hand and interlaces her fingers with his. He tilts his head to the side to catch her eye. “This is going to be the best Christmas.”
They spend the next day, which to everyone shock and surprise is Christmas Eve, mostly prepping for the performance. There’s a sound check and they get to test out the ice. Rachel flits around between Percy and Annabeth and an ice dancing pair she’s also invited.
Annabeth has barely had the chance to catch her breath since flying in and suddenly she’s all done up wearing a shimmery white costume that looks snow and holding Percy’s hand as they skate out onto the ice.
There are people standing around the rink and lining the railing above. The giant golden statue of Prometheus and the Christmas tree are lit up behind them. The overhead lights and open air give skating outside at night an entirely different vibe than the sterile lights and filtered air in the arenas.
It feels great, actually. There’s no pressure. No judging eyes, She’s there with her boyfriend to put on a good show and have a good time. No scores, no commentators, no competition.
Percy gives her hand a squeeze before he lets it go so they can assume their starting positions. The iconic opening trumpet line of sleigh ride kicks them off and Annabeth just starts flying.
The routine they made up is perfect for Annabeth to feel the wind on her face the strength of Percy’s hands and arms. She can’t stop smiling the whole time and feels completely at ease as they skate through the jumps, spins, and lifts.
As the slower pace of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas sets in Annabeth is sure to take deep breaths to center herself. She focuses on keeping her arms light and flowing and she softens her face to something she hopes look dreamy and romantic.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas - He takes her hand and spins in around before putting an arm around her shoulder as they skate down the length of the rink.
Let your heart be light - They bring their hands to their hearts and gesture out to the audience with their palms up.
From now on our troubles will be out of sight - Annabeth gets a perfect moment to look right into Percy’s eyes before she tips her head back and glides into a death spiral.
The audience cheers and claps throughout and they feel simultaneously so close and so far away because what Annabeth is most focused on is Percy and how wonderful it feels just to dance with him.To feed off his energy and just soar.
She can see herself in the future, years after retiring from competitive skating, just getting on the ice and playing around with him. Doing step sequences for the sake of feeling in sync. Spinning and spinning until they just want to lay flat on their backs on the ice. Jumping into his arms just because she knows he’ll always catch her.
It’s over far too soon and Annabeth wishes the music would start over and they could just do it again and again.
But alas, they only have the ice booked for the show for so long and everyone else is eager to get their taste of it too, Estelle more than anyone else.
They bow and wave to the audience. She blows a few kisses just because it feels like the right thing to do. Percy puts his arm around Annabeth’s shoulder as they skate off the ice and she easily tucks herself into his side for the brief distance. So many great people (Rachel and Percy’s family) and things (her winter coat and some pants) are waiting for her when they step off the ice, but Annabeth just wants to go back. She pulls Rachel into a hug as soon as she finds her.
“Same time and place next year?” Annabeth asks.
Rachel nods. She looks almost a bit like Santa with her hat and red nose from the cold. “It’s in my calendar.”
*****
When they get home to Sally and Paul’s apartment, they’re all almost too tuckered out to speak. All five of them had skated around the rink to their heart’s content, well except Paul who had alternated between clutching onto his wife’s arm and the railing.
It’s almost 10pm, but with the jetlag and Annabeth knows it’ll take her a bit longer to really wind down and fall asleep. They all struggle to get out of their coats and boots in the small entryway of the apartment. Someone else might find all the bumping and apologizing silly, but to Annabeth it feels homey.
When they all finally make it past the doorway and into the hallway that opens up to the living room. Sally pats Paul’s shoulder, “It’s past our bedtime and we have a big day of cooking tomorrow, so we’re gonna head to bed.”
She makes a point to pull Annabeth into another big hug. “Merry merry Christmas! We’ll really catch up tomorrow.” She kisses Percy’s cheek.
Paul gives them a smile and a wave.
“Estelle, you have to get to bed too so Santa can come,” he says as he picks his daughter up into a hug.
“But I want to hang out with Percy and Annabeth,” she protests.
“They’ll be here tomorrow,” he says. She puts her hands on his shoulders and pouts. “And the day after that,” he adds. “Let’s get you washed up and then we can come back out and say goodnight.”
Estelle is too busy yawning to disagree.
Annabeth plots down on the couch and starts massaging her calves and feet instinctively.
“You want a hot chocolate, babe?” Percy calls from the kitchen.
“Nothing sounds better,” she says.
Annabeth takes Sally’s words “Make yourself at home” to heart and wraps herself up in one of the blankets that was draped over the back of the couch. Percy emerges into the room a few minutes later carefully holding two steaming mugs of hot cocoa.
He sets them gently on the coffee table before plopping down on the couch next to her.
“Today was amazing,” she tells him, already snuggling in real close.
He chuckles and pulls her legs into his lap so he can really hold her.
“Seems like your choreography was a real hit,” he replies.
“Our choreography,” she corrects him. “I want to feel like that everytime we skate. No stress, no pressure.”
“It could,” he says, a bit hesitant. “If we didn’t care about winning competitions.”
She pauses for a moment and thinks. “Yeah, the issue is that I do really want to also win competitions.”
He rubs his hand up her back. “I know and I love that about you.”
“So we can handle some pressure and stress.”
“Of course, we make a great team.”
Annabeth just has to kiss him after that. She turns his face with her hand and leans into him. He gets the message quickly and pulls her even closer. When their lips meet it’s soft and slow, with no urgency or expectation.
They pull apart just in time for Estelle to appear in front of them in her pajamas and bunny slippers.
“Mom and Dad said that we can watch a movie,” she says decisively.
“Oh did they?” Percy laughs.
Annabeth disentangles herself from her boyfriend and takes a sip of her hot chocolate. It’s cooled just to the perfect temperature and she can tell that Percy added a little mint.
“How about Charlie Brown?” he says. He leans into Annabeth and whispers, “It’s short.”
She smiles back and shrugs. “It’s Christmas.”
Percy gets up and goes to find the DVD in the bottom of the TV stand. “Some parents we’ll make,” he says.
Estelle hops onto the couch next to Annabeth and stares her right in the eyes. “Are you going to have a baby?”
Annabeth’s face grows hot. “No, no!” she waves her hand. “Not anytime soon.”
In her mind, she is way too young and focused on winning figure skating competitions to think seriously about having a baby. But looking at the kid in front of her, who looks a little like Percy, she does feel a twinge in her heart.
She’s getting ahead of herself. She and Percy have only been together a few months. They haven't even talked about marriage, let alone starting any kind of family. They really should get a pet or something first. Just to test it out.
“Make room for me!” Percy’s voice brings her back to the present.
She scoots over on the couch so he can fit between her and Estelle. His arms come around both of them.
“This is going to be the best Christmas ever,” she whispers.
Percy kisses the top of her head in response. “I love you,” he says. “And I love you, Estelle. And we’re not going to tell Mom and Dad that I let you stay up late.”
Estelle gives him a big nod.
They all settle back in and Annabeth turns her attention to the little cartoon kids skating on a frozen pond on the screen.
She glances over at her boyfriend and his sister occasionally and they’re both fast asleep before Linus can make his speech about the true meaning of Christmas.
She lets her eyes fall shut too because she already knows the true meaning of Christmas. It’s this, what she’s feeling right now. Warmth, love, and care. The kind that gives and gives because there’s always more love to share.