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Snow covered the cobblestones lining the walkway to their house. It was a tiny cabin situated on the far end of New Rome, outside of Camp Jupiter but still within the magical boundaries. Their cabin was built primarily with wood and reinforced by celestial bronze and imperial gold, courtesy of Annabeth’s designs and Leo’s craftsmanship.
A fireplace resembling Hestia’s hearth stood in the corner of their living room, continuously illuminating the room and casting it in a soft shade of amber. Above the hearth hung two stockings, adorned with cheesy Christmas symbols and monogrammed names. Jason’s hung on the wall to the left and Leo’s on the wall to the right. Traditional Christmas decorations were strewn throughout their cabin, a cheesy sight but also homey.
A small tree stood in another corner of their living room, abundantly decorated with lavish and tacky ornaments alike. The lights on the tree shifted colors seamlessly, causing their reflection to make the tinsel lining the tree seem color-changing as well. The tree was Jason’s favorite part of their decorations because on it hung numerous ornaments with inscriptions on the back. After they began dating, he and Leo traveled back to all the places they had been to together and collected ornaments, writing little blurbs on the back with dates and memories.
Neither of them had really experienced Christmas growing up, with Jason being raised at Camp Jupiter and Leo jumping from one foster home to the next. Any Christmas memories that they may have had were buried deep within them, covered by the bad ones formed over the rest of their lives. So, they decided that it was time to make up for lost time now that they were adults and free from the world of demigods.
Which is how they found themselves now, curled together on their couch in ugly Christmas sweaters. Leo’s was a bright green color, adorned with tinsel and lights that worked when a button was pressed. It was slightly oversized, just to the point where the sleeves covered most of his hands and the length fell to his thighs. Jason’s own sweater was black with a deer wearing sunglasses on the front, ornaments surrounding it. The ornaments used to light up, but due to the amount of times Jason had accidentally shocked the fuse they no longer worked. Every time his heart swelled with love and adoration for their current lives, his skin erupted in little sparks.
They had mugs of hot chocolate in their hands that looked like snowmen, filled with an excessive amount of marshmallows at Jason’s request. Leo, being the brilliant cook he was, sighed when he heard Jason’s request but obliged his boyfriend. He loved that about Leo, how he was so willing to compromise on even the little things just to appease him. It made his heart beat out of his chest and body flood with warmth for each interaction they shared.
The Grinch played on the TV mounted on the wall, specially crafted by Hephaestus as a housewarming gift to the two of them. “Hey, doesn't this guy kinda remind you of Nico?” He swatted Leo as he tried to stave off his own laughter, failing miserably after hearing Leo’s batch of giggles.
“Be nice, you,” he retorted after settling down from his outburst. Despite their close friendship with Nico over the years, they still had a habit of joking about his famously dubbed, “emo phase” when aboard the Argo II. Leo curled up under his arm, letting out a content sigh as he took a sip of his hot chocolate.
“You’re just mad I said the truth,” he mumbled with a slight shrug, adjusting his position to be more comfortable. He tilted his head up to flash a teasing smile and eyes, a sight that made Jason’s heart melt with adoration. He was left speechless, shell-shocked by his love for Leo. This wasn’t the first time it had happened, and certainly wouldn’t be the last. “Earth to Jason?”
A hand waved in front of his face and he snapped back to reality with a smile on his face. “Sorry, I was just thinking. You know I always think you’re right.” He ruffled Leo’s hair, which earned him a couple of swats from the smaller boy, before swooping down and connecting their lips. Leo’s protests instantly died, and as he sighed he relaxed his body into Jason’s.
Their bodies intertwined instinctively, Leo shifting until he was straddling Jason’s waist and cupping his face with both hands. Jason moved one hand to rest on Leo’s hips, the other running through the mess of curls. This was familiar to them, a routine that never died with time. The kiss was chaste yet filled with so much love that it was spilling out between them.
After some time, they pulled apart and just took in the sight of the other. The only sound was that of the movie droning on in the background, but it sounded miles away from them. The silence didn’t last long though, interrupted promptly by Leo. He laced their hands together before standing from his place in Jason’s lap. He tugged Jason up with him, dragging him to their bedroom.
“Leo, what are you doing?”
“You’ll see!” A thick flannel coat was thrown at him, followed by pants, a hat, gloves, and a scarf. All of the items were slightly warmed, most definitely courtesy of Leo’s abilities. “Why are you just standing there? Get dressed.”
They both changed into their outfits before Leo grabbed his hand once more and dragged him out the door and onto Festus. “Leo, where are we going?”
“Hold on tight, buddy.” That was the only warning Jason got before the dragon shot off into the sky. His arms latched around Leo’s waist desperately, praying not to fall to his death. Even though he could fly, he still feared dying from a slight mishap.
Festus soared through the sky, wind hitting their face coldly and sending chills down their spines. After a short ride, they began their descent into what appeared to be Rockefeller Center if he had to guess. The large Christmas tree, bustling crowds, and towering skyscrapers only slightly gave it away. He stood in awe at the scenery of New York during Christmas, a sight he never really got to embrace beforehand. Leo grabbed his hand immediately after packing Festus up and dragged him away from his awe-induced shock.
They were heading towards the ice rink, packed with families and other couples wanting to experience some Christmas cheer. Leo paid for their tickets and skates before he could even get a word in, and before he knew it he was being pushed on the ice by Leo. He had never really ice skated before, being from California, but he was nothing if not a quick learner. He realized early on that he could control the winds in a way that kept him upright, moving briskly, and able to do cool tricks across the ice that left little kids staring at him with wide eyes.
Leo seemed equally impressed by his skill, although didn’t have the same luck when it came to learning quickly. He cursed under his breath each time he fell and refused help each time Jason offered. Finally, after several tumbles, he skated up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist. He dropped his head to Leo’s shoulder, speaking lightly in his ear, “Let me help you.”
“Absolutely not, Grace.” Leo pushed him off with an annoyed scowl, but the action caused him to fall to the ground once more. His annoyed expression only deepened at this, and even more once Jason extended a hand to offer assistance. He took it eventually though, wordlessly and feigning offense. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”
Jason laughed heartily as he led them around the rink slowly. “Is that so?”
“Yes, now shut up and focus on skating.” Jason stared at the snowflakes caught on Leo and how they made him look even more beautiful than should be humanly possible. He always looked so perfect to him, and it was something he swore to never take for granted.
They soared around the rink a couple more seconds before deciding to call it quits and head out. Returning their skates, they walked around in search of food and a warm drink. They landed in a Starbucks in Times Square, nestled at a table in the back corner. Steaming hot drinks sat between them along with their favorite pastries, scattered next to their locked hands.
“I had a good time today,” he said, causing Leo to look up at him with a smile.
“Yeah, me too.” He hesitated for a second before adding on, “Merry Christmas, Jace. I love you.” Blood rushed to Jason’s face at the words, a confession they had exchanged so many times that it shouldn’t affect him anymore but still did. This time felt more intimate than most, like this corner in the back of Starbucks was their own safe haven away from the prying eyes of the world.
“I love you, too.” They exchanged a squeeze of hands before leaning forward and locking their lips together. Their drinks and pastries were long forgotten now, settling instead for the warmth of each other to heat up. It was moments like this that Jason lived for, and moments like this that he would continue to do everything in his power to withhold.
Nothing would come between them anymore. This was their stupid Christmas rom-com now, and they were destined to their happy ending together.