Chapter Text
2 weeks to Christmas
It's the 11th of December and Percy Jackson is in deep shit.
Percy sat at the family dinner table in black dress trousers and a white button-down, the top two buttons left stubbornly undone because wearing a tie felt dangerously close to strangulation.
It wasn't the dress shirt that was nearly the cause of Percy dying due to suffocation.
Piper slipped into the seat beside Percy with the kind of confidence that made people instinctively brace themselves. She heaped an alarming mountain of mashed potatoes onto her plate before glancing at him with an innocent smile that never boded well.
"So, Percy," she said around a mouthful of food, utterly unbothered by her lack of table manners. "You're bringing your girlfriend to the cabin next week, right?"
Percy's fork froze halfway to his mouth.
Across the table Hazel's face lit up “The cabin is the perfect place to introduce her to us!”
She continued “It’s about time we finally meet her, you can introduce her to everyone at once next week when we do the reunion!”
Percy forced a smile that came out more like a grimace. Then promptly buried his face in his food to avoid the gazes of Piper and Hazel.
…
Christmas had always been Annabeth Chase's favorite time of year.
New York transformed into something magical in December. Strings of red, green, and gold lights stretched across bustling streets, department store windows sparkled with elaborate displays, and parents lingered outside toy shops, whispering excitedly to one another as they worked to keep the magic of Santa Claus alive for their children.
But as much as Annabeth loved the city at Christmas, nothing compared to decorating the coffee shop where she worked.
The Beanery was a cozy little café tucked away on the corner of Fifth Street, its warm amber windows a welcome escape from the biting winter air. Regulars knew it for its cinnamon lattes, oversized armchairs, and the faint smell of freshly baked pastries that seemed to cling to every corner of the shop.
Every December, without fail, Annabeth transformed it into a Christmas wonderland.
The owner, Mr. John Brown, always flew home to Canada to spend the weeks leading up to Christmas with his family, leaving his most trusted employee in charge.
Annabeth.
She took the responsibility—and the decorating—very seriously.
For two days straight, she and Percy hauled boxes down from the storage loft above the kitchen. They draped colourful tinsel over shelves, wrapped fairy lights around the coffee bar, and carefully spread fake snow along the windowsills until it looked as though a tiny blizzard had swept through the café.
Somehow, Percy managed to squeeze a Christmas tree that stood a good foot taller than he did into the far corner of the shop.
Annabeth still wasn't entirely sure how he'd gotten it through the front door.
"You're telling me," she'd said, hands on her hips as Percy wrestled the tree upright for what felt like the tenth time, "that this looked like the small one at the garden center?"
Percy, his curls dusted with fake snow and pine needles stuck to his sweater, had simply shrugged.
"It did until we brought it inside."
Annabeth rolled her eyes, though she couldn't stop the smile tugging at her lips.
Now, with garlands winding around the bookshelves, ornaments catching the glow of the fairy lights, and Christmas music humming softly through the speakers, The Beanery looked exactly how she'd imagined it.
“Hey! I got it!” Percy announced proudly from the corner of the cafe.
Annabeth looked over her shoulder and found him wearing the kind of goofy, lopsided grin that was impossible not to return. Before she realised it, she was smiling just as brightly. Then he disappeared up to the loft while Annabeth tackled the tree branches.
Percy wrestled another box of ornaments down from the storage loft.
"Catch."
Annabeth caught it without looking.
"One day," she said, already fishing through the tangled fairy lights, "you're going to give me a concussion."
Percy grinned. "Hasn't happened in... what? Fifteen years?"
She snorted. "Only because I've had fifteen years to learn how to avoid your clumsiness."
“Yeah…yeah whatever” He replied rolling his eyes affectionately then reached his arm out to tug the end of her braid earning a slap from Annabeth.
…
By the time they were finally finished decorating or "decking the halls," as Percy had insisted on calling it, the café glowed with the warm light of fairy lights and the scent of fresh pine.
Annabeth rewarded them both with cinnamon lattes, setting one down in front of Percy before settling into the chair across from him. She wrapped both hands around her mug, letting the warmth seep into her fingers.
The Beanery looked different after closing.
The chatter of customers had long since faded, leaving only the soft hum of the refrigerators behind the counter and the occasional hiss of the espresso machine cooling down. Chairs sat upside down on half the tables, though Annabeth had left a few untouched while they decorated. The display case, once filled with pastries, held only a handful of croissants and two lonely gingerbread cookies waiting to be donated in the morning.
Outside, snowflakes drifted lazily past the large front windows. The illuminated CLOSED sign reflected against the glass, while the Christmas lights Annabeth had strung around the café bathed the room in a warm amber glow. Garlands wound around the bookshelves, tinsel draped over the backs of chairs, and the towering Christmas tree in the corner glittered with mismatched ornaments Percy had insisted gave it "character."
"Okay," Annabeth said, wrapping both hands around her latte. She fixed Percy with a look that had made countless people crack under pressure. "Spill it."
Percy blinked. "The coffee?"
She gave him a flat look.
"No, you idiot." A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth despite herself. "You've been sitting there wringing your hands for the past five minutes."
Percy glanced down. Sure enough, his fingers were twisting around each other beneath the table.
"You only do that when something's bothering you," Annabeth said. "So, what's going on?"
…
The café echoed with Annabeth's laughter, punctuated by Percy's long-suffering groans as he sank lower into his chair, hiding behind his mug of coffee as though it might somehow swallow him whole.
"You—you mean to tell me," she managed between giggles, "that you've been lying to your family for six months about having a girlfriend..."
She paused, shaking her head in disbelief.
"...and you still haven't figured out how to tell them the truth?"
Percy groaned into his mug.
"When you say it like that, I sound insane."
Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Percy, you are insane."
"I panicked!"
"I can see that."
The laughter slowly faded from Annabeth's face as she took in the look on Percy's.
With a small sigh, she reached across the table, her fingers coming to rest lightly over his hand.
"Hey," she said, her voice gentler now. "Why haven't you told anyone?"
Percy sighed, staring into the foam of his latte.
"It wasn't supposed to become a thing."
Annabeth waited.
"Hazel asked if I was seeing anyone back in June. I panicked and said yes."
"Why?"
He shrugged helplessly.
"I don't know. It just... came out."
"Then every few weeks someone asked about her."
"So you kept lying."
"I kept thinking I'd tell them the truth next time."
He let out a humorless laugh.
"Turns out, 'next time' is really easy to keep postponing."
Silence settled between them.
"Now Christmas is next week," Percy said quietly, "and everyone's expecting me to show up with a girlfriend who doesn't exist."
"They don't actually know what she looks like," Percy murmured.
Annabeth looked up.
"What?"
"They've never seen a picture."
"...Percy."
"They've only heard me talk about her."
Annabeth's eyes narrowed.
"Percy..."
"They don't know where she works. Or what her first and last name is." His brow furrowed as the pieces began to fall into place. "Which means..."
"Percy."
"They'd have absolutely no idea if—"
"Percy Jackson."
He blinked, finally looking at her.
"What?"
Annabeth set her mug down with a soft clink. "I know that look."
"What look?"
"The one you get right before you suggest something that's either incredibly clever..." She paused. "...or incredibly stupid."
Percy considered that for a moment.
A slow smile spread across his face.
"I have an idea."
Annabeth groaned, already pinching the bridge of her nose.
"I don't think I'm going to like this."
Percy leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
"Hear me out."
"I hate it already."
"You don't even know what it is."
"I've known you since we were five." She pointed a finger at him. "Experience tells me I should be concerned."
He took a steadying breath.
"What if..."
He hesitated, suddenly unsure how ridiculous it would sound once he said it aloud.
"...what if someone just...pretended to be my girlfriend for the reunion?"
Silence.
Annabeth stared at him.
Percy immediately regretted opening his mouth.
"That's..." she said slowly.
He winced.
"...actually not the worst idea you've ever had."
His eyebrows shot up.
"It isn't?"
"No." She tilted her head. "It's still a terrible idea."
Percy's shoulders slumped.
"But..." she continued, a thoughtful look crossing her face, "...it might actually work."
There's a pregnant pause before Percy gives her his signature troublemaker smirk.
"This is going to sound insane."
Annabeth snorted. "That's never stopped you before."
He ignored her.
"Annabeth Chase..."
He swallowed.
"Will you pretend to be my girlfriend?"