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New York during Christmas had a dreamy fog all around it. Streets flooded with tourists in big fluffy coats, everything lit up with red and green lights and snow covered every single structure, making it hard to even see the skyline.
It was a foreign concept to Annabeth, all of this fuss around some holiday she never really celebrated, Christmas wasn't a thing at camp: the greeks didn't know its existence and therefore they didn't care for it that much, it was never something she'd miss or care for...though her whole perspective changed when she met Percy, because he loved everything about Christmas: stopping at every shop, every lit up house, every fake santa he could spot, Annabeth figured it reminded him of his childhood, when his mom would take him with her to work and let him eat all the candy canes he wanted, the only 4 days he’d be allowed to get home from boarding school.
Still, she didn’t really get it, having been raised by magical greek ancient beings…Christmas had never been a priority nor a concern: she had other stuff to worry about, like staying alive; but to Percy all of this never mattered though, even when he'd discovered he was a demigod, Sally had continued raising him on gingerbread cookies and colorful stockings, so he carried enough holiday spirit for the both of them, while making sure to make up for all Annabeth's lost Christmases as soon as they’d gotten to college, with no prophecies bothering them anymore.
She didn't necessarily rely on it, but still liked seeing him passionate about something, and, not that she would admit it out loud, wanted an excuse to walk hand in hand with him through Manhattan's festive markets, pushing through snow and crowds as they passed countless shops.
"that looks pretty" Percy said, pointing at one of the ornaments that hung from the cabin,
Annabeth turned her head in that direction, she had on the biggest coat he’d ever seen, with a big red scarf and a wool hat, he could barely see her eyes for all the layers she’d put on…having spent most of her life at camp and San Francisco she wasn't used to the new york weather. A few snowflakes had caught up in her curls and eyelashes, his heart leaped just at sight of her, and if her lips hadn’t been trapped in the tight scarf, he would've given her a kiss right then and there.
"that one?" she asked, her gaze on a tree ornament in the shape of a gingerbread man, the most basic thing she'd ever seen, Annabeth lowered the scarf so she could talk more "I guess...but we don't have a tree" her tone straight and simple, Percy scoffed under his breath, "not yet" he retorted, a contagious smile on his lips, she resisted the urge to laugh "we barely have a bed and a couch, our apartment lacks basic furniture and you want to buy a tree?"
Percy was speechless for a while, then answered as if it was the most obvious thing ever "don't you want one?" she shrugged, he wrapped an arm around her, getting closer.
Annabeth laid her head on his shoulder, "I mean...if you want to" she heard him sigh, and felt that he wasn't totally satisfied by that answer. She suddenly felt guilty, almost as if she was ruining it for him...so she added "a little one, maybe" a seamless smile escaped her features at those words, Percy's spirit lifted up in seconds just by thinking about it, so Annabeth went on "like that one..?" she nudged at a little fake pine tree on their left, he squeezed her hand tighter, almost subconsciously, but then confessed "you don't have to 'Beth" she raised her head and met his eyes, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.
Hundreds of people kept passing by them, but somehow they both felt as if the only ones in the world, him still gripping her hand through her wool glove and her decidedly looking at him,
"But I want to" she replied, her warm breath painting smoky clouds between them, "But you've never liked Christmas anyway" he told her, "I like you though" she answered without a beat, "that's why I'm here in the first place"
Annabeth got closer to him, forgetting all about the markets or new york’s frenetic tourists, when she opened her mouth to talk, Percy could smell the cinnamon coffee she'd been sipping on earlier, "I feel like us celebrating it together for the first time as..." she thought about it, "...as kind of a family might make me fall in love with it again" her cheeks and nose were a faint red color, he wasn't sure if from the cold or genuine affection.
Annabeth thought of the few Christmases she'd been able to celebrate as a child...her step-brothers surrounded by presents and sweets while she was left alone in her father's office, playing with a thrifted lego set. The red left her cheeks, Percy started toying with the hems of her glove, "I just want you to have happy memories for once" he told her, "But not my version of happy- I mean you don't have to do something just because I like it" at his words, she couldn't help but smile even more "Percy," a breathless chuckle "you are my version of happy” “-and not only on Christmas- everyday is a happy memory since you've been part of my life"
Percy relaxed at her statement, but still he started: "You're sure you want to-" Annabeth cut him off by leaving a quick peck on his lips, which unlike from hers were surprisingly warm…not freezing cold.
With her mouth as close to his as it could be, she started talking, picking from where he'd left "I want to-" he softly wrapped his arms around her waist as she went on "-I want to buy that tree," her smile got wider by the second, "and put it in our home" she laid her hands behind his neck, and pushed her mouth to his ear to whisper " 'cause we have a home" Percy let out a laugh at her giddy excitement, "and-”
“-and decorate it and do all the holiday shit with you" she finished muttering close to his face, Percy kept smiling at her messy words and energy, "and I want to do that every single year,"
"till death do us apart" she ended with a comically low voice, making him laugh, "okay then let's get the tree" he said unable to keep his excitement in, squeezing her hand once again.
Annabeth started dragging him to the market place "good 'cause I'd already made up my mind and was gonna get it whether you liked it or not" "I was hoping for that" he said, stopping for a brief moment and pressing a quick kiss on her cheek, taking advantage that she'd partially took off the scarf.
She wiped off a few snowflakes from his coat and pressed herself against his side as they started walking again, benefiting from his, apparently, infinite warmth.
With Percy talking her ear off about Christmas garlands and ornaments for their apartment, laying his head on hers once in a while, Annabeth finally understood why he loved the holidays so much...she imagined them taking out that same tree year after year and filling it with ugly blue decorations of all sorts; out of nowhere, she said to him "I want our eventual future daughter to open her presents under this tree" Percy tensed, a deep blush colored his face, "you shouldn't tell me stuff like that" he mumbled, she bit her lip "I wanted to show you how serious I am about the tree" her tone was playful, but Percy's even more "I know you are" he pressed a kiss on top of her head, over the wool hat.
While purchasing said tree, despite the snow, Annabeth didn't feel cold anymore, a tepid sensation had spread from her chest to her whole body. She'd realized that Christmas didn't exist without family, and now that she finally had one, her spirit was gonna change.