It was your first Christmas in your new apartment-penthouse home with Jason. After fighting and finishing with the war, you just wanted time to live. And peacefully. To love each other and not have to worry if you’d see them an hour later. So when you two arrived back in New Rome, Jason was offered a well-paying role and he worked from home, here and New Rome, switching between days of the week.

You were both thriving, in love. And best of all, it was Christmas. You’d gone all out for decorations, two trees.. one real and one fake, lots of warm lights, tinsel, Christmas duvet sets, pillow covers, throws, little trinkets, even cutlery holders.

You’d wanted nothing more but a perfect Christmas. Your parents were coming on Christmas Eve, tonight and the rest of the seven; Hazel, Frank, Percy, Annabeth, Leo and his new girlfriend - Calypso - were joining you and Jason at your place.

You offered to do most of the cooking, you believed it would be easier than lugging a turkey around New York City on Christmas Day. So here you were, scrubbing royal icing from your hands before moving to the dishes in the sink. You were stressed. The turkey marinade wasn’t fully done yet, the potatoes were still cooking, the veg would get cold-

You felt him before he said anything. Warm, distinctly masculine and that damned aftershave, that just made your knees weak. His arms wound around your waist, taking the dishes from you. “Sweetie, let me do it.”

“I can do it.” You go to turn but he nudges your head affectionately, and you only glimpse the semi-formal maroon jumper and jeans.

“I know you can,” He drops a kiss on your temple, then your cheekbone, then the apple of your cheek. “But let me.”