"Percy can you tape this tinsel up?" Annabeth called from the other room, her voice muffled. My eyes snapped open in excitement. I didn't know she was already over! Well, to be honest, it was pretty good that she had woken me up. Or else I might have walked out there in my Aqua Man pajamas.

"Coming!" I shouted, shoving a tee shirt on.

"You were still asleep?" She asked from where she sat on the step ladder, tape all over her fingers.

"I thought you'd be over later." I admitted sheepishly, "I was going to dress up."

"You don't have to dress up." She said, sticking some more tape on her fingers, "Help me tape up the tinsel, Seaweed Brain."

"Where's my mom?" I asked. Leaning over and threading my fingers together.

"Went to get more hot chocolate." Annabeth said, stepping into my hand. With the boost she was able to sit on my shoulders and start taping up the green tinsel.

"More? She bought, like, three packs." I laughed, sidling over slightly so Annabeth could reach the next bit of the wall.

"It's not her fault that you about a gallon."

"It's so good though. You've gotta try it." I moved over again.

"I'm surprised you didn't have to get your stomach pumped." Annabeth waved for me to hand her the tape and I carefully squatted so she wouldn't fall and grabbed it from the floor. She took a few pieces then gave it back.

"It felt like I would have." I tried to look up at her then decided it might not be the best idea. While I wasn't opposed to looking up her shirt I was sure that she wouldn't like that very much.

"That would have been very awkward." She agreed, "To get an Iris Message in the middle of the night. 'Miss Chase, it seems your boyfriend ingested a little too much alco- oh... No, it was hot chocolate. Never mind.'" She strung up the last bit of tinsel and I put her back down on the floor.

"You still would've been worried." I smiled teasingly. She rolled her eyes.

"Nah, you've been through enough near-death experiences that I think you could've taken a little stomach pump."

"Of course I would have, I'm a man." I grinned as she brushed herself off. She truly tried not to laugh, which I appreciated.

"C'mere." I held out my arms and she stepped forward to hug me.

"Been a while." She sighed, squeezing my waist. I hummed, kissing the top of her head.

"Merry Christmas, Wise Girl." I smiled.

"Merry Christmas, Seaweed Brain."

///

It was pretty elaborate to be honest.

Our friends were coming over to my apartment for Christmas and they all knew the plan. We'd open gifts, besides the one wrapped in blue that resided in my jacket pocket, and continue on.

Leo would 'accidentally' catch the hem of Calypso's dress on fire and they'd leave to go find some new clothes. Jason would have 'broken' his leg so he wouldn't be able to come anyway and Piper would stay with him. Grover would suddenly 'feel Pan pulling him towards a nearby park' where 'the littering was off the charts' and would scurry away. Hazel would get 'food poisoning' and my mom and Frank would take her to the 'hospital'. Nico and Will would join them later on after they made a few comments of how our luck was horrible and things had to get better from here on.

Things went without a hitch and it was just me and Annabeth sitting in the living room, cleaning up wrapping paper. I'd playfully jab her with my elbow and she'd knock her hip into me and make me lose my balance.  Eventually, after a lot of horsing around, we sat on the couch and drank hot chocolate as we waited.

"Annabeth." I said, looking over at her. She raised her eyebrows and smiled, looking out at the snowy New York streets. The lights of the Christmas tree made her eyes dance with color. "Hey, look at me." I scooted closer to her and she turned her head. I felt sweat slick the back of my neck and I stood.

"I think you've already figured out that--"

"That everyone was faking?" She smiled, putting down her drink, "As soon as Will made the comment that we must have something good coming and Nico kicked his shin."

I smiled, starting to feel less nervous as I busied myself with straightening a few ornaments on the tree.

"Annabeth we're nineteen." I sighed, looking down and turning back to her. She nodded, keeping her eyes on me. "We've known each other for seven years. We've been dating for three." I swallowed, my throat tight, "And we're demigods, to add on it all. We could die tomorrow."

"We won't." Annabeth said softly, standing up and putting her arms around my waist. I held her, my cheek against the top of her head.

"But... If we do..." I pulled back and looked straight at her. My heart was hammering as I tried to calm myself and be smooth. "If we do, I want to die knowing that we were truly going to be together until the very end." Her eyes widened as I reached into my pocket. "You have another present." I smiled, now getting anxious for her answer.

She took the small box from my hand and looked at it, glancing up at me. She slowly took off the lid and bit her lip at the sight of a small blue velvet box with a little white bow on top that was inside of it.

"I love you so much." I said, my voice tight with emotion. She looked up at me in complete shock as I took the box from her hand and tossed the cardboard aside and opened the velvet box. Inside was a silver ring with the best diamond I could afford. It had taken me almost a year to save up for this. I knew that she wouldn't care about how big the diamond was but I still wanted only the best for her. And glued to the top of the box was a drawing of an apple that Hazel had done for us.

I showed her the ring nervously and when she only blinked and took in a deep breath I plucked the ring from it's case and finally got on one knee.

"Um... I guess this is where I say 'Will you marry me?' But I don't really think that's us." I said quietly, "So, instead... Annabeth, I love you. I've loved you since you punched a bully in the face for me. Since you offered to stay in the Underworld so my mother could come back to the surface. Since you went missing and I drove myself crazy looking for you. Since you kissed me in that volcano and I couldn't get the thought of you out of my head for weeks. Since you took a knife for me and pulled me out of the River Styx. You were the reason I wanted to stay mortal. I felt like killing myself if you had died going after the Mark of Athena. I would walk through Tartarus a hundred thousand times if  I could hold your hand while doing it." I took a deep breath, looking back up at her. She looked like she would have cried if she wasn't so stubborn.

"So, Annabeth Chase, let's make it official. I told you once that I would never let you go and I intend to hold to that promise. What about you?"

Annabeth smiled and said just what I thought she'd say. "You're not getting away from me that easy, Seaweed Brain."

I stood with happy-tears in my eyes and slid the ring onto her finger. She threw her arms around me and we kissed with just as much fire as three years ago at the dining pavilion.

///