"Mom, do you know where in Hades I put my jeans?" I threw the contents of my lower dresser drawer onto the floor-drobe, attempting to find anything that would so much as cover my knees.
"Which ones? The light denim or the black ones?" She called back.
"Any. Either. Both. Argh!"
"Have you checked under your bed?"
I dropped to the floor and stretched my arm under. "Found them..."
"Good! Now hurry up, Percy!"
The doorbell rang, and Mom asked my stepfather Paul to get it.

"Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit." I muttered to myself.
The visitor leaned casually against my doorframe, laughing at my packing abilities. "You left it to the last minute again. What's your excuse this time, Seaweed Brain."
I poked my head out of my wardrobe, and took a breath of fresh, non-shoe-stink air. "There was a pack of Stymphalian birds in Central Park. What was I meant to do?"
"Call for help. The normal thing."
"I handled it. It's cool."
"And then slept all day?"
"And night. Do you know where my camp shirt is?"
Annabeth pointed to my bed. "You threw one out because it was covered in poison. The other one, I threw in that direction." She pointed to my desk, which was more of a desk-drobe.
"Can you grab it?" She rifled through the pile, throwing items that looked clean to me to smell, and gagging at the really smelly stuff. After a few minutes of spluttering, she threw my camp shirt at me. "Thank you, baby."
"Yeah, yeah, hurry up. I want to get there before Christmas."
"Yeah, almost done. Turn around."
"I've seen you naked before. It's fine."
I rolled my eyes at her and repeated myself. "I'm putting your Christmas present in my bag, so turn around." She happily turned around after that. I told her I was done, and she turned back around.
I threw the last remaining items in my bag, while Annabeth scanned my room, pointing out things I'd forgotten.

I carried my bag out to the living room, and was ordered straight back into my room. "Please Percy, clean it up. It's not safe for your mother to be near that smell." Paul shrugged.
Annabeth scoffed. "It's not safe for anyone to be near that smell. I've smelt laistrygonians better than that."
I sighed, turned around and heading to my room, dragging Annabeth along with me.

She found a makeshift laundry basket, a box I had received from Camp a month ago, full of demigodly supplies. We cleared the piles off the floor, and eventually we finished.
I pulled my shirt over my head, and lobbed it at the box. As I turned to grab my orange Camp shirt, I felt Annabeth's arms wrap around my stomach. I turned in her arms to face her, and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"You right there Wise Girl?"
She sighed and tucked her head into my chest, before replying. "Yeah. Just realising how much we've been through."
I pulled her closer to me, and laughed in her ear. "You didn't notice that when it was going on?"
"No, Seaweed Brain. I noticed. I just... This is the first camp where we have no prophecy looming over our heads. This is our first actual camp holiday, where we don't have to worry about a thing."
I lifted her chin up, and kissed her lightly. "Our first Christmas where we can just be together."
She smiled, and kissed me again, deepening the kiss this time. Just as I was about to pull her down on the bed, she pulled away. She laughed at the whimper that escaped my lips, and tapped my chest twice. "Put your shirt on Seaweed Brain. We gotta get to Camp."
"What about this? I can't really hide that..." I said, gesturing to my crotch.
She laughed, a beautiful laugh that made my heart flutter and my pants grow tighter. "Figure that out yourself. Not my problem." She turned, swaying her hips as she walked out the door, smiling.
I groaned as I pulled my shirt over my head, and tried adjusting my pants to hide my attraction.

I walked out to see Annabeth and my mother talking in the kitchen, and Paul clearing the dining table of his school supplies. I kissed my mother on the cheek as I passed her, and bit the freshly baked cookie Annabeth was holding, before wrapping my arms around her waist.
"You finally ready?" Mom asked, smirking at Annabeth and I.
"I think so. Got any cookies for the road?" My mother smiled wider, tapping a Tupperware container on the container, which when I looked closer, was indeed full of blue chocolate chip cookies.
I grinned, grabbing it and turning to the door. "Then what are we waiting for?"
I wished Paul a merry Christmas, grabbed my bag, and headed to the door, where my mother and girlfriend were waiting for me.


A/N: So I realise this kinda seems awkward, and weird and slightly OOC, but I'm just kinda setting up the scene. The next chapter will be better, and longer too... I'm slowly getting back into writing after several years off, due to unfortunate events in my life, but I have a plan for this story, and I don't see it being too long, maybe 30 chapters or so... Anyway, PLEASE let me know what you think, and any suggestions would be great and super helpful! Elena xx