Since it's coming up to Christmas, I just had to spare a thought to all those people out there who are dreading Christmas Day, either they don't have the money to buy presents for their kids, or they are kids who don't get presents, or the family doesn't even have a home.

I just felt inclined to write a short fic for Thalia and Luke for Christmas. Just remember: if you are reading this right now, you are a very lucky person, as you have a computer, therefore if you have the money to have a computer, you have the money to have a proper home.

This is set a couple of days before my other story Anchor in the Storm.

Title: Always
Main Characters: Thalia Grace and Luke Castellan
Status: When they are on the run

It was Christmas Eve, the supposed happiest night of the year. And I was absolutely miserable.

I was cold. I was hungry. I was sore and weary and pretty much half way dead.

Luke and I huddled together in a smelly sewer, watching the stars through an open pipe cover, a slight trickle of water keeping us damp enough for the cold to bite but dry enough that we weren't soaking.

I pressed myself tighter to Luke, desperate for warmth. He held me in an iron- like embrace, kind of curled around me.

A freezing draft was blowing through the sewer pipe. My teeth started to chatter.

"Remind me again why that blanket was left in the last hideaway home," I stuttered, my eyelids sticking closed.

I could feel Luke's shivering. My arms were wrapped around him as tight as could be.

"Monster came. Had to. Escape. Quick." His voice was strained almost beyond recognition.

I thought of all the houses in the city that would have a roaring fire going, roast pork on the table, presents under the tree, and nice warm beds to snuggle down in.

Another burst of extreme cold shook me from head to toe. "We-we'll d-die if w-we don't find shelt-ter soon." I brought my legs to my chest, trying to preserve as much heat as possible.

"So. Cold. Can't move. A muscle." Luke groaned.

"Fire." I murmured. "Build. A fire."

Luke agreed. We reluctantly let go of each other, and where his warm body had been pressed so tightly against mine, a rush of freezing, empty air replaced the comforting heat of another living being.

My hands shook as I struck the flint with my knife, aiming the spark towards a small pile of kindling Luke had gathered. The spark died immediately. My temperature was decreasing drastically.

"Hands shaking. T-too much." I whispered. Luke took the stone and knife out of my hand and struck the flint with a steady hand. The kindling took spark, and soon we had a wisp of smoke, and eventually, a small flame.

That one tiny flame was my lifeline. I sat as close to the flame as I could without actually setting myself on fire. Luke sat back down next to me, and we once again tangled ourselves up, desperate for bodily heat.

"Luke?" I lifted my head to look into his eyes.

"Yeah?" he whispered back.

"Thanks for being my friend. Thanks for sticking by me. No matter what."

He smiled and brought his forehead to mine. His skin was icy cold, and I shivered. Partly because of the freezing draft that was increasing in intensity, and partly because of his close proximity.

"I will never abandon you. No matter what happens., I promise we'll always be together. Always."

"Always," I echoed. Burying my head in the crook of his neck and closing my eyes.

I fell asleep to the comforting sound of the crackling fire, and Luke's hard, callused hand softly stroking my head.

I woke in the morning to find Luke tending to the pile of ashes that was once a fire. He was nudging it with a piece of broken pipe, trying to force some oxygen into the smouldering coals.

"Morning," I yawned, ruffling my short black hair.

"Merry Christmas," he said, turning to grin at me.

I sighed. It was Christmas, wasn't it? "Merry Christmas," I replied glumly, sprawling next to the extinct fire and rubbing my eyes, trying hard to ignore my growling stomach and stiff neck. Sleeping in a sewer had its disadvantages.

Luke must have heard my angry belly talking, because he looked at me with yet another mischievous grin.

"Alright, spill. What have you done?" I sighed, leaning back on my elbows, watching as Luke manhandled the fire until the spark caught the new pile of kindling and dead leaves flared up.

"You hungry?" Luke asked, pulling a chocolate bar out from behind his back.

My eyes widened. "No way. Is that a Mar Bar?!"

Luke nodded, grinning in satisfaction.

"You stole it, didn't you?" I stated.

"From right under the woman's nose, as well," he said proudly, opening the wrapper and breathing the beautiful chocolaty scent in deeply.

I high- fived him and he split the chocolate bar, handing me half. I bit into it and savoured the Christmas treat.

"This is the best. Christmas. Ever." I said, my mouth full of caramel and chocolate.

Luke laughed, moving colder to me. He wiped a bit of chocolate from the corner of my mouth, and I blushed at his touch, against my will.

He chuckled and lifted my chin with his index finger. "You're lips are looking a little blue," he murmured, tracing my lips with his other hand.

I trembled slightly. He smirked and tipped my face so that I was squinting up at him.

"Your attempts at flirting with me suck," I tried my hardest to make my voice sound normal, not let any of my whirling emotions show through. I couldn't allow this arrogant boy to see what he was really doing to my insides right now.

My fists clenched in my lap in an attempt to hide my shaking hands from his steady gaze.

"Not flirting," Luke corrected, raising an eyebrow cockily at me. "Simply observing. Big difference."

"With you, I'm not so sure," I murmured under my breath. He heard me and raised his other eyebrow.

"Whatever my motives are, you still look cold," he whispered, all teasing gone from his voice.

I shrugged. "It's a chilly morning."

"I'd be happy to warm you up." Luke's voice made tingles run up and down my spine. His breath smelled like chocolate.

My face felt warm.

"Try your hardest," my voice said without my brain's permission.

He smirked and lowered his mouth to mine, hovering just above me.

And then the sneaky bastard pushed me down and held my hands above my head while tickling my stomach. I squealed and kicked at him, and he laughed so hard at my girlish reaction that he collapsed on top of me.

I shoved him and grumbled, "Jerk."

He pulled me to him and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. I flushed from head to toe.

Luke grinned at my red face. I was still frozen when he said, "Promise me we'll always be together."

"Don't start this again," I whined lightly.

"I'm serious, Thalia," he said, gazing at me with those pretty blue eyes. "Always together."

"Together forever," I agreed.

"Good." He hugged me in an awkward sideways hug, and got up to stoke the fire again.

I decided that maybe, just maybe, this Christmas hadn't really sucked at all.

What did you think? Amazingly awesome? Painfully horrible? Just tell me! My aim was to write a story that was wistful and melancholy, with a tad of humour, but also a story with meaning that touched your hearts. Did I achieve this?

Merry Christmas to you all, and I hope you spend the day with the people you love the most!

Thanks for reading,

MashPotatoeSquishBanana