New Traditions
Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson. If I did I would be a guy. Which I'm not.
Author's Note: So I'm back on the computer-I've been writing on my iPod-which means that I can listen to music as I write which will help my creative process. Let the Perna begin!
"Percy, why are there things hanging off the pine trees?" I asked as we walked around Roosevelt Field. He stopped suddenly, jerking me back, seeing as we were holding hands. He looked at me incredulously. "What?" I asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.
"You've never celebrated Christmas?"
Some people stop and stare. I'm pretty sure that they thought they were moving but they went nowhere. "Percy. People are staring."
"And?" He asked dumbly.
"And you girlfriend is becoming embarrassed."
"And?" He asked, still not getting the point.
"And you won't get a present." My tone was a little venomous.
"Oh!" Realization slapped him. "Oi! Stop looking at my girlfriend. I momentarily forgot that she didn't grow up in a Catholic household!"
Some people said sorry. Others rolled their eyes and walked away. One girl, around ten, came up to me, handed me a necklace made of silver with a heart on it. "I was going to give this to my older sister but you need it more than her."
I was about to refuse the gift, accepting it would be seen as weakness in Octavian's eyes-even though we're on better terms, when I saw her. Truly looked at her. She looked like me when I was younger. "Thank you. I will wear it all the time."
Her eyes lit up. "You will? My sister would wear it once then forget. I'm glad I can give you your first gift!" Suddenly she stepped forward and hugged me. After I got over the shock, I leaned down and hugged her back.
"Thank you." I whispered in her ear.
"You're welcome dear." She replied in a much older voice.
"Mum?" I breathed. She just hugged harder.
A few minutes later, she let go and ran off. "Reyna?" Percy asked. "Are you alright?" I just turned to him. "It's okay Rey. It's okay." He said comfortingly while rubbing my back.
"Let's go. I want to see what books they have at Barnes & Nobles." I said, changing the subject.
While walking there, Percy steered the conversation back to Christmas. "So why haven't you celebrated Christmas?"
"Percy, I grew up on an island. Run by Circe. We didn't celebrate a Catholic Church holiday. Come to think about it, we didn't really celebrate that many holidays." I commented thoughtfully.
"Well, you're coming to my house and we're celebrating it!" He declared. Then stopped suddenly. Again.
"Percy, I swear on Pluto's grave, if you don't stop stopping suddenly, I am going to-" He cut me off with a finger. After he was sure I wouldn't talk, he pointed and looked upwards at the same time.
"Mistletoe." He leaned forward and captured my lips in a chaste kiss. When he released my lips, I was blushing hard.
"Come on. Let's go to my house. My mum should be putting up the lights right now."
"Yeah." I oh so eloquently responded.
"Hello Reyna! It's so good to see you again!" Sally said, pulling me into a hug.
"It's good to see you too Sally!" I replied, a smile on my face.
"Come in, come in!" Paul said, pulling me and Percy in.
"We're about to start dinner." Sally said after our stuff was settled.
"Okay." Percy replied. Then he just stared at Sally.
"Fine! You can open presents afterwards!" She said, throwing her hands up into the air.
"Yes!" He exclaimed, making a fist, punching out, then drawing back in.
"Let's eat!" Paul said.
After an amazing meal, we went over to the tree. I sat down, out of the way, while the others looked for their presents. Percy got a new shirt, jeans, boots, and he got a bracelet made of parachute cord. Sally got a necklace made of topaz, a new pair of high-heels, and a book on blue foods. Paul got new books on literature and a parachute bracelet too.
"Reyna! Get over here. There's stuff for you too!" Percy called.
I got up from the couch that I was watching them on and walked over. Percy handed me my first present from Sally. I opened it to see it was a black dress with a silver belt and silver low heeled shoes. From Paul I got a book on baby care. Weird. When I turned to Percy, he was down on one knee. "Reyna, when I met you, I didn't give you a second thought. You were just another girl at Cece's Day Spa. When we met again at Camp Jupiter, you quickly became one of the key women in my life. I think that's when I fell in love with you but didn't realize it yet. So, after traveling this insane travel with me, I want to know, will you marry me?" He opened up the little box to a silver ring with a big diamond in the middle bordered on the left and right sides with emeralds and rubies.
"Yes. Yes. YES!" he stood up and I jumped into his arms. We leaned back and kissed.
Author's Note:There are two, possibly three, references in here. I would love it if you reviewed to tell me what they are. Here's what the ring looks like: .~*~. The periods are rubies. Tildes, the wavy ones, are emeralds and the middle one is the diamond.
Edited: 5/19/2014
