notes: yes yes i know this isnt liper, my apologies. that'll come later this week, hopefully. since i never write christmas stuff, this baby goes out to CanadianMaple, whose birthday was recently, if I remember correctly! happy belated bday and happy holidays!

also: i finished this at 12:00 am guys and im so proud because i thought this was going to be 4k words but then i came up with an actual plot for once and now it's 7k which is? amazing? and to top it off, i wrote it in 2 nights! i'd like to thank all the friends who encouraged me as i wrote this (namely kim and charlie) i love u guys as much as leo obviously loves jason ;)

also also: this fic is based on real life events! I worked at a retirement facility as a waitress, and was inspired by my experience there to write this. working on this reminded me of how busy kitchens can be, haha. hope you enjoy!

...

meet me beneath the christmas tree

...

If Leo were to be totally honest with himself, he couldn't see himself anywhere else this Christmas.

This was the first one he was spending without his Mom or his Dad, who had hit bankrupt earlier that year and couldn't house Leo for the holiday season. It wasn't exactly a loss, per say—he counted not having to hear his Aunt Demeter ramble on about grains during dinner as a blessing—but it was still new to him. Since both he and his Dad needed dough, he volunteered to go to Cali in the summer to earn a few bucks—and now, come wintertime, that was exactly what he was doing, standing behind a counter and inputting numbers from a slip of paper onto a screen while the dining hall before him teemed with workers, chatter, and life.

"Somebody come bus table 3!" called Piper, his coworker and best friend. She looked silly in her too-big shirt and too-small apron, but her voice rang with urgency as a couple of other waiters hurried toward her, ready to fulfill her needs. She had that affect on a lot of people, and no one ever complained. The two young waiters hurriedly cleaned the table, stacking plates and cups onto their empty trays. She flashed them both a charming smile.

"Thank you." she said sweetly, and they practically swooned, which made Leo roll his eyes. She did that to a lot of new recruits.

Today was Christmas day. The dining hall was lively with classic carols and Christmas lights, and various decorations adorned the walls and tables that made the holiday more festive. The staff had gone all out this year. Replica snowmen sat in various corners. The tablecloths resembled snowflakes, cut out and sewn in intricate designs that had the guests in awe. There was even a huge Christmas tree in the center of the room, decorated with gold, red, and green ornaments, hiding gifts from the Secret Santa game that the waiters had taken to hosting. Leo was Reyna's Secret Santa, and he spotted his gift to her tucked under the branches, glittering silver in the light of the hall. He hoped she liked the pasteles he had made her, because he knew she hadn't had them in forever and that they reminded her of home.

Turning his attention back to the monitor, he continued putting in the information of the residents he'd last served, who had all but left except for Thalia, the one old lady who always took her time with meals and an even longer time with her desserts. Surveying the paper, he punched in more numbers, including her resident ID and the meals she had taken.

Resident number 1673089, Thalia Grace.

First Course: Smoked salmon and mashed potatoes

Sides: Green beans and carrots

Dessert: Cheese blitz, with heated blueberry sauce

Complete transaction? Yes / No

Leo tapped the "Yes" icon and waited as the little circle spun around and around, and then disappeared before the home screen took its place. Pushing himself away from the counter, he slipped the little piece of paper back into his pocket, where it was reunited with all the others he had used up since his shift has started. Passing near a trashcan, he dumped them all, taking out his notepad again as he approached table 46, one of the three he was assigned to tonight.

At the table sat a group of cheery old woman who he recognized from many nights before. Piper was their usual server, but he knew them to be kind, so he figured he wouldn't have that hard of a time. Nearing them, he slapped on a smile, and it wasn't as nearly as forced as he expected it to be.

"Merry Christmas, ladies!" he greeted, and they all turned to him in surprise. Immediately, smiles lit up their faces. A chorus of replies along the lines of "Merry Christmas to you too, young man!" rose up from the table.

He turned to the first woman, an old lady with smile lines and silvery-blonde hair, his pen poised and ready. "Hello, mam. It's nice to see you around here again. What can I get you this evening?"

She smiled back and faced her menu, which had a myriad of main dishes and sides she could choose from. "Well, I think I might have some salmon, since Margaret said it was so good last year. Oh—and some coffee for refreshment."

Leo nodded, noting down her choices on his notepad with check marks. "And your resident number?"

"4395838," she replied, and he wrote down the number before repeating it back to her again. When he got it right, she nodded, and then he quickly moved over to the next customer, a squat old woman with a dark brown wig and blue eyes. Once he finished dealing with her and the other kind ladies she was seated with, he headed towards the kitchen, absently grabbing a tray from one of the stacks of them that bordered the room before pushing through the huge sliding doors.

Almost as soon as he emerged into the kitchen, he bumped into none other than Jason Grace.

"Whoa!" Jason called, stalling in the entry hall with a tray full of plates and bowls. He tried to steady himself, but when it looked like he was going to fall, Leo pinned his own tray under his arm and reached out to help his friend. He didn't let go of Jason's tray until his friend caught his footing again, and when their eyes met, Jason gave him a dashing and grateful smile that made Leo's heart skip a beat.

"Hey, Leo." Jason greeted, his tone cool and nonchalant as Leo wiped his sweaty palms on the front of his apron. Jason hefted his tray over one shoulder. The blonde glanced up, and his gaze lingered there for a moment. "Thanks for the help. Is Thalia still out there?" He sounded distracted. Leo was about to ask what was wrong when Jason quickly looked back to him and smiled, which made Leo's face heat up with a blush.

It took Leo a moment to stop staring and register what Jason was saying. "Oh, uh, no. She actually just left. I told her you said hi, though..." he trailed off. Thalia was his great-aunt or something, and Jason always kept a lookout for her. Jason's expression fell at the news.

"Oh, okay then. I was hoping to see her later, but I guess I'll just pop in by her room after hours. Thanks for saying hi, though." he said appreciatively. Leo just nodded one too many times and skirted around the attractive blonde.

"Yeah, well, uh—I'll be seeing you then." He had stalled here gawking at Jason for too long—the residents at his table were probably starting to get restless. "See you, Jay."

Jason grinned. "See you."

He pushed out of the doors and disappeared.

Exhaling, Leo turned to face the kitchen, where the floors were slippery with water, people were shouting commands back and forth, and waiters with huge trays milled about, trying to gather their orders. He walked into the humid air, glad for the busy atmosphere. He could really use a distraction right now.

Nyssa, one of the line cooks, smiled in greeting when he neared her work station. "Hey Valdez—Merry Christmas! You're lucky to have been scheduled for today."

He smiled, waving back. "You too, Nyssa. I'm glad—I could really use the double pay."

"Same here." She flipped a steak on the sizzling stove, and his mouth watered at the smell. "I'll see you after shift, eh? You got customers to tend to!"

His attention snapped away from the food. "Yeah, right." He ripped off the front page of his notepad and placed his tray on the counter before him, pinning the paper on it's wide, black surface. He saluted to his friend in farewell. "See you, Nyssa."

"Bye, kid!" Leo slid out through the side door to one of the food stations, where they kept drinks, soups, and other side orders. He tried to recall the refreshments his customers had asked for.

Coffee, orange juice, milk, green tea... His hands went to work, grabbing a tray from a stack and placing cups on its surface, filling glasses with drinks from the dispensers and pouring milk from the carton in the mini fridge. He whistled as he worked, glad that he was receiving twice the pay today. If an employee was scheduled for any other holiday, they'd get the same treatment. It was one of the many pluses of working at Grotto's, one of the five restaurants at Blueridge, the retirement facility that they were in.

He started thinking about his Dad and his Aunt Demeter's wheat fields when Piper surprised him, exclaiming "Boo!" as she pressed her hands against his shoulders. Leo jumped, but only slightly, and scoffed when Piper smirked at him and placed her tray next to his.

"It's not Halloween, you know," he told her as he placed the cup of hot water he had been pouring on his tray, right next to a glass of orange juice. Her smirk deepened, and she reached over him to grab a mug, placing it on the counter to pour a glass of milk.

"I know, I know. But at least I got a good scare out of you." When she saw his glare, she laughed, and Leo noticed a couple of other waiters—namely Travis Stoll and this one guy named Clovis—swoon in her wake. He rolled his eyes again, at both Piper's oblivion and their infatuation. It was kind of annoying sometimes.

"So what are you planning to do today?" Piper asked, her attention back on the cup of milk she was pouring. Leo stopped glaring and just shrugged in reply, unsure of his plans for the rest of the holiday.

"Well, since I don't really have anywhere to go later, I was thinking of just staying home and skyping my Dad. I haven't seen him since March. Are you going home after this, or...?" Piper snorted, and that said it all. "Nope, let me guess—another holiday party with your Dad?"

"Bingo." she replied without much enthusiasm. She placed the mug on her tray and grabbed a bowl, ladling soup without gusto. "I don't really wanna go, but..." she bit her lip. "He says he needs me there. We don't get to spend much time together, so this is his way of making it up to me or whatever." She sighed as she dipped the ladle back into the pot and placed the bowl of soup onto her tray. "Even though we never really get to spend time alone anymore."

He nudged her shoulder in what he hoped was an act of encouragement. "Hey, you can always come over by my place. Hell, bring your Dad with you—we'll watch It's a Wonderful Life five times, since he loves that movie so much. You should invite him over."

She smiled, and he felt good for a much different reason than the other guys did. "Thanks, Leo."

"No problema, Beauty Queen." He lifted his tray onto his shoulder and grinned, then headed out of the food station and back into the dining hall, grabbing a small serving table that had been propped on the wall before heading back towards table 46.

As he walked, he noticed another waiter leading a small group of seniors to another one of his tables—table 48—and he started walking faster. Now he had even more customers to attend to.

He approached his previous table, slapping on the same smile he always had before calling out the drinks in order, as protocol called him to do. "Did anybody order green tea?"

The woman with the wig raised her hand, and he quickly strode to her, placing down her cup, tea packet, and bottle of hot water as carefully as he could. Not far from them, the guests at table 48 took their seats.

"Uh, cup a' milk?" The lady across from her rose her hand. He placed it on her mat before he remembered who the coffee and the orange juice were for.

"Here you go, lovely ladies." He placed the coffee in front of the smiling blonde and the glass of orange juice in front of the remaining woman. They grabbed their drinks, and he stood back, giving them a professional smile. "Your food will be ready shortly. I'll be back with it in just a moment."

"Thank you," said one woman in behalf of the others, and he gave them a rushed smile before switching tables and pulling out his notepad again. When he saw who it was, his stomach dropped. His smile waned at the sight of Nico di Angelo and his sister.

"Well I'll be damned," grumbled the old man, his sister Hazel giving him a sour look before she swatted him with her purse. She scolded him, and Leo stood a good ways away, not wanting to suffer the old man's wrath.

Nico was one of the newer residents. His sister Hazel had been here for over a year since her husband died, and Nico had moved in to be near her not long before Leo joined the staff. For as long as he'd known him, Nico di Angelo was a bitter old man, and from the looks of it, the holiday season didn't damper his bad mood.

As he greeted him, Leo still smiled anyway, because it's what his boss always told him to do, and heck—it's Christmas.

"It's nice to see you again too, Mr. di Angelo," he quipped, making an effort to appear cheerful for Mrs. Zhang. "And it's nice to see you too, Mrs. Z. I hope you're having the happiest of holidays this year. What can I get for you both?"

"Well for one, you can take my walker to the back." snapped Mr. di Angelo. Leo just nodded and grabbed the handles of his walker, wheeling it away from the table as asked.

"Or course, sir." he said respectfully, and when Nico glared, Mrs. Zhang scolded him again and turned his attention to the menu.

Leo walked briskly. He pushed the walker towards the main exit as fast as he could, his mind on table 46 and the people he had to serve there. The walker had a long way to go; the room where the resident's walkers and wheelchairs were stored was far from the dining hall, down a long winding hallway and through a pair of glass doors, which meant that Leo had to move fast. When he stopped by the main desk to grab an ID tag for the walker, he didn't expect to feel a firm hand curl over his shoulder, and he sure as hell didn't expect to see an old lady in a wheelchair when the hand forced him to spin around.

Annabeth, his job supervisor, was the worker at the main desk. When she saw the old woman pucker her lips, she laughed.

"Oh, man." she wiped an imaginary tear from her eye as Leo glanced up towards the entrance ceiling, where a piece of mistletoe was taped onto the roof. He look back down at the woman, his stomach turning with dread. "I love Christmas protocol at Grotto's. You remember your training?"

"Yes." he grumbled. It was all in the handbook—along with the required lines they were supposed to say whenever they had to greet the residents. During Christmastime, the workers had to put up a bunch of mistletoe all over the dining hall, to spice things up for the residents. It was a yearly tradition, and a lot of the residents loved it because most of their spouse's were long gone and they didn't see much family around the facility this time of year. It was mandatory that, if caught under the mistletoe, all workers had to kiss (be it on the hand or cheek - take your pick) whichever resident was under the mistletoe with them if they were given the "OK". And the lady with the puckered lips was definitely giving Leo an "OK".

He thanked god that real kisses were out of the question.

"May I?" He asked blandly, even though the answer was obvious. The rulebook stated that he had to ask that first, no matter what the consequence.

The old lady nodded vigorously, and he sighed in compliance. "Merry Christmas, mam." He placed a kiss on her wrinkled hand, the same one that had forced him to turn around. She looked at her hand and frowned. "Enjoy your dinner." Before she could complain, he pulled the ID tag on the walker and dashed off, leaving the bustle and lights of the hall to go find the storage room.

The lounging areas that sat right beyond the dining hall were empty and void of residents. He had never seen the couches, recliners, and chairs so barren and lifeless before. Since it was the holidays, everyone in the nearest complex building was probably in the restaurant right now, socializing and comparing notes on how they spent their previous Christmases. As he passed, it kind of made him sad to know that so many of the senior citizens had no where else to go this year. It kind of reminded him of someone he knew.

Shaking off the feeling, he reached the storage room, shoving the walker in the back with the others without ceremony. He had much bigger problems to deal with—and they were all seated at table 46.

Reentering the dining hall, Leo wasted no time in rushing to the kitchen, pushing through the sliding doors with ease. He dashed to the counter where he had placed his tray before, and sure enough, his tray was there, stocked with serving dishes and steamy meals. Hefting the tray onto his shoulder, he pushed through the side door, easing his way around other waiters before emerging into the dining hall once again.

The Christmas tree glittered brightly, grabbing his attention for a brief moment before his gaze caught on someone lingering at its base. There was Piper, her apron off, signaling that her break had just begun. Her hair shimmered under the lights. She was talking to someone on the other side of the tree, and even though Leo couldn't tell who it was, he could tell from the way that she was giggling and blushing that they had really gotten her attention. Still moving towards table 46, he curiously rounded the pine tree, inching closer and closer until he caught a glimpse of a white and green uniform, trying to picture the lucky guy that managed to land his best—oh.

Oh God.

It was Jason.

Before Leo's heart could leap out of his chest, he accidentally collided with the wall.

His tray threatened to slip out of his hands. He let go of his serving table, which made a loud commotion on the dark green carpet, but then someone was behind him, taking the tray out of his hands and helping him back to his feet. His head hurt and his chest ached. He half-expected to see Jason when he turned around, but Piper was there instead, his tray poised on her shoulder and her eyes wide in shock.

"Leo, are you okay?" Her voice was laced with genuine concern, but he shrugged off her hands when she tried to help him again. "I saw what happened and rushed right over. Do you need help with anything? An ice pack? I could get one from the kitchen. You should go to the break room—I could take over your shift, If you want. I mean...I'm on break, but..."

"Yeah." He said flatly, his voice raw and trembling. He pulled off his apron and tried to fight the urge to throw it on the ground, his hands shaking. "Yeah, that sounds just great."

He stormed out of the dining hall. Leo could feel dozens, maybe hundreds of eyes on him, the mixed stares of concerned coworkers and nosy senior citizens boring into his back. He went out the back entrance, to avoid the questions that he knew Annabeth would grill him with if he tried leaving through the front. He hit the button for the elevator, punching the "down"icon over and over and over again as he banged his head against the metals doors. In his anger, he failed to notice the presence behind him, and the soft pad of footsteps that stopped just a few feet away.

His thumb froze on the button when someone cleared their throat. The only other sounds in the room were the hum of the ice cream machine and the beating of his own broken heart.

"Going down?"

Leo straightened, and then turned around. Standing behind him was Jason.

His expression was hesitant, like Leo were a ticking time bomb (which he kind of was, to be honest). He frowned at the dark look that Leo gave him, but then confidently took a step forward. It was then that Leo noticed he wasn't wearing his apron either, which meant that he was on break with Piper, too. "Can I come down with you?"

No, said his brain. "Yes." said his mouth.

The doors slid open, and they both stepped into the elevator.

Thank God it was big. Leo slid into one dark corner, and Jason promptly slinked into the next.

"I saw you hit the wall earlier," Jason said once the doors had slid closed, and Leo's gaze snapped to his so fast that he saw his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed down a gulp. "I, uh, would've helped, but I was kind of far. And doing something. Sorry I didn't rush over."

He wanted to say it was okay, but it wasn't. That's not what he was brooding about. Instead of speaking, he let his gaze fall to his shoes, which were black and too big and chunky, made for easy walking on slippery kitchen floors.

Nothing but silence was exchanged between them. Leo didn't dare to look up until the elevator lurched to a stop and the doors slid open with ease. He let Jason step out first, then slipped past him, striding to the break room with loud steps and swinging open the doors with such a huff that he was pretty sure he outdid Old Man di Angelo.

When he entered the break room, the lights switched on on their own accord, summoned to life by his sudden movements. The vending machines glowed eerily in the corners, and chairs were strewn haphazardly across the room, far away from their designated tables. Leo marched past the thinly painted yellow walls to a lone blue chair, and sat down with a loud thud. Jason followed, but kept his distance as Leo buried his face in his hands. He hissed out a loud breath, breaking the deafening silence.

"I'm not having a very good Christmas," he croaked into the room. He heard Jason step closer, and the screech of a chair scraping against the floor as he took a seat next to him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jason reach toward him, but Leo recoiled, and his hand fell back down to his side.

Jason was the next to speak, his tone tinged with humor and something he couldn't identify. "Dude, c'mon. Don't tell me it's because you hit the wall."

"No. I don't care about the stupid thing with the wall, Jason—I just, I'm worried about my Dad, because I barely have any money, and I'm hundreds of miles away from home and—" his voice broke. "And I liked somebody, but they don't like me back, and now I'm just a poor, single guy living out of a two-room apartment until News Years with nobody to mope about it with. I just—I don't know what to do. Nothing feels right this year. I don't—I don't even have a damn tree." He buried his face in his hands, as if it would make him feel better, but he found no solace in them.

Jason offered him no words of wisdom or comfort. Instead, he pulled Leo into a warm hug, one he hadn't anticipated. Sighing, Leo leaned into his chest, and he could smell every scent that made up Jason Grace—cinnamon cologne, peppermint breath mints, and the faint smell of smoked salmon from the kitchen. He liked the smell. It didn't remind him of home, but it was a good enough substitute.

When Jason finally let him out of the embrace, they were close. Leo's brown eyes bore into his blue ones, and Jason ran a hand through his curls, something Leo was used to him doing all the time, but not after something this intimate. His face heated up at the affectionate gesture. "Thanks."

"No problem." answered Jason, and then, after a thoughtful moment, "I heard about you and your Dad from Nyssa, and I'm really sorry. It must be really hard for you—I haven't spent a Christmas at my Dad's since I was seven, so I know what you mean when you say that things don't really feel the same."

"Since you were seven?" Leo gaped, his mouth ajar. "Shit, Jay. I had no idea. Is he...?"

Jason shook his head at his implication. "Nah. He's just...not around, I guess. My parents split back then, when they wanted to go down different paths and pursue different careers. Nowadays, I'm not really welcome at his place anymore, but I'm doing fine, honest. It's you I'm really worried about."

Leo pondered this for a moment, the words sinking in. It had never occurred to him that someone—better yet, Jason—would be going through the same thing as him this Christmas. But Jason's confession about his childhood wasn't exactly the one he was looking for.

He groaned, embarrassed at his actions. "Look...I want to apologize. I've been an asshole to you lately, and I'm sorry. I should probably tell that to Piper, too."

"Yeah. That would probably be best."

"And you know..." He cleared his throat. His cheeks glowed in the dim lighting. "It's kind of funny why I got so mad in the first place."

"Oh?"

"Yeah..." He let out a nervous chuckle. "You see, I was delivering to my table, and I saw you and Piper by the tree, and the funny thing is—"

"Leo!" A blonde, curly-haired head popped into the room, and they both jumped. Leo instinctively pushed himself away from Jason. As a matter of fact, he pushed a little too hard, and the other boy fell off of his chair. Jason yelped.

Annabeth took a moment to look between them, but then brushed off her look of suspicion and grinned widely at both boys. The pang of dread in Leo's stomach subsided. "Break time's over boys! Leo, Piper's shift just started back up and your designated break time was cut down to five minutes, so use 'em wisely. Jason, you're back on table duty. We need you upstairs, so pick yourselves up and come on!"

They pushed themselves to their feet, following her orders as she led them out of the room and back down the dimly lit, empty corridors of the employee area. When they emerged back onto the main floor, she gave them a simple command of "Get back to work!" before they exchanged small smiles and went back to their respective duties.

After tying the knot of his apron, Leo grabbed his notepad and walked into the dining hall.

It was emptier now. The time was 7:22. The restaurant closed at eight, and that's when everyone started heading home for the night. He glanced in the direction of table 46, and was glad to see that the residents who had been there before were long gone, and the table being set up for the night. Piper placed down new mats and glasses, and when he caught her eye, he smiled, and then she slowly smiled back, too. Feeling guilty, he mouthed a thank you, and she nodded back, sweeping a lock of stray hair behind her ear before finishing the table and moving on, making a round back to the tables she was assigned to before talking happily with the few remaining guests.

Leo approached his only remaining table—the one where Mr. di Angelo and his sister sat, chowing down on the remains of their dinner—and gave a genuine smile, coming to a stop in front of one of the vacant chairs. "Sorry for the absence. I trust my friend Piper took good care of you two. Is there anything I could get you, a drink or a dessert?"

"Oh—there you are!" Miss Hazel gave him a big smile. "I've been wondering where you've went. We missed you, you know."

"Sure we did," grumbled di Angelo, but even his sullen mood didn't extinguish the smile on Leo's face. "I could use some yogurt, thank you very much. And I'd like a refill on my coffee."

"Decaf?"

"What else?"

"Coming right up, sir." He didn't bother to scribble it down as he turned to Mrs. Zhang. "Is there anything you would like as well?"

"No thank you, dear." She dabbed her mouth with her napkin. "I think you've done just fine. Could you ring me up for the night?"

"As long as you're fine, then no problem. I'll ring you both up. I'll be right back with your drink and dessert to wish you both a goodnight."

He departed from the table, a kick in his step as he ran for the nearest food station on one side of the room.

Inside, he ran into Piper, who was carrying a small tray topped with a glass of iced tea and two cracker packets. Her face lit up when she saw him. "Oh, hey. You feeling okay?"

He smiled. "Fine, thanks to you." He moved past her to grab a tray and started reaching around for a mug. "Hey, uh, sorry for the way I acted earlier. I was just...I don't know..."

"Jealous?" she asked with a snort, and when he fumbled with the mug, she steadied his hands and her colorful eyes flashed with mirth. "Oh please, Valdez. You really thought I didn't notice? Everyone in this restaurant knows how you feel about Jason. Trust me, I don't intend to make any move of any sort."

He sputtered, his face flushed. "B-but...you were acting so weird around him!"

"So what? He's funny. And I mean, he is cute, but I don't like him like him. Besides, I would never make a move on someone that I knew you had interest in..." She bit her lip, trailing off. "Except Annabeth. I would definitely make a move on Annabeth. You don't like her too, do you?"

He quickly shook his head, and she grinned. "Cool. Have you seen her lately?"

"Um." He rubbed his neck. He did not know this about Piper, like, at all. "Isn't she always manning the front desk? Or did she switch shifts, or...?"

"Mmm." Piper hummed thoughtfully. "I'll check. Thanks for the help. Oh, and apology accepted."

"Cool." He mirrored, matching her grin. "So I'll see you around?"

"Oh yeah, definitely. That movie night offer still stands, right?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Then I'll see you later." She pecked him on the cheek, and his cheeks flushed at the attention. "Merry Christmas, Leo." She grinned, shouldered her tray, and disappeared around the corner, leaving him alone with the scattered food items.

It didn't take Leo long to finish the order. After a quick trip to the kitchen, he had everything he needed: the yogurt, the coffee, and the tiny little candy canes that Annabeth had ordered them to give out to residents. He even sent Reyna to bring back the walker, which was already at the table by the time he got back. He approached table 48, and Hazel greeted him with a smile, as always. Nico grumbled something incoherent into his empty coffee mug.

He set down the frozen yogurt and decaf coffee on the paper place mat before him. "Here you go, Mr. di Angelo." Then he put down the candy cane last, grinning at the surprised look that Nico had when he did. "Merry Christmas." He took a moment to lean down close, or as close as he could without having the old man report him for assault or something. "I know this is your first holiday season here, and that this isn't the Christmas that you're used to, but...I hope you have a great night. And you too, Mrs. Zhang." She gave him a grateful smile, and he handed her a candy cane. "Goodnight, you two. Have a Happy New Year."

"Why, thank you." said Mr. di Angelo, his tone surprised. He looked bashful, almost apologetic for his previous behavior. "I...appreciate that very much. Merry Christmas to you, too."

Leo smiled. "Apology accepted." He left the table for the last time, heading towards the counter to ring up their order for the night.

"Um, are you like...done?"

"No," Leo groaned. He pulled the mop—which was getting harder and harder to pry out of the basin like some freakin' suction thing—as hard as he could before it emerged from the soapy water with a loud "smack!" and splattered across the cold tile floors. He dragged it back and forth across the floor of the food station, trying to clean out the stains that had stamped themselves on the dirty white tiles over the years.

Drew sat on the counter, inspecting her nails and not being helpful at all. "You missed a spot there. Oh, and there. And don't forget over there, where Connor spilled the French dressing all over the soda machine."

"Got it." He said through gritted teeth, pushing the mop along. It took all of his willpower not to drag it across her face to clean up her attitude. "Can't you—oh, I don't know—do it yourself, maybe? Or could you at least finish the job Annabeth gave you before you try to tell me how to do mine?"

She peered at him through her fingers, which she splayed out in the air to inspect her perfect manicure. "Excuse me, but I'm group supervisor right now. No stupid chore is gonna change that. So I suggest you shut the hell up, keep mopping, and ignore everything that stupid, little blonde—"

"Little blonde what?" asked Annabeth popping her head into the room behind her. Drew yelped, and Leo snorted. Annabeth's face sported a smirk. "You should really think before you speak, Tanaka. One more word, and your Christmas would have gotten a lot less merry. And since you're clearly displeased with the tasks I gave you, I have a much more entertaining job for you in the kitchen," she proposed, her eyes flashing. "One that involves tons of cleaning and trash digging. I couldn't have found a better volunteer to help Silena find her missing engagement ring." Drew gaped, and Annabeth snapped, prompting Leo to get back to work. "C'mon, Drew. We're going to get started right away."

"B-but—"

Annabeth glared, and her mouth snapped shut. Leo snickered as he mopped.

They both left the food station. Beyond the two doorways that led into the dining area, every seat was empty, and the only people who milled about were members of the dining staff. A lot of people had already headed home, including Piper, who had promised to come over as soon as he got off of his shift. There were only a few people left to do clean-up duty. All of the tables in the dining room were already set, ready for a new day.

Leo finished mopping, inspecting the floors before he deemed them clean enough, and sat on the counter. The palms of his hands were raw and his arms sore from gripping the wooden handle so hard. He considered taking one of the plastic cups they used for salad dressing to get a quick drink from the soda dispenser, but then quickly decided against it—Annabeth would probably catch him. Just seeing how she handled Drew proved that she was always watching like a hawk.

He was right about to hop down from the counter when he heard laughter from outside. Poking his head out of one of the doorways, he saw Drew by the front entrance, cringing while she gave a very unappealing old man a kiss on the cheek under the mistletoe. The man looked overjoyed, and the Stolls were the ones cackling. She stomped into the kitchen, yelling at them as the old man wheeled himself away.

Leo laughed, then stepped back into the station. He didn't expect to bump into someone, and blushed when he turned to see Jason.

His heart nearly crept out of his chest. "Dude, you scared me!"

"That was kind of the point," Jason laughed goodnaturedly, his shoulders rolling back with ease as he leaned back against the counter. It was then that Leo noticed he was wearing a coat. "I'm about to head home, but I thought I would find you and wish you a Merry Christmas."

"Well, thanks." Leo said wryly, grabbing the mop before placing it back in its designated spot. "Merry Christmas."

Jason chuckled. "You too." Leo tidied a few more things, feeling self-conscious as Jason watched him. "Piper mentioned that you guys had plans tonight. When you see her, could you tell her that I said thanks?" He scratched the back of his neck, and Leo shut down the drink machine, his ears glowing pink. "She was my Secret Santa, apparently. Snuck my gift under the tree in the middle of a conversation we were having. She got me this neat jacket." he stood from the counter and grinned, spreading his arms to give Leo a better look. Leo glanced over his shoulder, and yes—it was a very neat jacket, and the dark leather clung to his muscular frame in a way that Leo very much appreciated. He guessed he would have to thank Piper for Jason, after all.

"It's nice," Leo commented before turning back to the drink machine, which was off and didn't need any more attention. His face burned hotter, and he pretended to be doing something to the controls—calibrating them or something, he didn't know. Anything to make it look like he wasn't gawking.

During Leo's fake machine inspection, Jason moved to the doorway on his left, ready to go leave for the night, but then he stalled again. He cleared his throat to get his attention, and Leo's hands froze, falling back down onto the counter.

"Before I go...speaking of Secret Santa's, I have something for you."

Leo turned, his heart beating fast. He walked in front of Jason, curiosity and surprise evident on his face. Jason was...?

Jason smiled his winning grin, the scar on his lip dancing with his smile. He held out a simple red envelope, a contrast to the many wrapped boxes that sat under the Christmas tree. "Surprise! I know how wrapped up you get during your shift sometimes, so I thought I'd just bring your gift to you in case you forgot. Or couldn't find it, since it's kind of small..."

Leo hesitantly took the envelope from his hands, and when he started tearing it open, Jason stopped him, his eyes wide. "Don't open it now. It's...well, it's kind of personal, I guess. You should do it later, after I'm gone." Leo stared at the envelope, then stuck it in the pocket of his apron. When he looked back up at Jason, his smile was even softer than before. "And one more thing." He moved towards Leo, and every muscle in his body tensed. His breath stilled in his chest. One of Jason's hands moved to his wrist, and he felt his fingers close around it, and his heart beat faster and faster until Jason stopped a few mere inches from his face and glanced up, which rendered Leo speechless. Leo glanced up, half-expecting to see some demon flying around trying to stop their kiss, but then his breaths froze again, and he felt his face catch fire.

Taped on the ceiling was mistletoe, hanging lopsidedly over the doorway.

His first instinct was to blurt, Haha, that's gay, or some stupid lie along the lines of that, but then Jason's deep blue eyes bore into his and he asked, "May I?" and Leo was speechless again. It was what every employee at Grotto's had to ask a resident once they ventured under the mistletoe—which either implied that Jason considered him to be a senior citizen, or he was about to kiss him on the cheek. Leo really, really hoped it was the latter.

In his shock, all he could do was nod.

And then Jason broke all the rules in the book and kissed him on the lips.

Leo, being the dumbass he was, could only process one word as Jason leaned into him and pressed him against the wall and stuck his tongue into his mouth—and the word was wow. Leo closed his eyes and awkwardly grabbed the collar of Jason's apron to steady himself, because he might just faint from bliss. He smelled all cinnamon-y and minty, just like he did before—and he tasted even better, like hot chocolate and stolen candy canes. Leo liked this. He could get used to this, the feeling of Jason's hands burning into his sides as he kissed him even deeper.

When Jason finally pulled away, he pressed his forehead against Leo's and Leo's eyes fluttered open. The other boy was winded, his face red, but a huge smile lit up his face.

"Merry Christmas," he breathed happily before giving Leo another kiss, this one short and sweet. Leo just blushed, his face hotter than the steaming water from the drink dispenser.

"Y-yeah," he stammered back, and Jason kissed him again, longer this pulled away with a bigger smile and Leo's legs shook, because holy shit this guy really did like him, didn't he? "Y-you too, man."

Jason's grip on him loosened, and his expression turned hopeful. "Call me?"

Leo laughed. "Fuck yeah I will."

Jason left with a grin, and Leo, well - he was left with his heart in one piece.

Ten minutes later, he was still touching his lips, smiling goofily as he stumbled around the empty food station in a state of bliss. He was about to head out when he finally remembered Jason's gift—and he pulled it out of his apron pocket, his body practically humming with electricity as he tore it open.

Inside the simple, red envelope was a simple, white card.

On the cover, in plain black text, were the words "Merry Christmas." Tucked inside, over a message, was a tan and brown check.

Leo pulled it out, ignoring it to read the handwritten message.

"Merry Christmas, Leo! I know the holidays have been a little rough for you this year, so when I was assigned to be your Secret Santa, I knew I had to take action. I hope you have the happiest of holidays, and an even better New Year. The check is non-refundable, so no "buts". Love you. From your friend, Jason."

Leo faced the check, expecting to see a cheesy sum of twenty-five or something dollars scrawled out in Jason's messy handwriting, and then shrieked.

In his hands was a check for twenty thousand dollars.

note: i was just going to leave this blank, but i think i have something important to say.

as i type this, i'm crying. like, really, genuinely crying.

in the past year, i have finished only 1 story that i wrote in 1 night. that's backed by 364 days of inactivity.

my writer's block has been suffocating, almost crippling to me, and to have written this monster in less than 2 days is the greatest miracle i've had in a long time. my life has been so rough lately. this entire story, i've been projecting myself onto leo—i, too, am under a huge financial strain and am in need of a lot more than $20,000. for my family, christmas will probably never be the same again. but to have finished this gave me an inconceivable hope—one that i can barely fathom and form into words—that i can still finish something, that i can do something again. that i can maybe make some money from this, by finishing what i've started so that i can help my family. i've forgotten what i was capable of. and i want to thank you all for helping me remember.

i was thinking of writing a sequel, but it seems unlikely at this point. if you really want to the answer to certain questions (i.e. where the hell did jason get that money from? should i be concerned?) then don't be shy, just come ask me. i've written the skeletons of a few extra scenes and im sure some of you would like to hear more about the characters, so ask me about it on my tumblr, .com. thank you all for reading.

merry christmas everyone, and a happy new year.