Merry Christmas! At least, where I live :P I hope you've all had a brilliant day! Sorry this story is running so late, I hdn't planned on my social life suddenly becoming mildly active, when I started this! Here's another short little drabble for you all :) Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Me no own.
Dedication: My grandpa, who has undying faith in me for some odd reason.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… Eleven ladies dancing/ eleven pipers piping.
Percy
Each year on the Winter solstice, the nature spirits put on a performance for one another. You could only attend if you were one of them, or if they invited you, and this year Grover had asked Percy and Annabeth to go. See, he had gotten much better at playing his wooden reed pipes, and so the dryads had asked him to join their musical ensemble. He had agreed, but he was as nervous as he was excited, so he'd invited his two friends for moral support. At least, that was what Percy had gotten out of the story, and that's why he was standing awkwardly at the edge of the clearing meant for the Council of Cloven Elders, holding Annabeth's hand and watching with interest.
All around them, naiads, dryads, satyrs, and other nymphs were dancing raucously to the lively tune if the pipes. Grover was among a group of eleven, containing two naiads, seven dryads, one pixie, and him. Percy tried to watch his best friend, but the motion of his hands moving back and forth rapidly was enough to make anyone nauseous.
"Want to dance, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth asked. "Or are we going to just stand here the whole time?"
"I uh… I'm not really a dancing type of guy," he responded, running a hand through his hair nervously. He wasn't even sure he knew how to dance to songs like this. Slow songs were easy, as long as you knew where to put your hands – you just had to sway. Lively folk music seemed to take a lot of complex footwork.
Annabeth stared at him expectantly. Sighing inwardly, he took her hand and they walked out onto the dance floor. Luckily for him, Annabeth seemed keen to take the lead. Still holding his hand, she maneuvered them through a series of quick and simple steps that matched the beat of the music perfectly. Astonished that he could do something so intricate even with her help, he laughed out loud. Grinning, Annabeth reversed their direction and added in a few new moves that caused him to stumble. Blushing, Percy quickly caught himself before he could fall completely. He supposed that he should have known it would happen eventually, considering his girlfriend was not only better balanced and coordinated than him, but she would also want to make sure he did not forget it, even for a minute. He guessed that it was her pride.
Thankfully, his embarrassment was short lived. The song ended, and a slower, more fluid one replaced it. It wasn't exactly ideal for sow dancing, but it was not the rapid-fire of the previous jig either, so Percy took the opportunity to take charge and lead her instead.
"So, this is fun," he said, trying for small talk in place of the silence between them.
"Yeah it is, thanks Perce," she replied, squeezing his hand in hers.
"Anything for you, Wise Girl. Well, you and Grover, at least. I guess we'll have to say thanks for inviting us later, in between congratulating him and reassuring him that he did great."
She laughed, "Pretty much sums up our night, huh? I'm glad he invited us, though. It's much more exciting than visiting Olympus and listening to our parents arguing amongst each other. Besides, we got to dance together, which I doubt my mother would have approved of on Olympus."
"You're probably right; you always are."
"Not always," she muttered bitterly.
"Ninety-nine percent of the time. I don't call you Wise Girl for nothing, do I?"
She looked up at him, eyes shining and a wry smile tracing its way across her lips. "As much as I love you for it, you have too much faith in me."
"Is that a bad thing?" he questioned, bewildered.
"Not at all," she whispered, and then kissed him. Since they were still pretty much the same height, there was none of the standard clumsiness. It was wonderful, simple, and perfect, in Percy's opinion. Grinning, he kissed her back, the music continuing all around them.
