Character A can't travel to see their family on Christmas, so they invite their grumpy loner neighbor Character B

Percy's heart drops as he stares at the screen in front of him. He doesn't even bother reading beyond the words that tells him his flight is cancelled. It feels like forever that he's staring at that screen, the feeling of sadness beginning to become overwhelming.

He doesn't know that he's ever been apart from his mom for Christmas in his entire twenty-two years of life. It's the one time a year that he drops everything to see his family, but now the icy roads are stopping flow into the airports all around the city, and he's sure that this Christmas is ruined.

Percy actually feels like crying as he shoves on a sweater and makes his way back onto his couch to call his mom. He hasn't seen her in forever, and this was the only chance for him to see her for the foreseeable future. It's a quick conversation with her reassuring him that she understands and will miss him. She teases him about being a mommy's boy, and he can't even argue because he really is.

He wipes a silent tear that falls from his face as he tells her, "I miss you."

His mom, of course, never one to have shame, tells him, "You still have friends there. Why don't you ask them over, so you don't have to be alone?"

"They're all home for Christmas."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. What about your neighbor?"

Percy scoffs playfully, knowing exactly where this is going. "What about my neighbor?"

"She's cute."

"I'm pretty sure she also wants me to die."

"Then this is the perfect time to warm her up! Invite her over. I'm sure she's not as bad as you think. Just don't give me any grandkids quite yet."

"Mom."

She laughs over the phone. "Do what you want, baby, but it won't hurt to ask her. I know she doesn't have anywhere to go."

"Yeah, yeah," he dismisses. "I'll think about it."

"Do it for your mother," Sally says. "I have to go now, okay? I love you."

Percy swallows. "I love you too, momma."

When the line clicks off, he feels so alone once again. He ends up turning on a random movie, but he doesn't watch it, instead contemplating what he should do. He comes to the conclusion that there's really nothing he can do because if he walks even two steps outside, he's probably going to freeze to death. It confines him to his apartment building, where he knows actually no one besides his neighbor who doesn't like him.

Okay. So he doesn't actually know that she doesn't like him, but he highly suspects it. He's only spoken to her once, but it wasn't a very pleasant conversation. It was more along the lines of can you shut the fuck up it's three in the morning on her end, and then him saying I'm sorry, I just tripped and took down an entire table, and then she just kind of glared at him with her terrifying piercing grey eyes.

So yeah. It's safe to say she doesn't like him.

Still, he begins to think that she's probably alone too. From the things he's heard about her, especially from his mom who somehow managed to have a whole conversation with his neighbor the last time she visited, she has no family to go home to. Or maybe she did, but she wasn't on good enough terms to return, or she just didn't want to. Either way, she was alone, and Percy is a firm believer that no one should be alone on Christmas.

That's how Percy finds himself standing outside of her apartment door, wondering if he's actually about to invite someone who's practically a stranger into his home. Apparently, he is.

Percy knocks gently twice before stepping back. The hallways are cold despite being inside, so he hugs himself as he waits. He's sure he looks like a mess in his sweater and red sweatpants, so he's a little self-conscious, but then he remembers that she doesn't like him, and he has nothing to prove.

The door swings open abruptly, and Percy is met with Annabeth standing there, face unreadable. She's looking at him expectantly, peeking out into the hall beyond him. When she finds no one else there, she looks back to him.

"Hi," she says. "Did you need something?"

Percy shifts his feet, eyeing her sweater with snowflakes printed on it. He hadn't expected her to enjoy festive clothes. "No, not really. I like the sweater by the way."

"Thanks. So what did you need?"

"Nothing."

Annabeth bites her lower lip. "Okay. Why are you standing outside my door then?"

"Oh. Right. Sorry, I forgot."

She laughs hesitantly. "It's fine. Just tell me what it is you came to tell me."

"I was actually going to ask if you wanted to come over," he says, pointing over his shoulder. "My flight was cancelled, and I didn't want to be alone."

"So you just assumed I had nothing better to do?"

Percy pauses. "Wait, no. I just heard that you were here for Christmas, and I thought you might want to do something so you're not alone either."

"What makes you think I would want to hang out with you?"

Percy is slightly offended. "I didn't see why you wouldn't. Did I do something?"

"No."

"Then I don't understand."

"I just want to know why you're asking me now, Percy."

"You know my name?"

"We've only been living next to each other for two years," she says.

"Right. Well, the honest answer is that my flight is cancelled, and my mom suggested I ask you to come over because you're cute." After that, Percy highly expects her to slam the door in his face because that's just the way she is. Instead, she smiles and leans against the door.

"Your mom suggested you ask me out?"

"And hinted that we would be having sex if you must know. Which will not be happening."

"Bummer," she says, tilting her head. "If I do come, what would we do then?"

"We can watch movies or make cookies if you want. Whatever you want."

"And if I want to have super hot Christmas sex?" From the tone of her voice, she is very obviously kidding.

"Then it's a good thing neither of us are going to see family, isn't it?" Percy says playfully back. "But seriously, are you coming?"

"Yeah, sure. Just give me a second."

Percy waits for her outside as she heads back inside her apartment. It's only a minute before she's back out and locking her door as he leads her to his own apartment. The first step inside immediately warms him, and he thanks every god that exists that he managed to snag a heater for the living room.

Annabeth stands by the couch as she turns to him. "You promised me Christmas cookies?"

"Is that what you want?"

"I'd prefer it to a movie."

Percy smiles, and he's starting to think that maybe they'll get along better than he initially thought. They stand in the kitchen as Percy grabs a random container of dough. He pulls out a bunch of candy and icing from last week when him and his friends made gingerbread houses, and Annabeth grabs them from his hand to examine them before setting them on the counter.

He preheats the oven before going to stand next to her again. "You ready to make the best cookies you've had in your entire life?"

She grins. "It's on."

The next hour is spent with them competing over who can make the ugliest cookie. Percy has to admit that hers takes the lead with the biggest blobs on icing falling all over his counter.

She's a lot easier to get along with than he initially thought. She laughs and smiles with him, and shoves his cookie into his face, smearing the frosting and sprinkles everywhere, and he doesn't think he's ever had this much fun before. He's able to forget that he's not with his mom because Annabeth is something else in itself. He doesn't know how he hasn't ever invited her out because she is practically his best friend already.

"Annabeth," he chastises when she takes a bite out of his cookie.

"It tastes awful," she says through the mouthful of sugar.

Percy's stomach flutters. There's a smudge of frosting on the corner of her mouth, and he has to resist wiping it away. He takes a bite himself and shoots her a look. "Liar."

She just gives him a sweet smile.

"So," she says, leaning against the counter, cookies now forgotten. "Why couldn't you go home for Christmas?"

"The airports are all closed," he tells her, shrugging. "But it's okay. I'm having fun."

"Still. It must suck to not be able to see your family."

"But what about you? You don't get to see your family."

Annabeth stiffens, and Percy realizes he's overstepped.

"I'm sorry. You don't have to answer that."

"It's fine. I just don't really get along with my family, so. I just stay by myself for most holidays."

"You're welcome to spend holidays with me then," he offers.

"As kind as that is, you just met me today. I don't think your family would react well to bringing home your neighbor that was an 'asshole to you for no reason.'"

Percy pauses.

"I'm not stupid. I've heard what you told other people."

He doesn't know what to say. He can't deny it because he really did say it, but he wouldn't have if he knew that she would hear him. "I don't think it's true."

"You still said it."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

She shrugs, humor in his eyes. It dawns on him that she finds making him feel guilty funny. "Don't worry about it."

"I promise I don't think that." He struggles to find words. "I actually really like you. This has been fun, and I don't want you to think I haven't enjoyed every minute with you because I have."

She smirks. "So you don't think that I'm an ass anymore?"

"I mean. A little bit, but it's only because you just ate my fucking cookie."

"It was a good cookie."

"So you were lying!" he accuses.

"I wanted to win the competition!"

Percy smiles. "Then you win! I forfeit."

"Forfeit? For me?"

"Of course. I was always taught to let the pretty girl win."

"Pretty girl, huh?"

"Well, you are."

"So you invited me over because I'm pretty? Not because you didn't want to be alone?"

"I invited you over because my mommy told me to."

"Your mommy also told you to flip me over and have your way with me."

Percy chokes. "I promise my mom did not say that."

"The point is you listened to her about everything else, and you told me we could do whatever I wanted."

Percy can't tell if she's messing with him, so he keeps his cool exterior even though he's combusted inside already. "And what you want is… a Christmas sex session?"

"You're not the only one that's cute."

"Well now I want to kiss you."

Annabeth raises an eyebrow. "Then do it."

And he does.

He tugs her in close and kisses her hard. His brain stops functioning, and all he can think of is how he hasn't done this before. It feels right, and it's insane to think that she's been living across the hall for the past two years when they could've been doing this. He threads his fingers in her hair, and she bites his bottom lip and lets out a whimper that makes his heart stop.

As Percy deepens the kiss and Annabeth tugs on the hem of his shirt until he pulls it off, he thinks that this Christmas might actually be the best one yet. He may not be with his mom, but it sure feels like he's building something permanent with his hot next-door neighbor, and he wouldn't change a thing.

He's going to stop thinking of his mom now because this pretty girl in front of him nips at his jaw, and he thinks he knows where this is about to go.

It surely is a Merry Christmas.