Character A and Character B have a competition to decorate the house

Percy has always had a thing for Christmas. It's just the best time of the year. It's the time for families to get together and play in the snow, for husbands and wives to snuggle under the warm blankets, for hot chocolate and sugar cookies.

With his wife in one arm and his baby in the other two weeks from Christmas, he doesn't think he's ever been more content. He loves them so much, and he really wants to use the time to just take them both in, to love and cherish them.

"We should decorate the house for Christmas this year," he tells her.

Annabeth turns her head up to look at him. She blinks languidly, and he can tell that she was on the brink of sleep.

"We always decorate for Christmas," she says.

"It is not enough to simply have a tree. It should be decorated."

Annabeth laughs, moving her attention back to the infant squirming in her lap. "And let our child devour glass ornaments, right?"

"My baby would never do such a thing."

"If she can reach it, we both know it's going in her mouth."

Percy rolls her eyes, moving towards her so he can lift their daughter into his own arms. "Mommy doesn't trust you," he tells her before speaking to Annabeth. "Let's make it a competition. Twenty kisses says I kick your ass at decorating."

"Negative twenty kisses says you don't," she challenges, bringing herself to her feet.

"Negative twenty kisses?"

"I don't kiss you for the next week."

"Alright. We'll see about that." With a bit of struggle, he manages to get himself sitting up, and then he stands. "Get up. We're going shopping so I can whoop your ass."

Annabeth laughs mockingly. "Alright. We'll see about that."

Percy tosses on a jacket as Annabeth stuffs their daughter into a warm coat before wrapping her in blankets. As the baby is handed to him so she can grab the car keys, Percy can't help but laugh at the baby's bewildered expression. She looks like a fluffy marshmallow, her tiny face peeking out from the thick layers of clothes.

By the time they're in the store to buy the decorations, Percy's considering letting her win. Annabeth's grabbing everything she sees off the shelves, holding it up for the baby to see from the carrier, before tossing it in the cart. She looks so happy while destroying his wallet, but he doesn't mind too much because she's too content for him to tell her no. Annabeth has always been his weakness.

"Do we like the blue ornaments?" she asks the baby, receiving no response except a little babble. "I agree. It would look fantastic."

"Blue isn't even a Christmas color," Percy tells her.

"Hey? Shut the fuck up, will you? I wasn't asking you."

Percy laughs, shifting the baby carrier to the other hand. "Why not green?"

"Uh. Who would ever decorate a Christmas tree green?"

"Damn, okay. I'm just saying you could just get a ton of colors and make it more representative of Christmas, baby."

"Last I checked, baby, I was picking these out."

Her words are harsh, but he knows her well enough to understand that she's only joking. Percy just grins. "I could make a Christmas tree look so much better with every color on the spectrum. There's only so much you can do with blue."

"You're wrong," she deadpans, tossing the ornaments into the cart and getting in his face so she can pout. Percy can't help but kiss her sweetly. "Blue conquers all."

Percy picks up a random box off of the shelf, filled with red and green and blue and everything in between, holding it up to her nose. He grins at her disgusted look. "I think we're going to need another Christmas tree, then."

And that is exactly how they end up with two giant Christmas trees in the middle of their living room.

"Where are we going to put these?" Annabeth asks, armed crossed across her chest as she stares at the mess of lights and ornaments and ribbons before her.

"The uglier one can go in the garage." He pauses. "So yours."

Annabeth gives him a daring grin and picks up the baby that was crawling around her legs. "It's on."

It's a fun competition, he decides. It's also a deadly one because when Annabeth wants to win, she'll do anything to get there. She actually sends their own daughter over to him with an ornament in hand, so Percy has no choice but to let her help decorate. Percy has to actually stop for a moment to watch her because it's so cute. Her chubby hands grasp tightly onto the blue ornament as she struggles to get it to hook onto one of the branches of the tree.

"There you go," he praises, scooping her into his arms and handing her another one. He holds her up higher so she can reach, and Annabeth ends up next to him, cooing.

"My heart," Annabeth whispers, brushing her child's hair out of her eyes.

"I think my tree is better because our daughter decorated it. You can't say that mine is ugly when it was decorated by a seven-month-old."

"Actually I can because guess who put the star on my tree."

Percy turns his head to look at her tree. It's flawless, he must admit. The white and icy blue lights match the shades of blue the tree is decorated in. It would fit right in with a fancy business' tree, except for the glowing star that is crooked on top of the tree. Still, the star is what pulls it all together.

"You win," he concedes, pulling Annabeth in by her waist and kissing her forehead. "I can't compete."

"You never can," she teases, kissing him properly.

"The star is crooked," he comments.

"It was an innovative decision. Our daughter is an artist."

They both watch as the star plops off of the tree, and Percy laughs in her face.

"Guess my tree is better after all," he says playfully, nudging her with his elbow. She sniffs, pointedly turning her face away. "You owe me twenty kisses."

"I am not kissing any part of you. You don't deserve it."

"I won!" he argues.

"You cheated. You used the baby, and you know that's against the rules."

"There were never any rules established," he points out. "Not to mention, you also used the baby."

"That's different. She's my baby."

Percy snorts. "I think I made a pretty big contribution, wouldn't you say?"

"You weren't the one in labor with her for twenty-six hours."

"Well, I'm the one who puts her to bed every night, so." Percy shrugs, shooting her a triumphant look.

"Maybe if you let me put her to bed."

"She always cries when you do it."

"Because you baby her."

"Uh, she's a baby. Of course I baby her."

"You also get in the crib and fall asleep."

Percy sighs, exasperated. "Baby, that was one time."

Annabeth snickers before looking back to the trees. She's too preoccupied to notice him staring at her like she's the only girl in the world. Percy could live in this view, his wife in front of the beautiful sparkling lights, his baby in her arms, his family safe and whole. It's not something he'd ever thought he'd live to see, but he is so glad that he did.

Percy comes up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist. He kisses the side of her head and his baby's forehead before nuzzling the crook of Annabeth's neck. He breathes her in, the delightful pine scent, though that could also be the trees in front of him. One of Annabeth's hands come up to run through his hair as he begins to press kisses into his neck.

"Your tree is pretty," she admits quietly, eyes still tracing over his decorations.

"You're prettier," he says.

Annabeth laughs, shrugging her shoulder to get him off of her. She moves to set the baby down amongst a mess of toys before she turns to him so she can wrap her arms around his neck. She looks him deeply in the eyes, and he is in love.

"Hey," she says, nose nudging his. "I kinda love you."

"Kiss ass," he teases. "You're just trying to suck up because you lost."

"I didn't lose if you cheated."

Percy rolls his eyes and kisses her. "One."

"What?"

He kisses her again. "Two."

"I have to do this twenty times?"

"Yes. Come on, three."

Annabeth smiles into the third kiss, and Percy feels on top of the world. He's glad they decided to decorate the house today because if they hadn't, he would have missed this perfect moment.

"I love you too," he breathes into the fourth kiss. "But I so win."

She hums. "Shut up and finish those sixteen kisses."

Percy shuts up and does as he's told.

Five. Percy feels his pulse race.

Six. He pulls her closer.

Seven. He wants more.

Eight. Annabeth grins.

Nine. Percy kisses her nose.

Ten. She is his past.

Eleven. She is his present.

Twelve. She is his future.

Thirteen. He wants this to be his forever.

Fourteen. He knows that this is his forever.

Fifteen. She is the love of his life.

Sixteen. There aren't enough kisses left.

Seventeen. He feels electricity through his skin.

Eighteen. He thinks he's in love.

Nineteen. He knows he's in love.

Twenty.

idk what this is sorry