Christmas Miracle

by Percabeth824

Percy's life around Christmas is filled with swimming and the people he loves. And some memorable quotes, of course... "Especially after they got a good look at your ass!" "You're my Christmas Miracle," "You were drooling, but don't worry, I don't think any of it got on me," Percabeth AU

Christmas Miracle

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. All the credit goes to Rick Riordon.

Percy's POV

I rush into my apartment building and am met with the blasting heat provided by the overused heater. Ms. Dale, the owner of Upside Apartments, always complained about it being too cold. Even during the sweltering New York summers, the heater is constantly being used. Ms. Dale is an old friend of my mom's, and she politely offered me a discount when my mom mentioned I was moving out.

I ignore the elevator and take the stairs to the third floor. Every single detail of my move was discussed with my mom. She bartered with poor Ms. Dale until I had gotten exactly what I wanted. An apartment with a half kitchen, two bedrooms, and a full bathroom. It was more than I needed, but after my mom married Paul and Ms. Dale offered a discount, she wanted to splurge on me.

My eyes land on my newly painted door. The blue makes my apartment stand out. Ms. Dale lets everyone paint their doors when they move in as long as they paint the door white before selling their lease.

I open the door with my key and step inside my warm apartment. I toss my keys on the small kitchen bar counter and kick my shoes off. I walk to the corner, where my Christmas tree is set up. I picked a white tree when I realized my blue ornaments would look better on it than a traditional green Christmas tree.

I press the button connected to the led lights and watch as the lights cast a small glow in my tiny living room. The lights reflect off the large window that faces the busy streets of New York.

I toss my duffle bag on my grey couch and step closer to the window to get rid of the Christmas lights' glare and watch the snowfall. It's midwinter, and swim season is well underway. It's the only time of the year I'm honestly grateful for Ms. Dale's constant shivering.

Leaving the pool at NYU and then walking to my apartment in the freezing night air of New York City is one of the worst things. I'm lucky I haven't caught a cold.

I return to my kitchen and take a frozen pizza out of my freezer so it can defrost. I hum along to "Have yourself a merry little Christmas" as I walk into my full bathroom.

I strip out of my clothing and almost trip and hit my head on the bathroom counter.

"Damn it."

When my clothes have all been stripped from my body, I sigh in relief. My clothes were damp from the pool water that clings to me when I leave the pool. It makes my clothes wet. Therefore, making me even colder.

"Have yourself a merry little Christmas," I sing as I turn on the shower.

"Let your heart be light," I flex my upper stomach and watch my abs as they become more pronounced.

"From now on, your troubles will be out of sight," I flex my lower stomach and run my hand through my hair. Looking good, Jackson.

The bathroom mirror starts to fog at the corner, the closest part to the shower, so I quickly step in and groan when the hot water hits my chest. I let the water soothe my tender body. December can quite literally be hell. Swim practices are torture as every swim team gets ready for the annual Christmas tournament at NYU.

NYU is famous for having a Christmas tournament meet, and some Olympic recruiters always show up. Last year I watched a guy from King's College speak to the Olympic swim coordinator. The summer Olympics aren't till this next summer, but I'm hoping to get an invite to the Olympic trials.

I hum the song's beginning again as I step into the shower. This song is best sung by Sam Smith. My mom loves him. So, as I sing, I sing it like Sam Smith does.

"Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Make the yuletides gay," I hum the song as I shampoo my hair as to not get any in my mouth. My shampoo smells like the seas breeze, and my body wash, like peppermint. It's a weird combination in theory, but when you smell it, it's divine.

I rinse my hair and put a dap of conditioner on my hands, and run that through my hair. It's unnecessary, but I like how it makes my hair soft.

"Hang a shining star upon the highest boughs," I smile when I successfully pull off Sam's run. It's one of the reasons that my mom loves this song and me as well. It sounds so good! Sam Smith rocks!

A pounding at my apartment door stops me from starting the next line. I sigh and quickly turn off the shower. Who would come to my door on a Wednesday night?

I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around my waist. When I open the bathroom door, a cool blast of hair hits my bare chest, causing a shiver to run down my spine. Whoever it is better have a good reason for knocking at my door.

I quickly walk through my apartment, hoping it's not Piper. If it's Piper, she'll make sure I didn't take the mistletoe off from my ceiling. It hangs so you can see it from both sides of the door. Piper has been playing matchmaker since I met her sophomore year, and she's been a pain in the backside ever since.

I open the door and am met with a tall girl with blonde hair. Curly blonde hair.

"Can I help you?" I ask slowly, letting my eyes adjust. Her hair is golden, and I can't keep my eyes away from the loose curls.

"Yeah, I'm your neighbor, and our bathrooms are connected through a thin wall; actually, all the walls are quite thin," her eyes stray from my face, and she must finally notice my appearance because her cheeks go red. She's cute.

"And?" I ask, prompting her to finish her thought.

"Sorry, um, I'm trying to study for finals, and your singing is distracting," She looks back to my face and stands a little straighter. She's wearing leggings and an oversized Harvard sweater. Can this girl get any cuter?

"Distracting? In a good or bad way?" I ask. Dude, if she insults your singing, you'll have to stop any and all contact from now on.

"Uh..." She avoids eye contact with me and lets her gaze go everywhere else.

"Your singing isn't awful. I just need it to be quiet for a while," She huffs a little and meets my eyes again. Her eyes are a grey-blue color. Unique.

"Well, I'm just going to finish up my shower, and I promise to stop singing when I finish. How about that?" I ask with what I hope is a flirty smile.

"Will it take less than five minutes?" She asks with raised eyebrows.

"Only for you," I say, lowly. She laughs softly, and it makes my heart thud loudly in my chest. Her laugh is airy, and she sounds tired.

"Thanks," she says. She sidesteps to the left and starts unlocking the door. I really wish we could keep talking, but she's busy, and I'm dripping wet and freezing! But I'd freeze for a few more minutes if she'll stick around!

"Wait!" I say, taking a step outside of my apartment.

She stops unlocking her door and gives me a look, "What?"

"There are very few rules I won't break, and well, you see..." I feel myself blush, and the fact that I'm blushing is embarrassing, causing me to flush even more. Great.

"And?"

I take a calming breath and point a thumb over my shoulder, "We have to kiss under this mistletoe. It's one of the rules I refuse to break."

She doesn't move an inch, and it makes me nervous. I shift from foot to foot and run a hand through my hair. Smooth Percy.

She purses her lips like she's thinking about it, and it makes me hope. I really want to kiss her. This is weird because we just met, but dam, I really want to.

Finally, she shrugs her shoulders. What does that mean? Yes or no?

"Come on then," she says. I smile widely and move to take a step but pause. Aren't we supposed to kiss under the mistletoe? You don't want to make her leave; think of something!

"I guess I'll ignore the rule of kissing under the mistletoe, but only because it's for you," she rolls her eyes and smiles. Score!

I quickly cover the distance between us, considering she's only a couple of feet from me. I caress her cheek and jaw with my right hand and I'm delighted when my fingers are long enough to curl under her jaw and into her hair place my left hand on her hip. My other hand caresses her hip, and I so badly want to go a bit further and a little downward, but my mom raised a gentleman.

I lean down and watch as her eyes close. She's waiting for me to close the distance, but I can't move. Not yet. She looks like an angel.

The hand I have on her hip moves to wrap around her waist, and I tug her closer, so we're pressed together. I ignore the fact that I'm still in just a towel. Her hands are covered by her oversized sweatshirt and rest on my bare chest. It's so cute I'm ready to burst.

I slowly place my lips on hers and smile when she presses further into me. I linger for a few seconds on her soft lips and then slowly pull away. Her breath hits my face, and the urge to lean in and kiss her again is too much. I lean in again, but her eyes open, and she pulls away from me. I stand up straight and rub my neck.

"Five minutes," she mutters. She swiftly opens her door and steps inside. When the door closes with a soft thump, I smile. I probably look like a dope, standing in the middle of the hallway with a broad smile on my face and a towel around my waist. I'd jump for joy if it weren't for the fact that my towel would probably fall off.

Did I just kiss a girl I just met? Oh man, what will my mom say?

I turn around and stare at my closed door. Closed-door? I don't have my keys...Whoops.

I sigh and start heading for the staircase. When Ms. Dale opens her apartment door, she takes me in.

"You're not getting a bigger discount Percy," I'm in such a good mood I laugh. I need to thank Piper.

---

"You're having your Christmas party two days before Christmas?" Piper asks from my couch.

"Yeah. Is that a problem? I thought you were staying here for the holidays?" I ask as I flip a pancake. Piper always comes over for Saturday breakfast. Lately, she's been bringing her boyfriend Jason along too, but he's apparently too busy today.

"You do everything wrong when it comes to Christmas! You put your tree up on the first of November, you never stop listening to Christmas music, you don't make Christmas cookies, you never-,"

"Hey, you know why I don't make Christmas cookies!" I interrupt quickly.

"You just went too far. Do you want pancakes or not?" I'm only half-joking. I put my hands on my hips, and I must look like quite the sight because Piper starts laughing. Loudly. This girl has a built-in megaphone. It's no wonder she was captain of her high school cheer team.

I scoff at her and return to the pancakes on my stove. "You love my mom's recipe for cookies anyways, so you shouldn't complain."

"But you always make them," she whines.

"And you always eat them! So, shut up and come get your pancakes," Piper laughs again, and I smile. The best thing about Piper is her infectious laugh. It's loud and somehow so charming. She's won over half of the swim team with it.

A knock at my door has me turning my gas stove to low flames. I wipe my hands on my Christmas apron and smile at Piper's syrup-covered face.

"Honestly, Piper, you're a child," I shake my head and laugh on my way to the door.

"You're me, in a male body, Percy! You can't say anything!" I snort loudly and open my apartment door. Standing before me is my tired-looking neighbor. She's too cute!

"Can you quiet down? It's nine a.m, and I had a late night last night," she looks grumpy, but her eyes are half-lidded, and her lips are a pretty pink color and wow. Tired Annabeth is better than stressed Annabeth. A Christmas Miracle.

"Would you like some pancakes?" I ask, pointing over my shoulder. She stares at me blankly, so I give her a small smile.

"Uh, sure. Why not. I'm already up anyways," she says with a shrug. I step aside, so she has room to get past me. She slides past me, and my eyes catch my mistletoe.

I grab her hand as she steps past me and tug her back. She trips a little, so I use my other hand to steady her. She glares at me, and I flush. Whoops.

"Sorry, the rules," I point to the mistletoe and give her a kiss on the corner of her mouth. She gapes at me, and I smirk. Smooth!

"Piper, I want you to meet my neighbor, uh, shoot, I don't think I ever asked your name," I blush again as I look at Annabeth, who stands behind me. What kind of guy just kisses a girl without knowing her name? Idiot.

"Annabeth," she says softly. She yawns, and I about coo at her. I might just need to keep her here and hide her from everyone else.

"Piper, Annabeth. Annabeth, Piper," I tug Annabeth in front of me and grin at Piper. She has syrup all around her mouth and a piece of blue pancake in between her teeth. She's ridiculous, and it makes me ridiculously happy for them to meet.

Piper gets off her stool and rushes over to hug Annabeth. I smile at the sight of them. Piper's in sweats and one of Jason's hoodies while Annabeth is in Nike leggings and an under armor hoodie. The mismatched brands would drive Leo batty, but it's so endearing to me.

"It's so nice to meet you! Percy, please tell me you used the mistletoe I gave you!" Piper gives me a look, and I blush again. Annabeth blushes at her side, and it makes me smile.

"That's none of your business," I say with a shrug. I move to my stove and flip the pancakes. I return the settings to make a medium flame and pour more pancake batter.

"Come sit next to me. You need to tell me everything!" Piper says, leading Annabeth to my bar counter. They sit on stools, and I have the perfect view of them. Piper is smiling mischievously, and Annabeth looks embarrassed.

"Leave her alone, Piper," I say. I flip some pancakes onto an extra plate and place it in front of Annabeth. Annabeth, Annabeth, Annabeth. Such a pretty name.

"Fine, you tell me then!" Piper exclaims, dramatically throwing her arms in the air.

Would Annabeth care if I tell her? I hope not. I've been dying to tell her!

I look at Annabeth, wondering if she's showing any signs of hostility. She's looking at her plate. She cuts into one of them and holds the piece of pancake, on a fork, right in front of her eyes. You idiot! They're blue!

"Ignore the blue food coloring. It's a family tradition," Annabeth nods her head slowly and places the piece of pancake in her mouth. Her eyes close, and she looks like she's in bliss. A soft sigh escapes her mouth, and it does things to me. Something I'd rather not let Piper see. Not when I barely know this girl.

It's embarrassing when I start ranting to Piper about a beautiful girl who I really like, just to have her not like me, and Piper will ask what happened, and then I realize I put way too much stalk into one moment.

"I was singing too loudly while she was trying to study, and she came and told me off. Which isn't fair considering the run I had pulled off," I smile as I place some pancakes onto another plate. Finally, my turn to eat!

"You ran from NYU's Campus?" Piper asks with an edge to her voice.

"NO! Never again, Piper! I pulled off Sam Smith's run to Have a Merry Little Christmas!" I beam at her, and her glare turns into a bright smile.

"We can finally sing that song karaoke-style for your mom!" Piper does a little dance on her seat, and Annabeth looks caught between laughing and being completely confused.

"Keep going," Piper prompts.

I nod my head and pour a butt load of syrup on my pancakes.

"We came to an agreement that I could sing for five more minutes. She was about to leave when I remembered the mistletoe and everything after that, well," I trail off as I remember what it had felt like. A forcefield was protecting us from the outside world. Nothing would have been able to reach us in those moments. They were ours.

Piper coos, and I'm brought out of my reverie. Annabeth smiles softly at me, and I instantly know she felt the same way. Annabeth looks away first and finishes the last piece of her pancakes. She stands and rounds the bar counter and places her dish in the sink. She has better manners than Piper, that's for sure.

Piper must be able to read my thoughts because she follows Annabeth's lead and places her dish in the sink. Annabeth is a miracle worker.

"I'm going to head out. Thanks for breakfast," Piper says. I nod my head and lead her to the front door. She kisses my cheek and leaves me in my apartment.

"Want to stay for a movie or two?" I ask Annabeth when I reenter my kitchen. I wash dishes and place them in a drying rack to the side of the sink.

"I'd probably fall asleep if I tried that," Annabeth says.

I smile at her and raise an eyebrow when she picks up the syrup, "Where does this go?"

I point to a cupboard to my right. She puts it away, and I don't want her to leave!

"Feel free to fall asleep here. I could use the company while I watch though," I wipe my hands on a dishtowel and grab Annabeth's hand. I drag her to my couch and push her until she's sitting down.

"I don't get a choice?" She asks, with her eyes wide. I hope I'm not being too forward.

"You're excuse was lame. I'd rather you fell asleep here than leave me here by myself," I grab the remote from the small coffee table and sit down as close to Annabeth as I can. She smells good! "What's your favorite Christmas movie?" I ask, pulling up Netflix. I search the word Christmas and hand Annabeth the remote.

"You're lucky I don't have anything I need to do today," Annabeth mutter as she takes the remote. I smile triumphantly and watch as she clicks down to the movie, "Klaus."

"It's not my all-time favorite, but there's this one part of the movie that almost makes me cry every time. It's beautiful," Annabeth grabs a blanket from the other side of the couch and pulls it over her head as the Netflix logo and theme plays. She's the epitome of cute.

The movie is really good, and I can see why Annabeth picked it. I cry when Jesper puts the work in to make Margu a toy boat. Annabeth has tears in her eyes and, of course, has the audacity to make fun of me for crying. She fell asleep right after, and I finish the movie with her curled up on my couch. An image of us cuddling, asleep, warm on my couch has me ignoring my inner gentlemen as I turn on some soft Christmas music and lay down. I pull Annabeth into me and make sure she's wrapped securely in my arms, so she doesn't fall off the couch-and drift asleep.

---

"You fell asleep on the couch together? That's so cute!" Piper squeals, and I wince. Sure just let Annabeth know that he's telling her. It's not like the walls aren't super thin! I wonder what else she's heard?

"What else happened?" Piper asks. She's bouncing on the couch like an excited child. Jason is watching with amusement from the barstool he's sitting.

I'm here, making pancakes again because Jason was sad he missed yesterday's breakfast, and Piper will never say no to my pancakes. I invited them over so I could talk to Piper and Jason could get a proper meal in him. He had one of those long contract meetings for his dad's company, and he never eats! Something about meeting strategy and starving your competition into complying. The only problem is, Jason and his team starve!

"She woke up and left," I shrug and flip a couple of pancakes onto Jason's plate. Jason eagerly pours more syrup on his plate and digs in. I smile at his enthusiasm.

I love cookies and baking for other people. The smile they get on their faces when they eat is enough for Percy to make his backup career plan baking.

"Were you awake when she left?" Piper asks. Her jumping stops, and Percy can almost feel her sadness from the kitchen.

"No," I shrug again and add a few more pancakes to the griddle. I'll make Jason some extras for when he leaves.

"That's kind of rude," Piper says. Her eyes are downcast, and Percy wants to defend Annabeth before Piper starts getting the wrong idea about her. Not that I know anything about Annabeth or anything, but she doesn't deserve a bad rep just because she left before I woke up. It's not like we had sex!

The thought of sex has my mind in the gutter for a few seconds. I blink repeatedly to get the images out of my head. Slow your roll!

"She probably needed to be somewhere! For all, we know she had a plane to catch! It is the holidays after all!" I flip the pancakes and keep my hands busy. The sound of a shower starting has my hands freezing.

"See! She didn't have a flight! She just left! How rude of her!" Piper says scathingly. I wince and ignore the hurt that ripples through my chest.

I shrug once again and grab a little ziplock baggy. I take the small pancakes and put them inside before placing it in front of Jason. I grab his plate and put it in the sink to soak with the other plates.

Jason sighs before standing up, "She could have had other reasons to leave. We don't know her that well and can't judge her. I think it's time we head out Piper," Jason pulls Piper to her feet and leads her to my apartment door. I watch Jason help her get her coat on and kiss her forehead.

Piper turns around and studies me for a few seconds. I smile at her reassuringly. It's not the first time I liked a girl way too fast. Piper rushes to me and pulls me into a bear hug.

"Invite her to your Christmas party. She'll need to RSVP, so she'll have to let you know whether she's coming or not. Talk to her. Let me know what she says so I can either smack her or invite her over to a slumber party. She was nice," Piper pulls away and leaves with Jason. Hand in hand, they walk out of my sight.

I nod my head and grab one of my extra Christmas party invitations. I grab a blue pen and, at the bottom, write a P.S. under my address and phone number.

If you decide to RSVP in person, I'd still like to get your number :)

I almost make the smiley face a winky face, but hey, every man has his limits.

The sound of the running shower has his shoulders aching. He'd never admit it to Piper, but after he woke up alone yesterday, he's gone straight to the school pool and tortured himself with laps and then a trip to the school's gym to get some shoulder reps.

I think of all the consequences that might come from showering at the same time as Annabeth.

A. She'll freak out and move into a different room, or worse, a different apartment complex.

B. She'll never speak to me again because she thinks I'm a weirdo.

C. The thought of showering at the same time as her might have some bodily consequences, and I really don't want her to hear...

I turn off my brain and decide to take a shower. My shoulders are killing me, and I have syrup and pancake batter on my forearms. It's a free country! I can shower whenever I want to!

When I get into my bathroom, I hear another sound that has me standing as close to the wall where her shower connects to mine.

"Can't touch it, see it, Oh! But you can always feel it, Oh!"I listen to her sing for an embarrassing amount of time. It's the song that was playing during that one scene that had me crying during Klaus yesterday. Her voice is angelic!

I shake my head and turn my shower head to hot. Annabeth's voice stops in an instant. I sigh and debate whether I should try talking to her through the wall or not. On one hand, it's creepy considering we're both in the shower, and on the other hand, she probably doesn't want to talk to me.

I decide to keep my mouth shut.

Her shower turns off a few minutes later, and I stay in the shower for another ten minutes.

The song she was singing is stuck in my head. Those same two lines. Over and over and over again. It's a pretty song, and the only problem with it being stuck in my head is the fact that it's Annabeth's voice that replays in my head. I'm a creep! It's official.

I get dressed and stare at the Christmas party invitation. Would she even want to come? She probably is going home for the holidays. Her accent isn't from New York. She's definitely from the west coast.

I grab my keys from the counter and leave my apartment. Sunday dinner is always at my mom's house. Sometimes it's just me, her and Paul and other times she invites my friends or her's and Paul's friends. It's a great time to be together, and I love it.

Halfway down the stairs, I spot blonde hair going through the door leading to the second floor. I open the door that leads to the second door and watch as a blonde opens a door several feet away from me. Her hair is straight, and she's not a natural blonde. I shake my head and close the door behind me. I look up the stairwell and down the stairwell debating.

I look up the stairwell and I obviously want to see Annabeth. The fake blonde just proved that.

I look down the stairwell. If I don't leave now, I'll probably be late. Well, not exactly late, but I usually show up a couple of hours early so I can help my mom and spend some time with her.

After a few seconds, I roll my eyes and head down the stairs. One flight later, I spin on my heels and race up three flights of stairs. If you want something in life, you have to go and get it.

It's what Paul had said to me after he first met my mom at a parent-teacher conference. I didn't know he was going to ask her out, and that's why he said it, but it turned out for the best, and hopefully, Annabeth will too.

I rush into my apartment, grab the invitation, and then leave again. I raise my hand to knock on Annabeth's door and freeze. She probably doesn't want to see me after earlier. I stick the invitation in-between the door, and it's frame, so it sticks. When she opens her door, it'll fall down and grab her attention. Hopefully.

---

I step into my dark apartment with a sigh. It might be the Christmas Holiday, but my tournament starts tomorrow and ends on Thursday. Today our coach asked that we practice our starting dives and our turns for an hour and then leave so the pool can be readied for the tournament. It's only seven a.m. on a Monday, and I'm about ready to sleep for the rest of my life.

I go over to my couch, grab the remote, and lay down. I turn on Home Alone and close my eyes.

Knock Knock

I open my eyes and stare at the TV. I could've sworn it was my door, but the police officer just entered the house. I must be more tired than I thought. I better sleep, so I don't imagine a buzzer at tomorrow's meet. That would be embarrassing. Another knocking sound, and now I know it was real. I get off my couch with a groan. I should shower and then sleep. Maybe that will help relax my muscles.

I open my apartment door and am met with the beautiful sight of Annabeth. I open my mouth to invite her in, but she beats me to it.

"Can I come in for a second?" She asks. She's in sweats and a t-shirt, and wow. It's no wonder I like her. She is so natural and beautiful!

I step aside and let her step inside. I lead us to the couch and turn off the TV. I gesture for her to take a seat. She's wearing Nike sweats and an Adidas t-shirt. Her shirt is black, and her sweats are white, and does she own anything that isn't from an athletic brand? Not that I'm complaining, but wow. She owns more athletic clothing than I do, and I've been swimming since I was three.

"Not that it isn't great to see you, but what are you doing up so early? It's seven-thirty and winter break," I point to the clock on my wall. She looks at it and then back to me.

"I usually wake up around nine, but I was up all night last night, and when I heard you fall over this morning, I was alert and couldn't fall back asleep," She says. I blush when she mentions me falling over. She heard that?

"Sorry," I mutter. The lights on my Christmas tree cast a soft glow, and I'm sure it makes my already red cheeks look even redder.

"No, don't be; I wanted to talk to you, but then I heard you leave, so I just waited till I heard you come back," Annabeth sighs and then turns, so she's giving me her undivided attention. Her fingers are laced together in her lap, and her nails are painted white.

"I want to apologize for leaving without waking you up on Saturday. It was rude of me," She cuts off and blushes. So she did hear Piper yesterday! I knew it!

I open my mouth to respond, but she keeps going, "It's just. You looked so peaceful! You always get back late in the day, and sometimes you leave really early, and so you must be exhausted so," she blushes, and I smile widely.

Okay, so, first of all, aww. She didn't want to wake me up because she thought I was tired. Second of all, aww. She listens for when I come back.

"No, really, it's okay. I'm glad you told me. I thought I drooled on you or something," I laugh half-heartedly and hope she thinks I'm joking about the drool.

"You were drooling, but don't worry, I don't think any of it got on me," I blush and look at my lap. Great, she did see my drool!

"That's good."

"Also, I wanted you to know that I'd love to come to your Christmas party. I'm not going home this year since I saw my family at Thanksgiving," Annabeth smiles again and it makes me smile.

"Awesome! Do you have any other plans for the Christmas break?" I ask.

"Nope. My internship just ended, so I'm completely free until school starts back up again," she says.

"Well, if you get bored, the NYU swim team is hosting a swim meet slash tournament for the next three days. I can introduce my friends, and you can all go together!"

"Uh, you aren't going?" Annabeth raises an eyebrow at me.

"Shoot, you don't know? I'm on NYU's swim team. I'll be competing."

How had she not noticed that I was on the swim team? Did she think I was just always soaking wet?

"Oh, I just assumed you knew someone on the team, but this makes a lot more sense," she wrinkles her nose.

"Is that okay?" I ask. She looks disgusted? Does she hate swimming?

"Of course! No, that's awesome! I've heard NYU has an amazing swim team! I'm just surprised. Don't the team members all live together?" Her nose stays wrinkled, and I laugh. I know why it's wrinkled. My swim mates' house is trashy.

"All members are invited, and it's a cheaper option, but I'm captain, and I know Ms. Dale, so I live here," She nods, impressed.

"Do you not go to NYU?" I ask suddenly. I've never seen her on campus, and she seems like she's my age. I'd probably have seen her before, and there's no way I could forget her. Even if I saw her in passing.

"No, I got into Columbia."

"What do you study?"

"I'm studying architecture, and I used to run track for them," she smiles proudly, and I whistle. That explains all the athletic clothing.

"Used to?" I ask curiously.

"I quit after my sophomore year. I didn't see it going anywhere," she shrugs, and I nod my head. If I didn't need the scholarship money, I might have quit after my sophomore year too. But I stuck with it, and everything got better, and I got new goals. The Olympics.

"I can respect that."

"Sorry, you probably want to get back to sleep. Considering you have a tournament all this week!" Annabeth stands up to leave, and I jump up.

"No, I love talking to you! Feel free to stay; we could watch a movie and fall asleep again," I wiggle my eyebrows, and she laughs.

"That's a nice offer, but I think I'm going to shower and schedule some job interviews," I nod my head and let her lead the way to my apartment door.

"Here's my number," she hands me a note. I smile widely and open the door for her.

"Have a good day. Get plenty of rest for tomorrow."

"I'll text you."

She smiles, and I step closer to her. She stares up at me while I contemplate where I should kiss her. I want to kiss her lips, but I had black coffee and a banana for breakfast and accidentally swallowed chlorine water at practice. My breath definitely stinks.

I kiss her forehead and allow myself a few seconds of lingering. Her breath warms my t-shirt, and it's a moment I wish I didn't have to end.

I pull away and whisper, "Bye."

She gives me one last soft smile, opens her apartment door, and leaves my sight.

I return to my couch and lie face down on the cushions. I smile into the cushions and turn my head, so I can text Piper.

She didn't want to wake me up because I looked tired. She's coming to the Christmas party and might even come to watch me swim!

I add a smiley emoji before I make Annabeth a contact on my phone. I text her my name, so she knows who it is and then promptly fall back into the cushions. It's a Christmas miracle. I turn my head and stare at my Christmas tree. It's dark outside, and my tree casts the room in a soft glow. I turn on some Christmas music and promptly fall asleep.

---

Why do you even know the history of the word yule?

I put my phone in my swim locker and grab my swimming cap and goggles. It's only eight in the morning, and so far today, I've learned the entire history of the word "yule" and that I'm going to fill in for Daniel in the Freestyle Medley.

My first race, the fifty-meter freestyle, starts in an hour. I need to warm up.

Annabeth and I have been texting almost constantly since I woke up from my nap yesterday. We played twenty questions and never have I ever. We talked about our respective friends and found a mutual friend in Thalia Grace.

I've known her for six days. I've talked to her on four of them, and I feel like I'm making up for a lifetime. I wish I'd known her before now because she's incredible. She's smart, witty, passionate, and beyond the word beautiful.

I make my way to our secondary pool so I can warp up. I try to get my head in the game, but it's impossible when I imagine Annabeth in the stands with my friends and family cheering me on. She said she'd come to every race I was in, and my heart about burst out of my chest when I read that text.

I set my things on a metal bench and start loosening my arms and legs up with some jumping jacks. I roll my shoulders out when I finish up all my remainder stretches. I step up onto a block and get into a bent-over position.

"Hey, Jackson!" I tilt forward dangerously on my block and curse.

I breathe a sigh of relief when my feet are solidly on the block. Who on earth would do that!

I stand up and look around. My eyes are drawn to the flailing arms of one Piper McLean. Of course.

I get off my block and lift my goggles onto my forehead. I look at Piper again and am stunned by the sight of Annabeth. She's wearing jeans...

I speed walk towards them. I've wanted to see Annabeth since I woke up yesterday. Fun fact, our doors are six feet apart. She's right there, and yet I haven't seen her since yesterday morning, and it's felt like a lifetime.

"Annabeth! Piper! Thank you so much for coming! Why are you here so early, though? The first race hasn't even started yet. I told you I was in the second race, right?" I ask.

I pull Piper into a brief hug before I hug Annabeth. I pull Annabeth as close as I can and bury my nose into her neck. She's tall. Probably five-ten, and she's perfect. Her hair smells like citrus, and the urge to stay here with my arms wrapped around her is almost enough. Almost.

I pull away and hold her at an arm's length.

"You look beautiful," I say as sincerely as possible. She's wearing light-washed skinny jeans and a Purple hoodie. I focus on the words that say NYU Swim Captain and do a double-take. That's my hoodie!

"Is that my hoodie?" I look between Annabeth and Piper. Annabeth blushes and points at Piper, who's smiling like a madwoman.

"Piper gave it to me," Annabeth says, shrugging her shoulders. Yeah, but when did she get it? I wore it on Saturday to my practice.

"Stop trying to figure it out, Percy, you're going to give yourself wrinkles," Piper says, pushing my shoulder, "I took it on Sunday when you were telling Jason off for not eating enough."

I nod my head and look at Annabeth again. I've only ever seen her in athletic wear. It's almost surreal to see her in anything else.

"Well, you can keep it. I have an exact replica but in black," I say, nodding at the hoodie.

"Oh no, I was going to give it back at your Christmas party!" Annabeth says.

"No, keep it. I have a feeling you're going to need it," I smile at her then grab Piper's phone out of her hand. Eight fifteen. I got to go!

"It's been a pleasure, ladies, but I really need to get ready," I hand Piper her phone back.

"You look ready to me," Annabeth says, not so subtly looking me up and down. I blush and look at the ground.

"I got you," Annabeth says, tapping my cheek. My body feels with heat, and I really want to stay and try and get her to blush, but I really do need to get into the water.

"This isn't over," I say, turning away. I head over to my blocks with the image of Annabeth imprinted in my mind. I really want to turn around and watch them leave. She was a track star! The jeans cling to her legs and, oh boy. I shake my head and replace my goggles over my eyes. You want to be an Olympian! Swim, swim, swim.

It'll be a Christmas miracle if I win while Annabeth is within reach of my gaze.

I enter the room that holds the main pool, and I'm hit with the loud chatter of thousands of people. Somewhere in those stands are the Olympic swim scouts. And Annabeth.

I take a deep breath and pull my headphones over my ears. I focus on my stretching and keeping warm. The fifty-meter sprint is one of the most mentally tough races in swimming. It's my favorite event and the one I want to go to the Olympics for. It's the most relentless race. You can't lose your stride you can't be frantic, you need to become a machine of ultimate hydrodynamics.

I'm in the first heat and the third lane. In my last competition, I beat my personal record and missed the all-time record by four-tenths of a second. That record is within my reach. I'm not the only one within reaching distance, though. Tanner McCallahan's personal record is only five one-hundredths slower than my own.

He'll be in the fourth lane. The clock says I have two minutes until I need to take my place on the third block.

I scan the crowds for my mom. She's the only reason I made it this far, and there hasn't been a meet that I didn't thank her before every race. Whether she was there or not.

I go to my school's home team section and find her and Paul in the front row, surrounded by all of my friends. I lock eyes with her and mouth thank you.

She nods her head and beams at me. I smile as widely as I can back, and my eyes are drawn to the blonde girl sitting between her and Piper. Annabeth.

I didn't think it was possible, but my smile widens at the sight of her by my mom.

"Swimmers in the first heat of the fifty-meter men's sprint. You have one minute till we take the mark," the announcement makes the crowd roar with excitement. Piper, being the loudest. I'm luckier than any other man. I have supportive family, friends, and the most beautiful girl to walk the planet, cheering me on.

I turn serious and point in their general direction before I turn and walk to my coach. Their cheers only get louder, and it takes all my face muscles to not break my serious facade. I hand him my headphones and towel.

"You better hurry Percy. Not only in your race but with that girl you've been staring at. You're a senior. You may make it to the Olympics, but you can't swim forever. That girl might be yours forever. It's been an honor to coach you for these past four years, and I look forward to finishing the season with you," my coach gives me a nod, and my eyes water.

I pull him into a hug and pound his back. My coach has pushed me to my quitting point and always pulled me out. He has my mom's number on speed dial and Piper's phone number in his contacts. He's made sure I'm surrounded by supportive people. He asks them to support me just so he can continue to strip me of my talent and turn it into skill.

I pull away and nod at him. I turn to my teammates. I've captained this team for two years now. When I first got within reach of the all-time fifty-meter sprint record, they started this ritual that before every sing fifty-meter sprint, they would robe me in this fancy silk robe they bought me for Christmas last year. The robe has a wave design on it. The robe is purple, and the waves are an electric blue. I stopped asking how much the robe cost them when I did some research and saw numbers escalating into the thousands.

I walk up to them and pause. I have 6 more meets and one more tournament before I graduate and leave this world behind me. I take a deep breath and nod at them. They surround me and cover me from the prying eyes of those in the stands. One of the freshmen robes me, and I hear the stands get quiet. Or as quiet as thousands of people can get in a room that echos.

Then, "When I say Pery, you say Jackson! Percy!" Piper yells. "Jackson!" The crowd yells back.

I laugh and smile at all of my teammates.

Piper continues her chant, and I almost don't hear the announcement that I need to take my block. My teammates make a path to my block, and when I step onto the block, I let the robe slide off my shoulders and fall into the waiting arms of my teammates. Deep breaths, Percy.

"On your mark," I bend forward and imagine my friends and family behind me. The faster I make it back to them, the sooner I can see Annabeth. The less I breathe, the sooner I'll see Piper. The harder they push, the faster I'll see my mom. If you want this more than anyone else, you will make it to the Olympics.

The buzzer sounds, and I leap into the water.

I reach for the wall and surface as soon as I make contact. The sound of cheers is no longer muffled as I try and get my bearings back. I look for the scoreboard and start from the bottom. Patrick, Edward, Damon, Tanner, Wait, Tanner? I scan faster, Trevor, Andrew, Percy. I won!

I slam my fist into the water and yell. It's an ungodly sound, but I won! My teammates are grabbing at my arms, trying to pull me out of the water. The crowd doesn't falter, and my ears ache when I'm pulled into a group of screaming men. Their words are jumbled in my ears. What was my time?

I look at the scoreboard again and look at my time. 20.79. My knees give out, and all the sound is muffled. It's like I'm under the water again, digging harder into the smooth waters. My coach's arms wrap around my torso, saving me from potential injury. I did it. I beat the record by a little more than a tenth of a second.

I hold the world record.

The sound rushes back to me, and suddenly my knees decide they can handle my weight again. I pull my coach into a hug and scream, "I did it!"

The screams get louder, and suddenly I'm being knocked over. I fall on top of one of my teammates with Piper screaming bloody murder in my ears.

"Percy! Oh, my gods, you did it! AHHHH!" Piper screams. I wince in pain but pull her in tighter. Soon she's laughing and crying. I cry with her because why the hell not. I just beat the world record in the fifty-meter freestyle!

My teammate groans beneath us, and I instantly feel bad. I push Piper off of me and roll of Brayden. I apologize and stand up. I pull him up from the ground and brush off his jacket.

I'm tugged into another hug, and instantly, the tears are rolling. Mom.

She's sobbing into my bare shoulder, and I'm being hugged by my number one.

"For those of you who don't understand the giant celebration happening on the floor, Percy Jackson, Captain of the NYU Swim Team, has just beaten the world record for the fifty-meter freestyle! He's been chasing this record since he was a freshman in college! He beat the record by .12 hundredths of a second. The old record, 20.91 has been shattered!"

My mom sobs into my shoulder, and soon she pulls away and is wiping my tears away. God bless this woman.

"Thank you," I choke put. I don't know if she can hear me with the newly invigorated cheering, but I know she understands when she laughs. Paul is suddenly by my mom's side. He pats me on the shoulder, and it feels good. It feels so good.

"Your father would have been proud," Paul says to me. My throat closes up at that one. I nod my head and lookup. My father held the record until 2009, when a Brazilian swimmer took the record by two-hundredths of a second. This is for you, dad.

Some men who I'm almost positive are Olympic scouts nod their heads at me and leave. I smile at them and try to decipher their nods. Why didn't they come to talk to me? I try and take their nods as a good thing, but my chest burns with disappointment and failure. I breathe out slowly and look around me again.

My mom holds onto Paul as she continues crying and my eyes scan over the other people surrounding me. My eyes land on Annabeth.

I smile widely and push towards her. I sweep her off her feet and spin her around. She laughs, and I quickly join her. I set her back on her feet and hold her at arm's length. She's smiling so widely, and I think my face is going to split into two. Not from my dry skin caused by the chlorine and cold air; no, that's just how happy I am.

"You did it!" She pulls me into a hug as fast as lightning and pulls back just as quickly. I want to kiss her.

I lean in, and I think she starts too as well, but we're interrupted by the announcer, "Congratulations to Percy, but the next heat is about to start, and the swimmers can't get to their blocks.

I must look devastated because Piper and Jason start laughing at me. I flip them off and just continue smiling at Annabeth.

"You're a Christmas Miracle," I tell her loudly. She blushes, and warmth like no other fills my chest.

"Got you," I say, tapping her cheek. I hear my mom and Piper aww in the background, and this is just so perfect. I wrap my arm around Annabeth and my mom. Piper links arms with Annabeth, and Jason follows, his arm wrapped around her. Paul's still attached to my mom, and we all walk off together.

---

"To Percy Jackson, the hardest worker, the fiercest competitor, the world record holder, my son," my mom's voice cracks, and if she cries again, so will I, so I smile and nod at her to collect herself.

"The greatest treasure to so many of us," she nods her head at a few people, "He made so many people proud today, and yet I'm sure up in heaven, his father is prouder. To, Percy."

Everyone repeats, "To, Percy."

I look around my apartment and smile. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Jason's whole family is here, which is a surprise. I didn't meet Jason until the seventh grade, when my father died. My dad was estranged from his family, and so I'd never met any of them. Thalia, Jason, and I became close friends after that. My Uncle Zeus has the ego of the Greek God that he got his namesake, so I tend to avoid him as much as possible, but it makes me feel warm inside knowing he came to the small celebration my mom threw together.

Piper and her sister Silena are here, Grover made the eight-hour drive to be here and showed up with his girlfriend Juniper. My mom and Paul are here. Ms. Dale is here, and so is my coach.

Of course, Annabeth is here too. She's been talking with Thalia, Grover, and Juniper for a long time. I'm happy that she gets along with my friends.

I mingle with Uncle for a few minutes, who drops his seriousness to tell me my mom was right about my father probably being the proudest of them all. I nod my head in thanks and almost give him a hug. That would have been weird.

Piper, by some miracle, had convinced the man who was streaming and recording my race to make her a copy of the footage. She posted it, and it's going viral. It's on ESPN's Instagram and Facebook pages, all of my friends' accounts.

When I say all of them, I mean all of them. Frank and Hazel posted it as soon as Piper sent it to them. They had face timed me sometime after my race all the way from Western Canada.

Piper and Jason were live-streaming his mom's speech and everything. They're amazing friends.

My coach sticks around long enough to congratulate me and tells me to go to bed at a reasonable time and to speak with both my mom and Piper. He's the first to leave, and Zeus quickly follows. Ms. Dale whispers in my ear that my rent is covered for the month and leaves right behind Zeus. I laugh when I find her staring at Zeus's ass all the way down my hall and out of my sight.

Silena stays long enough to actually give me a haircut. She gives me a really nice fade, and I know haircuts from Silena are really expensive, so I make sure to thank her profusely.

Grover and Juniper are exhausted from their trip and leave around eleven p.m. My mom and Paul soon follow. Pauls's arm wrapped around my mom's waist, his hand resting on her stomach. Six more months, and I'll be a brother!

I escort them out and kiss my mom's cheek.

"We love you, Percy," she says softly. I smile and say, "I love you guys too. Take care of my mom, Paul."

He nods his head and leads my mom away. I smile at them and rest my head on the doorframe. It's been a long day of cheering on teammates, accepting congratulations from people, and of course, swimming.

My thoughts stray to the Olympic scouts, and I try not to let the disappointment overcome all the good feelings. I listen to my friends giggle behind me and smile. I shut my apartment door and turn around to find my friends.

Thalia, Annabeth, Jason, and Piper all sit on my couch. They're all under the same blanket; Annabeth and Thalia are on opposite sides of the couch, both of them are tugging at the blanket, complaining that they're cold. I laugh at them and then jump on top of them all.

They all groan, and I continue laughing.

"Percy, you idiot! You kicked my head!" Thalia yells. She throws my feet off her lap so violently I tumble off the rest of my friends and fall on the ground. They all laugh at me, but I'll have the last laugh. While they laugh, I give a mighty tug on the blanket that all of their hands happen to be clutched around. They all tumble off the couch, and I laugh.

"Ow!" Four voices exclaim at once. Piper smacks my head, and Thalia and Jason both dig their elbows into my stomach like true siblings. I groan mid-laugh and choke on my saliva. They all laugh again, and I join them.

"Alright. My tail bone is bruised, and Percy needs to sleep. I'm going to head out," Thalia says, standing. Piper and Jason quickly agree that they should leave, and before I can escort my friends to the door, they have their shoes on and are shouting goodbye over their shoulders.

I blink at my closed door and then look at Annabeth, who looks just as stunned. I sit on my couch and groan when I hit the soft cushions. I've been standing/swimming since six-thirty this morning. I look up at Annabeth and pat the cushion next to me.

"You need to sleep, Percy," she says. She looks disappointed at the thought of leaving, and I ignore my exhaustion and pat the spot next to me again.

She slowly shakes her head back and forth, seemingly debating sitting or leaving.

"If you leave right now, I'll have to escort you out, and I don't think I can stand right now," I lean into my couch further, and Annabeth laughs softly and sits down next to me. I lean into her and sigh. I want every day to be like this. I want to smile for the rest of my life like I did today, I want to make people proud like I did today, I want to spend every day with my closest friends and my family, I want to say goodbye with promises to see them soon, and then when they all leave, I want to spend every night sitting with Annabeth talking about our respective days.

"How are you not drooling on my shoulder yet? Aren't you exhausted?" Annabeth asks softly.

I chuckle and turn my head so I wipe my mouth on her hoodie. My hoodie. Our hoodie?

She laughs and pushes my face away from her shoulder. I sober up at the sight of her. My tree casts that angelic glow, and my T.V.'s screen is a moving fireplace. The setting is more romantic than I originally thought. My palms start to sweat, and it's so much easier to be forward when you're high off a world record or under the mistletoe.

"The Olympic coaches didn't talk to me," I blurt out. Are you kidding me, Jackson? You get nervous, so you spit out your problems? Wow, just wow!

Annabeth looks shocked but takes my omission in stride, "They probably can't talk to you until after everyone is finished with the fifty-meter freestyle."

I nod my head. She has a good point. There will be two more heats tomorrow morning.

"I hope so because I don't know if I can swim any faster than that," I laugh and lean back into the couch cushions. The moment has passed.

"Piper tells me you say that every time you set a new Personal Record," Annabeth leans back with me and even though I didn't kiss her. Cuddling is just as great.

"Well, Miracles can happen," I smile and close my eyes. I feel Annabeth kiss my cheek, and if someone asked me to describe my perfect day, I'd describe what happened today.

"I'm going to leave so you can get some real rest," Annabeth says. I feel her pull away from me, so I open my eyes and scowl at her.

"I don't need to rest. I just want to sit here with you," I stick my bottom lip out and try to pull off the begging puppy look.

It doesn't work.

Annabeth rolls her eyes and starts walking to my apartment door. I jump up and scramble so I can get in front of her to open the door like the gentlemen my mother raised.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Annabeth asks, standing right outside my door.

"I sure hope so," I say with a soft smile.

I reach down and grab her hand. I pull it to my lips and leave a lingering kiss on her knuckles. Her smile is so soft, and I don't know how else to describe it, but it makes me melt. She pulls away and enters her own apartment, leaving me alone in the hallway.

I rub my eyes tiredly. Kissing her when we first met was one of the best, most irresponsible things I've ever done. Why did I kiss her? That was very rude of me. If I were Annabeth, I'd have punched me! Maybe that just means she liked it just as much as I did? I hope so.

"So you're telling me that the Olympic scouts left and aren't coming back?" I ask my swim coach. I ignore the loud cheers and stare at the swimmers who stretch by the blocks. They're all female, which means I won't need to cheer anyone on like the good captain I try to be.

"Who knows if they're coming back or not. All I know is, they didn't check in using their passes today," Coach grabs Charlie Kent and starts rubbing his shoulders. Charlie Kent has blonde curly hair and a tan that never fades. His hair reminds me of Annabeth, not that I think about it. Charlie will probably replace me as captain next year. At least, that's who I'm going to suggest to our coach.

"I just thought," I sigh and run a hand through my hair. Being an Olympian has been my dream since I was six, but I never thought I'd actually get the opportunity to make it. Here I am, almost seventeen years older, and I'm not any closer to that dream.

"Don't worry, Percy! Maybe they just want to see your next race to see if your performance is reliable," Charlie pats my back. This is why I want Charlie to take my place. Even when he's his fiercest, the kid still makes sure everyone around him is looking it tip-top shape. Physically, emotionally, mentally.

"Maybe they already have all the spots filled in the fifty-meter freestyle and are trying to decide who they should get rid of before offering you a trial," a voice says from behind me. I turn around and find Annabeth standing there in Nike leggings and my swim captain hoodie. That outfit should be illegal.

"They could just add more people and create a new heat," Charlie tells her. Annabeth narrows her eyes, and I've never seen the competitive gleam that's in her eyes right now. She'd been competitive the other night with Thalia, but that was mere teasing. Now, she's talking with somebody she doesn't know, and she needs to defend her argument.

"That could be expensive," Annabeth says quickly. She looks at me for support, and I quickly nod my head. She has a point.

"They make the competitors pay for their own travel," Charlie says quickly. He looks at me, and I reluctantly nod my head. I read about that when I was still hopeful.

Annabeth's eyes narrow. The crowd starts yelling suddenly, and I look at the pool. The girls have finished their race. It's time for the men's 200 Butterfly. Charlies best even and my second event. I don't race until the third heat, so I still have time. I look back and forth between Annabeth and Charlie. The resemblance is uncanny, and if it weren't for their different last names, I'd call them siblings.

"Inviting too many competitors is expensive. You have to remember that the Olympics are a single organization, and they have fifteen different sports to organize trials for. They pay for everything except for the gear you need for said sport and the transportation. They pay for lodging, rentals, food, and everything else an athlete could need," She crosses her arms and nods her head.

"I could argue-,"

"Charlie, your heat is starting soon. You can argue with Annabeth later if you want to, but I need you to get in the game," I interrupt. Charlie huffs but nods his head. He jumps up and down and shakes his arms and legs out. He cracks his neck before taking off his thermal jacket and headphones. He gives them to Coach and then proceeds to glare at his block like it personally offended him.

"Swimmers in the first heat of the 200 butterfly. Take your blocks," Charlie nods his head and walks up to the blocks like a fighter approaches his opponent in the ring. He's ready to attack.

"I like him," Annabeth says from my side. I look at her and frown. She likes Charlie?

"You better make your move before Charlie finds out. He might make a move on your girl," Coach mutters into my ear.

Maybe she doesn't like me as much as I like her, and I was just being hopeful last night? It's possible she's just been swept into all of this and hasn't had the chance to clear her thoughts and make a real decision.

My palms start to sweat, and I look at Annabeth, hoping some smooth one-liner will pop into my head. She's looking at you weirdly. You've waited too long to respond. Say something!

"But not as much as me, right?" My voice comes off as more whiney than flirty. Coach snorts and shakes his head from my side, and Annabeth's eyebrows raise.

She looks me up and down and smirks, oh dang. I feel my face flush as her eyes linger on my chest. My jacket is open, revealing my lack of shirt, and my grey sweats are tighter than I remember them being when I first bought them. Piper probably shrinks them on purpose. She steps closer to me, and I really want to kiss her. My hands itch to feel the silky material of her leggings and the smoothness of her skin. She taps my cheek and laughs.

I frown as she whispers, "I got ya."

My coach is laughing at my side, and Annabeth is smirking in triumph. I elbow my coach in the stomach causing me to choke on his laughter, and I debate whether being forward is the way to handle this situation. You'll never know if you don't try! Onwards!

Quick as lightning, I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her to my chest. Her hands rest on my chest to help her stay balanced.

"You didn't answer my question," I say lowly. Her body shakes for a split second, and I smile my wickedest smile. I think she just shivered.

"How rude of me," Annabeth says breathily. Her breath is hitting my chin and upper neck. I should definitely kiss her.

"Charlie and I would make a cute couple don't you think? I mean, we'd be a power couple. The fiercest blondes in all of New York," She leans up and moves her head so her lips are by my ear, "just think about how cute our children will be." Children? Images of blonde toddlers running around come unbidden to my mind. That is not the answer I was expecting. Or wanting, for that matter!

She pulls away from me and smiles innocently. My eyes widen and then narrow when she bites her lip. Is she laughing at me?

"Don't laugh at me!" I whine. Her innocent look cracks, and she starts laughing loudly.

"You're too cute," she laughs. Coach reaches past me and gives her a high five. She thinks I'm cute. My coach asks her a question, and she answers, but their conversation doesn't register in my ears. She thinks I'm cute!

"Come to my apartment when I get back tonight," I say to Annabeth when she and my coach finish. The roar of the crows has me looking at the scoreboard. Charlie took first. He didn't beat his personal record, but he's leading for now. Good.

"What did you say?" Annabeth asks loudly. The cheers of the crows make it almost impossible to hear her, but I just step closer to her. Problem solved.

"Come over to my place when the tournament is over for the day!" I yell over the noise. She opens her mouth to respond, but suddenly I'm being jumped on by Charlie and some of my other teammates.

"Dude, look at my time!" Charlie yells in my ear. His time that had previously read 54.18 now reads 53.18.

"Dude, that's your new PR if you work hard enough, you could go to the Olympics! The world record is at 50.73! Dude! You could do it!" I yell. He beams at me starts jumping around like a crazy person. I laugh and try to find Annabeth in the newly made crowd.

"Kent! Get off of Percy. He needs to get warmed up," Charlie quickly obeys and quits jumping on me. I pat him on the back and give him my proudest smile. Yeah, he'll be a great captain next year.

I look for Annabeth one more time, only to find her walking back to the stands. My hoodie is caught at the top of her leggings, and it leaves me with an unobstructed view of my new favorite feature.

I shake my head to break the spell and quickly get my bearings. I find my teammates staring exactly where I was, and a fire erupts in my chest.

"Hot mama." "Babe alert." "I want me some of that."

Their words cause me to clench my fists. My temper shatters when one of them whistles.

"Bobcats!" I yell in the most commanding voice I can muster. Everyone's attention snaps to me. The ones closest to me step back in surprise. I glare at each of them individually and straighten my back, trying to look as tall as possible. The blatant disrespect!

"Have some respect," I spit at them. Most of them look down guiltily, but some of them just look confused, like they're wondering why I care.

"She belong to you cap'n?" Axel, a sophomore, asks suggestively. Something in me snaps. I step towards him threateningly and push myself into his personal space.

"She's not an object to be owned," I yell so everyone hears. Axel flinches and steps away. I spin in a circle slowly, catching as many eyes as I can.

"You can treat women however you want when you graduate. It's a free country, and I can't stop you. But when you're representing this team, this school, me!" I let my eyes rest on Axel, "You will show women respect. You will respect them like you would respect your mother. You'll treat them all like princesses, goddesses who have blessed you with their presence."

I look away from Axel and find coach looking at me like he would a puzzle. I ignore him.

"The audacity of you guys! Women are not objects! They are people with feelings, and they are more than just a body for you to look at. To toy with! I'm extremely disappointed in you guys. I thought we were a team full of men, but it turns out you're all a whole bunch of little boys who can't control themselves!"

I catch Charlies's eyes. I raise my eyebrow at him. If you want to be captain, you'll need to be a leader and an example. Charlie nods his head, and he's the first one to acknowledge that he understands me.

I nod back at him and catch every teammate's eye until I have a nod from every single one of them.

"I didn't have time to warm up, so huddle up," the boys quickly surround me until they're huddled closely together.

The roar of the crowd as the second heat finishes up doesn't deter me. I have a minute or two to get ready.

"Who do you swim for?" I ask.

"NYU," they answer.

"Who do we Swim for?" I ask louder.

"NYU," they say louder.

"Who do you swim for?" I yell.

"NYU!" They yell back. Every time they answer, the huddle loosens.

"Who do we swim for?" I yell, shuffling in a circle so I can hit each of my teammates' chests.

"NYU!" They yell. Almost there.

"Who do you swim for?" I scream as loudly as I can.

"NYU!" They scream back. They hold each other's forearms forming a large circle. Someone outside the circle, probably coach, throws my purple silk robe into the huddle. I catch it and put it on quickly, shedding my jacket and sweats.

I shift my weight from my right foot to my left foot, my knees bent. It shifts my torso from side to side. My teammates follow my movements. The circle shifts one way and then to the other. Soon we all move in perfect sync.

"N. Y. U," I start chanting as I shift. Every time I shift to one side, I say a different letter. My teammates quickly join me, and I speed up my movements. Soon we're moving and chanting so quickly our pattern breaks. I jump up and whoop with excitement. My teammates join me, and soon they're all crashing into me, jumping up and down.

I stop jumping, and it causes a ripple effect in my teammates. Soon everyone stops jumping, and they all grin at me.

"Bobcats," I say with a nod of my head.

"Bobcats," they all repeat.

"Men's 200 meter Butterly, heat three, to your blocks," the announcer calls. Showtime.

I step up to my block and let my robe slip off my shoulders. Good thing that thing is off. I'm sweating like crazy!

Annabeth's POV (Oooo, isn't this exciting?)

I join Percy's other friends on the bleachers. Piper tugs me into the empty spot between her at Mrs. Blofis.

"How did wishing him good luck go?" Piper asks with a knowing smirk. Holy. I forgot to say good luck! That was my whole reason for going down there in the first place!

"Great," I say with a false smile. Piper laughs at me, and my scowl instantly turns into a scowl. Piper can read me like an open book, and it's disturbing. In a good way. Is there a good way to be disturbed?

"Do you know what all the commotion was about when you started walking away? Percy looked upset," Mrs. Blofis asks me. I raise my eyebrows. He was fine when I left. He was happy even.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Blofis. He seemed fine when I left," I smile politely at her and look down to where Percy is. He does look upset. What happened after I left?

"Come on, Sally, isn't it obvious?" Piper asks. My eyes widen at the casual way Piper questions Mrs. Blofis's intelligence. Maybe she's joking? I hope so.

"Call me Sally dear," Mrs. Blo-Sally tells me, patting my shoulder.

"If it's so obvious, Piper, why don't you tell us what happened?" Sally challenges. I smile at her. She took that really well. And she said I can call her Sally! That means she must like me, right?

"All of the swimmers were staring at Annabeth's ass as," I choke on my saliva. "Piper!" I exclaim. She keeps talking.

"...she was walking away! Your son being the gentleman that he is, quickly stopped, but then he noticed the lack of decorum his teammates were having," Piper leans forward like this news is the best thing that's ever happened to her.

"When his teammate Axel whistled, he snapped! Oh, I wish I could have heard what he said! Look at them, though! They all look like they've been shouldered with the weight of the sky!" Piper laughs, and one of Piper's friends, Leo, I think his name is, snorts and starts laughing with her.

"Oh no," Grover says with a groan. I turn to him questioningly.

"Oh yes!" Piper says, beaming like the freaking sun.

"Oh no, what?" I ask, looking at everyone. I'm obviously the only one who doesn't know what's happening.

"Percy does this thing," Sally tries explaining. Piper laughs so loudly that I barely notice the second heat finish their race and the cheers that follow.

"This thing? Percy has a speech! Grover's the only one of us who has ever heard the full thing, and he refuses to share with the rest of us," Piper leans towards Grover and smiles giddily. I watch Grover shake his head, and Piper nods her head. They go back and forth like this, and I'm so confused. A speech?

I go over the context of our conversation and blush when I realize what they must be talking about.

"Percy has a speech about treating women right, doesn't he?" I ask Piper. Grover groans, and Piper smiles triumphantly. Jason pats Grover's shoulder like he understands. He probably does. He is Piper's boyfriend.

"Should I tell her, or will you?" Piper asks Grover. Sally seems just as invested in the conversation as I am. She's smiling so, maybe she knows what they're talking about but not the specifics.

"I'll do it. You'd probably dramatize it," Grover says, a small frown on his face. Piper shrugs her shoulders, confirming Grover's suspicions.

"When we were freshman in high school, I tried making friends; the some of the jocks that Percy knew because of the swim team. They were catcalling to some of the girls at a swim meet," Grover gulps and looks at the ground. He looks so guilty. Juniper rubs his back comfortingly, and I smile. I like Juniper.

"I just wanted to fit in, so I whistled at a girl who walked past us. She was pretty and well, the jocks had all been doing it," Grover breathes out and shakes his head.

"Percy heard me, and he ripped into me. I'll never tell a soul all of what he said, but the one line that actually scared me was, and I quote, 'They are people, with feelings, and they are more than just a body for you to look at. To toy with! I'm disappointed in you, Grover.' I never did anything like it ever again."

"Grover once got drunk on wine and admitted to and I quote, 'I went home and cried for two hours.'" Piper says, giving me a look.

"Hey! You promised to never tell anyone!" Grover exclaims.

"Annabeth should know that Percy will always respect her. He might stare at your ass, but it's not in a derogatory way. He probably just really likes your ass!" Piper says happily. One second, Piper's serious, and the next, she's laughing her head off. She doesn't need to worry about me getting mad at Percy for staring at me. I like it when he stares at me.

"Language Piper, honestly, how many times do I need to tell you?" Sally chastises her.

"Once more, I'm afraid," Piper says, smiling. Piper looks at Sally like the woman is her own mother, and Sally looks at Piper like a daughter. Sally seems close to all of Percy's friends now that I think about it. It's a Christmas miracle. I really like a boy who I met a week ago. I've met his parents and his best friends!

"Who do you swim for!" I look down and watch Percy yell and scream at his teammates in an encouraging way. He's a leader, he's kind, and oh so beautiful. I was always attracted to runners. Their lean bodies, wrapped in muscle. Runners are strong, fast, and for the first time, I'm not mad to say I was wrong. Swimmers are divine. No, not swimmers, Percy is divine.

Maybe runners are still my type, but Percy is the exception. He's tall and lean like a runner, but his shoulders are broader, and his muscle doesn't leave him all hard looking. He looks softer. There's no other way for me to describe it. He isn't chiseled, firm, and flighty looking. He's strong and sturdy. I shake my head and look at the other swimmers.

They all seem to have broad shoulders and strong physics, but none of them can compare to Percy.

The announcer tells the racers to take their blocks. Percy is first to his block. He lets his robe fall, and my mouth dries up. He's practically a god among men.

"He looks so much like his father," Sally says quietly. I turn to look at Sally and see her staring at her son. She looks proud and almost wistful. I turn back to the pool. As soon as my eyes land on Percy, the buzzer sounds, and they're off like rockets.

The swimmers are all neck in neck. Unlike the fifty-meter sprint, Percy doesn't steadily gain on them all. His strokes are powerful and purposeful. He rips the water like it's wrapping paper. His body cuts through it, and yet his competitors stick with him. His flip turn is what gives him a slight lead as he races his way back to the start.

He reaches the other side first and flips again. His body is ethereal under the water. He is something out of this world. The waves above him and the water around him don't affect his course.

He reaches the other side once again and flips the last time. If it's even possible, Percy's body flies. He pushes harder, his body complying with every wish and demand. He reaches the wall first and touches it a second before the person in second.

I jump up and down with everyone else and scream until my dry mouth and throat scream at me to stop. Percy smiles at his times, but he's not beaming like I thought he would.

"Why isn't he excited?" I ask Sally, yelling over the noise of others' cheers.

"He missed his PR by three-hundredths of a second!" Sally yells back. I nod my head in understanding. I wasn't as good at hiding my disappointment when I didn't break my PR's in my races.

Percy is pulled out of the pool by his teammates. He smiles and shoves them around in a joking manner. He looks this way and points in our general direction. Our group goes wild, and Percy laughs.

I hope that everything works out. I love all of these people.

---

Back to Percy's POV (Ik Ik, Annabeth's POV is fun)

I breathe out slowly and stare at the door in front of me. All you have to do is knock on the door, Percy.

A simple task yet so daunting. I take a deep breath and raise my hand to the door. I breathe out and... I drop my hand.

Maybe I should... perfect. I'll ask her to come over while I shower! I sidestep and unlock my apartment. I throw my things by the door and rush into the bathroom. I strip off my clothes and jump into the shower.

I almost groan when the hot water hits my shoulders. I stand under the water and let my muscles relax under the hot water for a few seconds. Let's do this!

Showtime.

I reach outside the shower curtain and wipe my hands on a towel. I grab my phone and put my music on shuffle.

Versace On The Floor.

Wow, this will make life interesting. I turn my volume all the way up and pull my hand back into the shower.

What if the song gives off the wrong idea? The first couple lines play, and I hear singing by some Christmas miracle. I smile and sing along.

"Ooh, I love that dress, but you don't need it anymore!"

"No, you won't need it no more!"

"Let's just kiss till we're naked, baby."

"Versace on the floor!"

I stop singing and listen to the words that I no longer remember. Annabeth continues singing along, and I'm glad nobody can see me now because I'm staring at my shower's wall, grinning like an idiot.

I let her sing the rest of the song as I attend to my other shower rituals. I dance like an idiot, and even though Annabeth isn't here, the fact that I can hear her makes the song so intimate.

When the song ends, I make my real move.

"When you hear the shower turn off, come on over!" I say loudly. I wait for her response, straining my ears.

"Okay! Take your time! You've had a long day!" I smile at her voice and, like the weirdo I am, dance in a small circle.

I shower quickly, ignoring Annabeth's words. Why would I want to take my time in the shower when if I finish quickly, I get to see her sooner. If I take more time in the shower, I don't get to be with her. It seems like an obvious choice to me.

I towel off and hear a knock at my door. Someone is eager to see me.

I wrap the towel around my waist and rush to the door. I open the door, and in my rush to see her, the doorknob slips out of my hand, and the door bangs against the wall.

I stare wide-eyed at Annabeth, who's staring right back at me. She snorts and then laughs softly.

"I've spent more time with you with your shirt off than with your shirt on," her laugh becomes louder, and I can't bring myself to laugh with her. It's eleven p.m and three days from Christmas. People are probably trying to sleep.

"Get in here before you wake up the whole hallway," I grab her arm and tug her into my apartment. She stumbles into me, and it sets off another round of laughter.

"Are you alright?" I ask her as she keeps laughing. She tries to speak, but she just starts all over again.

I lead her to the couch and sit her down. She collapses into the cushions, and I quickly turn the Christmas tree on.

I watch as she tries to take deep breaths and then starts laughing again.

I shake my head at her and walk to my room. I shut the door and then find a pair of shorts and a T-shirt to throw on.

Annabeth's laughter finally dies as I open the door of my room. I walk down the hall and peer into my living room. Annabeth is sitting on the couch, her eyes closed and a soft smile on her face. She looks content to be here, and that makes me feel all warm.

"Why were you laughing so hard?" I ask as I sit on the couch next to her.

"Before your heat of the 200 butterfly Piper and Grover were telling me a little story," Annabeth pauses and twists her torso, so she faces me head-on.

I think about what I was doing before my heat, and I bush. Piper would bring that up.

"They told you about my respecting women speech, didn't they?" I ask slowly.

Annabeth nods her head. It's not a bad thing that she knows. She will eventually need to understand that I'm a mere mortal, and I know for a fact I will stare at her.

"So what was so amusing?" I prod.

"Have you ever given that speech to a woman and just switched the circumstances so they would talk about respecting men?" Annabeth blushes lightly, and I honestly don't know why she would blush. I have no idea what she's getting at.

"I haven't, and I don't think I'll need to," I say slowly.

"You would have needed to give me that speech after you opened your door earlier and the thought of you giving me the speech when talking about yourself was just too much for me," she says. Oh, so that's why she was blushing.

"Feel free to have as many impure thoughts as you like. Only as long as you know that if I stare at you, it's purely because I have respect for your body and want to praise it,"

"Praise it, huh?" Annabeth says, smirking. So much for blushing. I should have teased her about it. Oh well, it's too late now.

"Yes, praise it. You are a temptress without even knowing it," I debate pulling her into me and kissing her senseless, but I should wait.

"Am I tempting you, Percy?" Annabeth asks lowly. I gulp. Waiting is going to be harder than I thought.

"Every time I see you," I whisper. Annabeth moves closer to me and places her hand on my thigh.

"Good, because if you get to torture me, then turnabout is fair play."

"Are you implying that I tempt you?" I ask. I can't help smiling at her. It's a Christmas miracle that this is happening.

"I already told you that earlier." The hand on my thigh starts moving, and I quickly put my hand over the top of it.

There's no way I'll be able to wait any longer, but there's no way I'm going to ask her out and kiss her on my couch. Idea.

I stand up and pull Annabeth up with me by her hand. I pull her to my apartment door and spin so I face her. Alright, now what? Should I just start talking and then ask her out? It's not like any of my plans are even real plans. I guess I'll just wing it like always.

"I really like you, and I know we've known each other for barely a week, but I see nothing but potential when I think about us being together. I'm extremely attracted to you, and I think our first encounter proves that! It's the season of miracles, and if I'm being honest, I've been calling you my Christmas miracle for the past week, and if that's true, then you'll say yes," I take a deep breath and force oxygen to my brain. I'm feeling a little lightheaded.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" I ask. Annabeth stares at me. That's it. She just stares. My heart beats loudly from my stomach, and if she says no, I might actually throw up. I've always hated it when I could feel my heartbeat in the places my heartbeat should not be.

"Why didn't you tell me this on the couch?" She asks. Did she seriously just ignore my question?

"Because it felt a bit important to tell you on my couch?"

"But I love your couch!" Annabeth says, her hand over her heart.

"You're making fun of me!" I whine. She's laughing now, and wow. She's cruel.

"That's a part of our friendship that will stay with us even as we transition into a more romantic relationship," Annabeth says teasingly.

"Will you just answer my question?" I ask. I pout and cross my arms over my chest.

Annabeth really laughs this time. She unfolds my arms and steps into them, placing them at her lower back.

"I already answered," Annabeth says, grinning up at me. She's adorable. But come on, when did she answer?

"Think, Percy," she says exasperatedly.

Okay, I asked her to be my girlfriend, and she complains that I didn't do it on the couch, then she makes fun of me and laughs, and she said... Oh.

"You could have just said yes!" I say, just as exasperated.

"It wouldn't have been witty enough," Annabeth says with a smirk. I'm going to wipe that smirk right off her face!

I remove one of my hands from its place on her lower back and caress her jaw. No more waiting. Her eyelids close, and mine quickly follow.

I kiss her softly once, twice, three times before pulling away. I open my eyes to see hers already open and a large grin on her face. I beam in response, and like a teenager who's never kissed a girl, I try and press our smiles together in another kiss. It doesn't work. Neither of us can keep our grins away.

We laugh, and I'm so delirious from exhaustion and happiness; I pick Annabeth up by her thighs and carry her to my couch.

I sit down and keep her pressed against me. I kiss her with as much passion as I can give without stepping over any lines. Annabeth reciprocates. She bites my lip and one point, and wow. Annabeth bites lips.

We kiss for a long time. We stop to talk and laugh just to lock lips again. We do this until one a.m. Annabeth, of course, has the sense that we should probably sleep, so we pull away from each other, and I escort her to my doorway.

"When can I tell my mom?" I ask her as I open the door for her. Annabeth steps through the door and turns to face me. She tilts her head back and forth, debating for a few seconds.

"Is she coming to your Christmas party tomorrow?" She asks me.

I nod my head, "Yeah."

"We'll tell her and the rest of your friends there then," Annabeth says. I nod my head and give her one last kiss. Annabeth hums into my lips.

"I'm going to use this mistletoe as often as I can while it's up," I whisper against her lips. Annabeth kisses me again, and I hum. I don't think I'll ever get enough of her.

"I'll see you tomorrow before you race," Annabeth says. She pecks my lips once more before pulling away completely and entering her own apartment.

I used to say anything that happened in my favor during Christmas was a Christmas miracle, but now that I have Annabeth. I can honestly tell people that I believe in Christmas miracles.

"Thank you," I whisper to anyone who's listening.

---

"The scouts are back," Coach says to me. I look around the stands and smile when I see the men dressed in polos holding clipboards. Subtle.

"Did you find out why they weren't here yesterday?" I ask him. My eyes look over the pool and around my teammates. We're in the lead when it comes to the overall leaderboard, but Kings College is right behind us.

"There's a big tournament in Boston right now. They went over there. I think they grabbed a kid named Timmy Pools. He's a long-distance swimmer. He was grabbed for his 1500 meter. I hear he's incredible! A better swimmer than even you!" He says enthusiastically.

"First of all. Rude. I'm the next Michael Phelps! Second of all, he's a distance swimmer. I bet I could beat his time if I wanted to. You know the only reason I don't do the distance swims is because I get bored," I roll my eyes and clap along with the rest of the crowd as a race finishes.

"So there's no chance that they'll come to talk to me?" I ask slowly. Don't I deserve to be in the Olympics? I beat the world record in the fifty-meter sprint!

"I don't know, Percy. As of now, they've talked to the Olympic trial candidates right after they raced. Life isn't fair, Perce. But if anyone deserves to go, it's you," I nod my head and watch my coach walk away to give some last-second advice to a new transfer to our school. I sigh.

I've worked my whole life to get to this point, and I somehow missed it. I beat a world record, and I still wasn't good enough. Well, after this year, I'll have a bachelor's in Marine Biology, so it's not like my whole future was destroyed. I have my family, friends, and Annabeth.

I walk over to the new transfer and my coach. I pat Spencer on the back and wait for my coach to finish with his advice. I nod along as my coach reminds him to drink some water. Solid advice for an athlete.

"Good luck, kid," my coach says, patting his back and walking away. Spencer turns to me, and I nod my head. I need to do by captaincy duties, and well, Spencer's a good kid.

"Remember to swim fast, focus, and picture something you want at the end. It'll help you get back faster," I tell him. He nods his head and mutters a quick, "Thanks."

I nod my head to the other swimmers who are stretching.

"Stretch up, kid," I tell him. He nods his head and mutters something about not being a kid. I laugh and head to the locker rooms. I need to get ready to swim in this medley. A race I only competed in once during high school. I was a sophomore, and I knew from the second I dove in, I never wanted to race in a medley again. Yet, here I am. An hour from swimming in a medley.

I turn at the sight of blonde hair and sigh in disappointment when it's not Annabeth. It's been difficult to keep her out of my head. She was in my dreams, she was on my mind when I woke up, she was on my mind and at every moment since then. It's incredible that I've been able to do anything at all.

I open my locker and grab my goggles and swim cap. I strip off my clothes and get in my speedo. It's not the most comfortable of swimwear, but it lessens the chances of there being any drag. I close my locker and exit to the side that leads to the school's practice pool. There aren't very many people in here, which isn't a surprise. Today is mostly for the medleys, and most people wait to warm up thirty minutes before they start. I prefer to give myself a warmup swim an hour earlier and then stretch and keep myself loose for any time after that.

I finish my warmup and get out of the pool. I go over the rules of a medley and jog into the other pool/arena. I need to find the others in the medley and tell them I'll be waiting by the blocks when they finish their swimming warmup.

I find them quickly and let them know. I then find Coach and stretch while he speaks to Charlie. Charlie is speaking rapidly and gesturing in between himself and the pool.

I focus on the sounds of the crowd and when I finish stretching my legs I lift my eyes to the stands. Annabeth should be here by now. So should my family and friends.

I finally find them sitting on the front row in the home team section. I scan them over and am disappointed when Annabeth is nowhere to be seen.

"Charlie it's so good to see you!" A voice calls from behind me. I spin around and am met with the beautiful sight of Annabeth. She's wearing a cute sweater and jeans and wow. It's a Christmas Miracle I don't pass out at the sight of her. Her hair is in a loose braid over her shoulder, some of her curls are loose and why on earth is she talking to Charlie and not me.

I pout and turn so I can face Charlie Annabeth and Coach all at once. Coach laughs at me from behind his hand and Charlie is smiling at Annabeth.

"It's so great to see you Annabeth! Are you here to watch me swim? I'm up next you know!" Charlie says enthusiastically. I cross my arms over my chest and scowl. What is Annabeth doing?

"Ah, while I wish I was here for only you, I'm also here for Talon from Columbia. He also races next," Annabeth says. She's here for another guy for real?

I frown at Annabeth. Was last night a dream? It's the best dream I've ever had if it was.

"Good luck Charlie, I actually need to talk to Percy for a second," Annabeth gives Charlie a hug before pulling me away by my arm.

"Stop looking at me like a wounded animal. Charlie is just a friend and I don't even know Talon. We were just bantering," Annabeth says with a soft reassuring smile.

"I with I could kiss you," I say, letting my anger go. She was just playing a joke on me and being friendly with Charlie. It's all fine.

"You can kiss me tonight. Now, are you ready for the medley? Your mom's been telling me about how much you hate medleys," she steps closer to me and I really want to pull her into an embrace and keep her there. Eight more hours.

"As ready as I ever can be. I'm the third one in, so I shouldn't effect anything too much as long as I don't false start," I say.

"Good. I'll see you tonight. I know you have to stay after the meet to make sure everything is in it's place before the holidays," Annabeth pulls me into a hug and I hold onto her tightly. She's warm and she smells like citrus. I'm probably getting her wet so I pull away reluctantly.

"Sorry, I got you all wet," I say apologetically.

"I don't mind. Don't be late to your own party and good luck!" She hugs me again and kisses my shoulder. A fire erupts in the pit of my stomach and when she pulls away and leaves. The fire in my gut lessens and I breathe out slowly. Eight more hours!

---

"The scouts are back," Coach says to me. I look around the stands and smile when I see the men dressed in polos holding clipboards. Subtle.

"Did you find out why they weren't here yesterday?" I ask him. My eyes look over the pool and around my teammates. We're in the lead when it comes to the overall leaderboard, but Kings College is right behind us.

"There's a big tournament in Boston right now. They went over there. I think they grabbed a kid named Timmy Pools. He's a long-distance swimmer. He was grabbed for his 1500 meter. I hear he's incredible! A better swimmer than even you!" He says enthusiastically.

"First of all. Rude. I'm the next Michael Phelps! Second of all, he's a distance swimmer. I bet I could beat his time if I wanted to. You know the only reason I don't do the distance swims is because I get bored," I roll my eyes and clap along with the rest of the crowd as a race finishes.

"So there's no chance that they'll come to talk to me?" I ask slowly. Don't I deserve to be in the Olympics? I beat the world record in the fifty-meter sprint!

"I don't know, Percy. As of now, they've talked to the Olympic trial candidates right after they raced. Life isn't fair, Perce. But if anyone deserves to go, it's you," I nod my head and watch my coach walk away to give some last-second advice to a new transfer to our school. I sigh.

I've worked my whole life to get to this point, and I somehow missed it. I beat a world record, and I still wasn't good enough. Well, after this year, I'll have a bachelor's in Marine Biology, so it's not like my whole future was destroyed. I have my family, friends, and Annabeth.

I walk over to the new transfer and my coach. I pat Spencer on the back and wait for my coach to finish with his advice. I nod along as my coach reminds him to drink some water. Solid advice for an athlete.

"Good luck, kid," my coach says, patting his back and walking away. Spencer turns to me, and I nod my head. I need to do by captaincy duties, and well, Spencer's a good kid.

"Remember to swim fast, focus, and picture something you want at the end. It'll help you get back faster," I tell him. He nods his head and mutters a quick, "Thanks."

I nod my head to the other swimmers who are stretching.

"Stretch up, kid," I tell him. He nods his head and mutters something about not being a kid. I laugh and head to the locker rooms. I need to get ready to swim in this medley. A race I only competed in once during high school. I was a sophomore, and I knew from the second I dove in, I never wanted to race in a medley again. Yet, here I am. An hour from swimming in a medley.

I turn at the sight of blonde hair and sigh in disappointment when it's not Annabeth. It's been difficult to keep her out of my head. She was in my dreams, she was on my mind when I woke up, she was on my mind and at every moment since then. It's incredible that I've been able to do anything at all.

I open my locker and grab my goggles and swim cap. I strip off my clothes and get in my speedo. It's not the most comfortable of swimwear, but it lessens the chances of there being any drag. I close my locker and exit to the side that leads to the school's practice pool. There aren't very many people in here, which isn't a surprise. Today is mostly for the medleys, and most people wait to warm up thirty minutes before they start. I prefer to give myself a warmup swim an hour earlier and then stretch and keep myself loose for any time after that.

I finish my warmup and get out of the pool. I go over the rules of a medley and jog into the other pool/arena. I need to find the others in the medley and tell them I'll be waiting by the blocks when they finish their swimming warmup.

I find them quickly and let them know. I then find Coach and stretch while he speaks to Charlie. Charlie is speaking rapidly and gesturing in between himself and the pool.

I focus on the sounds of the crowd, and when I finish stretching my legs, I lift my eyes to the stands. Annabeth should be here by now. So should my family and friends.

I finally find them sitting on the front row in the home team section. I scan them over and am disappointed when Annabeth is nowhere to be seen.

"Charlie, it's so good to see you!" A voice calls from behind me. I spin around and am met with the beautiful sight of Annabeth. She's wearing a cute sweater and jeans, and wow. It's a Christmas miracle I don't pass out at the sight of her. Her hair is in a loose braid over her shoulder, some of her curls are loose, and why on earth is she talking to Charlie and not me.

I pout and turn so I can face Charlie Annabeth and Coach all at once. Coach laughs at me from behind his hand, and Charlie is smiling at Annabeth.

"It's so great to see you, Annabeth! Are you here to watch me swim? I'm up next, you know!" Charlie says enthusiastically. I cross my arms over my chest and scowl. What is Annabeth doing?

"Ah, while I wish I was here for only you, I'm also here for Talon from Columbia. He also races next," Annabeth says. She's here for another guy for real?

I frown at Annabeth. Was last night a dream? It would be the best dream I've ever had if it was.

"Good luck Charlie, I actually need to talk to Percy for a second," Annabeth gives Charlie a hug before pulling me away by my arm.

"Stop looking at me like a wounded animal. Charlie is just a friend, and I don't even know Talon. We were just bantering," Annabeth says with a soft, reassuring smile.

"I wish I could kiss you," I say, letting my anger go. She was just playing a joke on me and being friendly with Charlie. It's all fine.

"You can kiss me tonight. Now, are you ready for the medley? Your mom's been telling me about how much you hate medleys," she steps closer to me, and I really want to pull her into an embrace and keep her there. Eight more hours.

"As ready as I ever can be. I'm the third one in, so I shouldn't affect anything too much as long as I don't false start," I say.

"Good. I'll see you tonight. I know you have to stay after the meet to make sure everything is in its place before the holidays," Annabeth pulls me into a hug, and I hold onto her tightly. She's warm, and she smells like citrus. I'm probably getting her wet, so I pull away reluctantly.

"Sorry, I got you all wet," I say apologetically.

"I don't mind. Don't be late to your own party, and good luck!" She hugs me again and kisses my shoulder. A fire erupts in the pit of my stomach, and when she pulls away, and leaves. The fire in my gut lessens, and I breathe out slowly. Eight more hours!

---

I open the door to my apartment quickly and turn on all the lights. I rush into my bathroom and instantly strip off all of my clothing. I throw it all in the hamper and step into the shower.

I shower quickly and dress just as quickly as I've done everything else. I have fifteen minutes before people will start arriving, and I still need to clean the place and put out the food and drinks I prepared earlier this week.

I pick up around my apartment and make sure my bathroom is clean and my hamper in my room. I then pull out the refreshments and the ingredients for a hot chocolate bar. Piper and Jason are bringing some champagne to the party. I refused any other alcoholic drinks like I always do. Alcohol kills people. Why drink something that will only slow my swimming down and quicken my death?

A knock on my door has me frantically putting Christmas music on and straightening my blue and white flannel. I speed walk to my door and open it. I smile and pull my mom and Paul into a hug.

Soon after my family shows up, everyone who isn't away for the holidays shows up. The party is in full swing when my mom shouts for everyone to be quiet.

My phone buzzes from my back pocket, and I ignore it as my mom raises her glass of water.

"Thank you to everyone who came to my son's Christmas party," my phone continues to buzz in my pocket, but I continue to ignore it. It would be rude to pull it out while my mom is speaking.

"He's surrounded himself with some very fine people. I was surprised when Percy decided to host the Christmas party this year because I usually host, but it just shows that he's grown into a fine young man who wants to save his mom from the back-breaking cleanup," everyone laughs at my mom's joke and my phone buzzes again.

That's it! I pull out my phone and turn it on. My Lock Screen is filled with messages, all of them from my coach. My mom's words fade into the background as I unlock my phone and open my messages.

Percy, are you busy?

Are you busy or asleep?

Oh, you're hosting your Christmas party!

I hate to interrupt but, Percy!

I was just called, and you've officially been invited to attend the Olympic swim trials!

I look up from my phone and then back down again in disbelief. They actually invited me?

Congratulations kid! I'm so proud of you! They told me to give you their number so you can call them tomorrow about details!

I feel tears pool in my eyes as I quickly type a response.

No way. Coach, thank you so much! I'll call them first thing! Did they tell you why they waited for the tournament to end before inviting me?

I wait for a response. I startle when everyone around me says cheers and drink from their respective glasses. I quickly follow suit and drink from my cup of hot chocolate.

My phone buzzes, and I glance down quickly.

They said everything will be explained when you call them. Congrats again, and Merry Christmas. Sorry I couldn't come to your party.

I shut my phone off and let the tears fall.

"Mom!" I say loudly. Everyone stops and looks at me.

"Are you alright, dear?" She asks, wrinkles forming on her forehead in concern.

"I did it," I say. She looks at me confused, and I raise my phone in the air and exclaim, "I've been invited to the Olympic trials!"

I laugh and wipe my eyes with my free hand. Everyone cheers and I'm quickly enveloped in my mom's arms. Everyone exclaims their congratulations, and I feel overwhelmed.

My mom pulls away and quickly wipes the tears off her now damp cheeks.

"I'm so proud of you!" She says, her voice cracking. I smile at her, and before I can do anything, I'm attacked by Piper.

"I knew they'd ask you! They would have been fools to not invite you! Especially after they got a good look at your ass!" Piper screams in my ear. I shove her away and laugh when she quickly jumps into Jason's arms.

"What's your obsession with my man's ass?" Annabeth says. People quickly go silent, and did my ears deceive me, or did she say, my man?

She smiles at me proudly, and I quickly close the distance between us. I wrap her in my arms and kiss her firmly. I pull away with a loud smack and laugh when I hear my mom and Piper squealing in the background.

"You're my Christmas Miracle, Annabeth. Everything has gone right since I met you, and I just want to say thank you! From the bottom of my heart, thank you!" I kiss her again and pull one hand away from her waist and lift it in the air in triumph. I pull away before it gets too passionate for an audience.

"You're my Christmas Miracle too, Percy. I have a good feeling about us."

"Me too."

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all enjoyed this "little" story I made. Forgive me for any mistakes. It's 12:30 am on Christmas and I still need to scan this for any obvious mistakes. I'd appreciate it if you would favorite and review! Have a happy holiday!