Hey guys!

It's me Mel!

Back with another short story which is Christmas themed and pure fluff! Hope you guys enjoy :D

(Sorry about any errors, I'm not a native speaker and this is as unedited as it can get :s)

chicken noodle soup

2 0 1 9

JUNE

"Finally!" Annabeth yelled after she hung up. Percy sat on the sofa in Sally's apartment and looked at her in anticipation. "And…?"

Annabeth nearly threw herself onto him as she fell to the sofa. "We've got the apartment!" A newly renovated two-bedroom apartment with a tiny storeroom next to the kitchen. It would cost two arms and two legs, but the two would finally live together after a nearly six-year long relationship. The couple knew each other since they were babies, Percy's father and Annabeth's mother were part of a group of Greek immigrants that came into the US in the early 1990s.

Annabeth's mother married a carpenter and Percy's father fell in love with a baker. Each marriage didn't last, but the friendships remained. The tightknit community kept meeting up with each other and it was only a matter of time when the first children were born and introduced. So, it was with Annabeth and Percy who went to kindergarten, school and camp together. At first, they loathed each other, but after being forced by a camp counselor to clean the dishes after a prank gone wrong (long story), they finally got to know the other person better.

Hectic teenage years and different relationship partners aside, Percy finally mustered the courage to ask Annabeth out in their sophomore year of college. Annabeth had said yes before he could properly finish his sentence. The two had laughed and now they would finally live together, many years later.

Annabeth finally got her architecture license last year and was given more important tasks at the company where she was currently employed, and Percy was happy with being his mother's right hand at her bakery alongside his half-sister.

"That is wonderful!" Percy said as he spun Annabeth around and kissed her. She melted in his embrace and was picturing the soft elements and key highlights she would place as decorations. A gray couch, with crème and pink pillows, a worn-out and way too large rug underneath it and the wooden coffee table in front of it. Welcoming tripping hazards. Vase with the same color as Percy's beautiful turquoise eyes. Bookshelves that would be bursting at any time soon with all of the folders, lose bills and books. A kitchen that would be unruly and chaotic. The pots and pans they had to buy were scattered everywhere as were the spices. But it was filled with love, a smell that would make your stomach grumble once you walked past it and Percy's culinary skills. His little kingdom. The bedroom… oh the bedroom.

"My couch is coming," Percy decided and burst her bubble. Annabeth's eyes widened in protest. The frown followed.

"That old thing? It's older than your father, smells weird and it's brown!"

Percy blinked. "And…?" he tilted his head. He didn't see an issue.

"Didn't you say the couch used to be green? The couch is staying in your mom's garage! Also let's talk to Sally about the good news!"

In the end, the couch stayed in Sally's garage.

2 0 1 9

OCTOBER

The renovations were done. The walls were painted and due to Grover's contact at the Home Depot, they were able to get the eco-friendly paint for dirt cheap. The walls were kept colorful but not too wild, they accentuated the space without overshadowing.

Percy helped Annabeth with hanging the pictures on the wall. Or rather, he had to stand perfectly still as Annabeth instructed him to move half a centimeter to the left. It looked way more difficult than it sounded. In the end they fell down on the rug which Annabeth got from her mother. Sweat and dust were in the air as was the smell of paint and a dozen cardboard boxes.

Percy laid on the ground as he kept on chewing on the pepperoni pizza. Annabeth stood up and got her cup of coffee. She enjoyed the view from the living room. The sight she would have for following years to come. A busy street, laughing school children, large oaks which golden leaves that slowly fell to the ground. She sighed and didn't hear Percy approaching her, she only felt his tender kiss on her cheek.

"Percy!" she laughed. "I'll smell like food for the rest of the day!"

"What?" he joked. "You smell delicious like always! The pizza scent is just a bonus!"

She playfully smacked his arm before burying her face into his shoulder, leaving a pizza stain behind. Percy planted another kiss on top of her head before he went on to throw more empty boxes out.

Two weeks later and their furniture would arrive. And then… the Jackson-Chase household would be a real thing, not just a fading memory from their college years.

2 0 2 0

NOVEMBER

Normality finally ruled after a little over a year. Their neighbors recognized and greeted the polite couple. They had even been invited to a cookout in the last summer! Annabeth helped a neighbor's kid out with algebra and Percy cooked for the old lady in the apartment above them from times to times or brought her some groceries.

The temperatures grew colder in Manhattan and the first few busy snowflakes fell down from the sky to cover the green and brown of the earth in an even white layer. The pure snow delighted Percy, but displeased Annabeth greatly. She hoped for much more snow so that she could ambush her fiancé with Grover and other friends and have a lighthearted snowball fight. Despite being 27, she still was a child at heart. And the engagement wasn't all too long ago.

It happened back in July. July 12th, Annabeth's birthday, to be exact. Annabeth had expected many things, but reality worked out differently. The young architect had opened her eyes as she smelled the delicious blue velvet cupcake in front of her. A sole pink and white striped candle sit on top the blue swirls. It was lit, the flame was dancing on the wick, ready to be blown out.

"Happy birthday, my love," Percy had whispered into her ear. "Close your eyes and make a wish!"

To live my happy ever after with Percy, Annabeth thought before closing her eyes and blowing the candle out.

"And now keep the eyes closed…"

"Okay…"

She heard some rustling on Percy's side of the bed and how he closed the cupboard of his nightstand. The cupcake left her hand and something else was place onto it. It was smallish and definitely a box of some sort as it opened up. Annabeth felt something inside. A ring. She closed the box and opened her eyes.

"No…" the birthday girl gasped and immediately sat upright. Annabeth slowly opened the box again. It was her grandmother's engagement ring. A small silver band with a tear-shaped sapphire on top. It was simple yet elegant and timeless. Percy had gotten her mother's approval. He soothed her skeptical heart.

"Anna…" Loud sobbing.

"Elizabeth…" More ugly crying.

"Nomikos…" Tears that clouded her vision ran down her face.

"Chase…" A rustling sniffle which freed her nostrils.

"You were always there for me; you were by my side for my entire life and I couldn't think of it otherwise. You pushed me into the dirt, and you stole my first iPod. You mixed up salt and sugar for the first cake you ever made for me and it was still the most delicious thing you've created in the kitchen so far."

That made Annabeth laugh again, and Percy cracked a goofy grin. "In return I stole your homework, told Luke about your crush after reading your diary and made you your first blue velvet cupcake."

"Oh yes, yes you did," Annabeth remembered. High school freshman Annabeth ogling senior and Percy's older cousin Luke Castellan was a memory worth forgetting.

"You've been so patient with my achievements in culinary school. You sat down with me at three in the morning, studying recipes, chemistry and ingredients despite not having to do so. You are beautiful, driven and successful and you still chose me. You could have chosen any man on this planet and yet whenever I open my eyes, the first thing I see is your smile. I get the honor of this sight, plain ol' me…" His thumb brushed over her hand.

"The only thing both my heart and my mind tell me is that you are the first thing I want to see, to hear, to feel, whenever I wake up and the last thing I want to see, to hear and feel whenever I go to bed. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Will you do me the honor and become my wife?" Percy spoke and took her left hand into his. The tears didn't stop from coming, it was the polar opposite.

"Are you serious?" laughed and sobbed Annabeth. It was nervous and a little bit shrill. She couldn't believe it. Her blonde hair was a mess, she didn't brush her teeth and she needed to pee. But Percy was dead serious. He wanted her to marry him, to become his wife, to become the mother of his children. She had thought all of her teenage years who would be her Mister Perfect, who could be her soulmate for all eternity. That it would be her childhood friend with the terrible taste in music and the cocky grin, wasn't something her teenage self would have expected.

"It's a yes or no question, Miss Chase," he reminded her sternly. But he was all smiles and his sea green eyes sparkled in anticipation.

Then the dam broke, more tears and the ugly sobbing came along. "Yes! Yes, of course!"

The ring slid down her finger on her right hand and it was perfect. The kiss they shared was only the beginning of a new chapter in their life. The rest of the day they just stayed in bed, celebrating the continuation of their love. The way everything went down… It was just so Percy. Spontaneous, with a hint of precise planning. It was a perfect proposal.

And now… the wedding was set for August 2021 on Percy's birthday and everyone had been ecstatic once the news had dropped. Sally did finally stop nagging her oldest child about proposing soon and Grover's first reaction was to cruise through the streets and get into a celebratory drunken mood.

Annabeth reminisced about her proposal at least once per day, so she did as she helped Percy with filing his taxes. "Looks like we're finally done," Percy groaned and threw the pen onto the table. He hated doing paperwork, more so if it had anything to do with his taxes.

"Now, now," Annabeth said while patting his shoulder. She rose from her chair and went on to make another tea for both of them. That was when she felt it.

"Argh!" She jumped to her right as she felt a sharp pain in her left side.

"Annabeth?!" Percy jumped up and ran into the kitchen. She steadied herself with her hand on the counter. Sweat pearls ran down her temple. She felt incredibly hot out of nowhere.

"Is everything okay?" Percy looked into her eyes and sounded deeply worried.

"I… uh… I think so? There's just this weird pain right here…" Annabeth pointed towards her left hip. Percy got the hint.

"Is it your period approaching?" he asked. Annabeth shrugged. It would be arriving early, and her menstruation was normally very reliable. A steady 30-day cycle.

"I don't know," she admitted. It felt similar to the sharp pain the felt from times to times in the left side of the body when her period arrived, but it was different. And it lasted way longer. Percy shooed her onto the sofa like a worried grandmother and asked her to lay down for a bit.

The black-haired pastry chef disappeared into the kitchen for a couple of minutes. Annabeth could smell the fresh and flowery smell of the green tea she wanted to prepare and a chicken broth that was in the making. She closed her eyes and listened to the bubbling of water in a pot, the rustling of a package that Percy opened and how he chopped something quickly.

"Your savior approaches!" Annabeth laughed as she saw Percy approaching with a steaming bowl and her beloved fluffy hot water bag which was in the shape of an owl.

"Thank you, my love," Annabeth whispered as she took the hot water bag and placed it onto her abdomen. The delicious aroma spread quickly through the tiny apartment. Chicken noodle soup. Her favorite 'get well soon'-meal. Percy slowly gave her the bowl and a pair of chopsticks. A creamy base, sliced chicken breast, garnished with some tomatoes, peas and a slice of lemon. Being engaged to a chef, albeit he was technically a pastry chef, was a welcoming bonus.

"Wait, is it…?"

Percy held his hands high in defense. "It's not spicy, I swear!"

Both remembered how two months ago, when Annabeth had a cold and Percy also had made two steaming hot bowls of chicken noodle soup, one for him and one for her. Unfortunately, he had mixed the bowls up. As Annabeth was ready to dig in and shoved a spoon into her mouth it took two seconds in which her pale face began to change its colors into a fiery red. As much as a teary-eyed and coughing Annabeth fanning herself air was a hilarious memory, Percy made sure he wouldn't mix up anything in the future.

Annabeth maneuvered another load of noodles with peas into her mouth as her movement came to a halt. She placed the bowl onto the coffee table in front of her and gulped.

"Annabeth? Annabeth!"

Annabeth pressed her hand flat onto her mouth, as if she was trying to keep all the stomach contents.

"Holy shit, that's not good," Percy stated as he sat next to her and eyed her worriedly. Annabeth felt never sick from his food. Never. He gave her the green tea. Annabeth stared into the hot semi-translucent liquid. Please stay inside, she pleaded. The green tea made her thankfully feel less nauseous.

"Maybe it's a stomach bug?" Percy thought loudly and was ready to call Will Solace, a doctor and hopefully soon boyfriend of his younger cousin Nico di Angelo.

"Maybe it is… Wait! Don't go!" Annabeth pouted as Percy stood up to get his phone. Her fiancé sank into the pillow fortress that they called a sofa and held her hands. Annabeth crawled to his side and placed her head onto his chest. His heartbeat was a beautiful soothing melody which made her sleepy. His lips rested on her head. Forgotten was the steamy chicken noodle soup in front of her. Maybe it's just a stomach bug…

Percy tuned into a documentary about Ancient Greece that ran on the history channel and clutched the hot water bag tight to her abdomen. Both fell asleep as the Pantheon got introduced in the background.

2 0 2 0

DECEMBER

CHRISTMAS EVE

The Greek families had their traditional Christmas dinner at the luxury home from Percy's uncle Zeus. He had even hired a catering service to manage the huge number of guests. Friends and more friends were welcome and invited. Even Sally went every year despite being divorced from Poseidon for nearly two decades. And everyone was polite enough to overlook the fact that her new husband Paul Blofis looked exactly like her old husband in certain angles. That, and Poseidon always referred to him as 'Blowfish'.

Estelle, Percy's teenage half-sister, hung out with Thalia Grace, Percy's cousin and one of Zeus daughters, who had opened her second tattoo shop in Brooklyn much to her parents' dismay. Grover joked around with Luke and his younger brothers Travis and Connor and Thalia's younger brother Jason, Percy was conversing with Nico and Will about vacation plans and Annabeth listened to her mother's monologue about the virtue of marriage. It was not as interesting as Grover's anecdote about chick peas.

Percy had checked with her over and over again whether they really should go because Annabeth was overcome with a wave of fatigue recently. The stomach bug thankfully away but now it looked like she wasn't properly resting, and she tossed and turned more around in bed than usual. Annabeth assured her husband-to-be, that everything was fine and that she would tell him if things got overwhelming. Aside from that, she was looking forward to seeing everyone after a while. The holidays were a set program that nobody wanted to miss.

It was finally time for the first serving and people took their seats. Adults were served red wine or champagne and the minors had orange juice inside their cups, much to Estelle's dismay. Normally no one cared, but Hera insisted on the better catering service in comparison to last year which resulted waiters checking in. A waiter was ready to place a glass of champagne on Annabeth's side of the table as she declined much to Percy's surprise.

"I thought you wanted to drink, and I'll drive us home?" he asked after the toast in Greek. Annabeth took a sip of the orange juice.

"I've changed my mind," Annabeth shrugged and kissed his cheek. "Let me drive and see you get wasted along with the rest!"

Percy grinned and didn't mind it one bit. He grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on it which made Annabeth blush. Percy had his phases where he was awfully romantic without even noticing. Sally on the other side of the table kept her gaze on Annabeth. Something was off.

After dining and conversing it was time for dancing and getting incredibly wasted. It was the only time where the family came together without fighting or insulting each other. People got up and participated in the festivities and like Annabeth had predicted, it was a blast watching Percy dance and have fun. She felt someone tap her shoulders. Annabeth turned around and looked into Sally's dark blue eyes.

As Percy removed himself from the improvised dancefloor, he noticed his missing fiancé. He saw how his mother hugged her tightly as Annabeth laughed at something. Percy approached the women.

"What's going on?" he asked with large eyes as she saw his sniffling mother.

"Ay Percy, mijo, feliz navidad!" Sally cried into his collar as she embraced him tightly.

Percy eyed Annabeth suspiciously as she was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "What did you do to her?" he questioned his fiancé.

"Oh nothing, just the first wedding talks," Annabeth dismissed with a sweet smile remaining on her face.

2 0 2 0

DECEMBER

CHRISTMAS MORNING

The small Christmas tree had been decorated at the end of November and was sparkling will all sorts of ornaments that the couple had collected over the ages. Their necklaces and beads from their summer camp days, even pictures of other Christmases spent in their youth hung on the tree. Underneath the pine tree and the chain of changing lights rested dozens of Christmas presents, ready to be unpacked and enjoyed.

The couple got ready in the bathroom with matching ugly Christmas sweaters and stupid Santa Claus hats. Annabeth slipped out of the bathroom to check in on the Christmas presents one last time.

"Is everything okay?" Percy raised an eyebrow. "You've checked the presents like seven times in the past two hours."

"I just want everything to be ready," smiled his fiancé and placed a tender kiss on his lips. "And now come! It's time for your presents!"

Annabeth took his hand and pulled him into the living room. "Who opens them up first?" They both looked into each other's eyes and then burst out into laughing. Percy had the feeling that Annabeth felt oddly tense.

"You go ahead," he then proposed, to hopefully easy her mind.

"Okay!" Annabeth started and divided the sea of presents into five boxes for her and six boxes in ranging sized for Percy.

Annabeth started with a small rectangle shaped present. A limited-edition Moleskin notepad.

"Ah! For my next bullet journal, thank you!" she smiled.

"Well mom and Elle helped me with the color arrangement," Percy admitted with a blush as he pointed to the next present. A huge starter kit for said bullet journal. Fountain pens, different inks, a colorful variation of brush pens, ink pads and more laid all neatly in the box.

"Are you serious?! That's mad expensive!" Annabeth screeched. It was an excited screech.

The next present was a comfortable blanket which showed the moon and glowed in the dark. Annabeth placed another excited kiss on his lips. Next teal box was a small bracelet from Tiffany's which matched her engagement ring perfectly.

"And the big finale…" Annabeth gasped as she opened the box. A new laptop. Percy had bought her the newest model with a portable mouse and a fitting tote bag for transportation as her old computer was slowly decaying.

"Did you spend your entire bonus on this?!"

"Well… yes?" He nervously scratched his neck. "Do you like it?"

The first tears ran down her face. "Are you serious?! I love it!" she said and nearly threw herself onto him. "Annabeth stop crying!"

"I can't!" she sobbed. "This must have been several hundreds dollars and a grand for the laptop… I can't believe you'd spent this much money for me?!"

"Annabeth, I want you to be happy. And some of these things are a necessity," he grinned. His heart was as warm as her embrace.

"Now it's your turn," she whispered as she broke their embrace. "But!" she said with a warning on her lips.

"There is an order! From large to small!"

Percy pulled up his sleeves. "Okay!" he said and started with the first three boxes. Another set of pots and pans, but the expensive kind. Polished bronze, heavy weight and pristine quality which would make the gods of cooking cry. Le Creuseur, Berghoff, Anolon.

"And you have the audacity to complain about expensive gifts?!" Percy was excited, he was more than excited. And he was sure that the minute his mother knew about these things they would slowly start to disappear in his kitchen and would hang around in hers.

The next present was an embroidered chef's uniform. Percy immediately took his sweater off and proudly wore the white jacket with his name on. The second to last present was a smaller square shaped one. Percy opened it in anticipation. Key to the cabin his mother owned in Montauk. The last time he had been there was before culinary school.

"Your mom said we could celebrate our wedding there." Percy's eyes widened. "Or at camp if you really want to go along with that. I spoke to Mr. Brunner and he said-"

He silenced her with a kiss and a tight embrace. "Thank you!" Annabeth in a white dress and her trail brushing over the soft white sand in the August heat. It sounded like a dream and it would come true.

Annabeth took the last box. She nervously licked her lips and looked deep into his eyes.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Merry Christmas, Perseus," she whispered. Percy tensed. Annabeth never used Perseus as he never called her Anna Elizabeth.

He took the small rectangle shaped box and opened the bow. How can this be the most important gift? It was so small and unremarkable. The teal colored wrapping paper was torn away and revealed a white box. Percy opened the present. He expected many things. He expected a gag gift. But what he saw came as a total surprise to him.

A positive pregnancy test. Positive, 3+ weeks stood on the small display.

"No way…" he breathed. "No way!" he repeated, louder this time. He took the small device into his large hand.

"You're pregnant?!" He said and eyed Annabeth's stomach as if there would be any indication. Annabeth bit her lips to prevent. She nodded slowly.

This time it was Percy who cried first. He pulled his fiancé to him and hugged her tightly.

"But… what?! How?"

"You know how!" Annabeth laughed at his flabbergasted self and wiped his tears away. They kissed and laughed and cried some more.

"I'm going to be a father… I can't believe it…" Yet it explained why Annabeth behaved so strangely. How moody she was, how tense she felt, how cuddly she was, how she was all of the above and none at the same time… How she rejected the champagne glass yesterday.

"Wait… you didn't drink yesterday because… oh my god, I should have seen this coming…" Percy buried his face into Annabeth's golden curls. They tickled as did his beard as Annabeth felt it on her forehead.

"And my mom? She knows? The way she cried yesterday?"

Percy felt Annabeth nod at his side.

"She's excited to be a grandmother. And she's excited to see you blossom into fatherhood."

The couple broke their embrace to share a kiss which they quickly deepened.

"The fact that I didn't notice that… I'm an idiot," Percy stated and shook his head.

He facepalmed. Annabeth gently pried his hand off his face.

"No, you're a dad," she whispered and hugged him again. "I checked all the times to see if the test result would still be visible."

Forgotten were the other presents. Forgotten was yesterday. What mattered was here, what mattered was now. Emotions and thoughts were racing.

"The chicken noodle soup was a dead giveaway; you love that stuff. It never made you feel nauseous," he sniffled and kissed her temple. "I can be so dense sometimes… but me… I'm going to be a dad?" he repeated and laughed.

"I did the math… I should be around the seventh week?" Annabeth guessed. "I started to feel that weird pang in the beginning of November. But we'll know more, once we visit the OBGYN."

It was unbelievable. Percy had completed this 27th birthday this year, managed to snag his dream apartment in the last, had proposed to the love of his life and now they were going to be a real family? The two of them? No, the three of them.

2 0 2 5

DECEMBER

NEW YEARS EVE

"Hey you! Hold still!" Percy demanded as he put her locks into an up-do. Or at least he tried to. Styling yourself was easy, styling someone else was difficult. Especially if that little someone didn't think about holding still for one second. Giggles followed and tiny legs kicked the air.

"No!" the little girl laughed and pulled her father's jacket which nearly made his phone fall out.

Instead of berating her in Spanish or Greek, he just tickled her, which made her laugh even more. "If mommy doesn't find you prepped and polished, she isn't going to be amused!" he warned her. "Neither is abuela."

That made his daughter pout, but she let him style her hair. "And off you go!"

She jumped from the chair and grabbed her plushie, a horse named Blackjack, and turned around to her father. He wore his usual black suit and fixed his tie in the mirror, one of the few things that wasn't wrapped and shipped off to the new apartment. As their daughter grew bigger, the space in her room which was formerly also known as the office, grew tighter.

Annabeth asked around in her office whether someone knew someone who had a place to stay and managed to get the apartment before it hit the market. And now the happy little family would spend the next month in preparations for their move.

The door to the bedroom opened and Annabeth entered the space. She wore a beautiful emerald green dress which hugged her curves with matching green high heels. A necklace with large white pearls rested on her collarbone.

"Wow, you look beautiful," her husband gasped and stole her kiss. Annabeth laughed and caressed his cheek. Percy placed his hand around her waist.

"Yuck!" yelled their child in the background and stuck her tongue out.

"Hey!" said her parents both in defense. They were happy and they were in love. There was nothing yuck about it.

"What about the flats though?" Percy asked Annabeth as she got her bag.

"In here," she said and pointed towards the bag. Percy nodded and stretched his arm out so that his daughter could take his hand.

"Oh!" said Annabeth. "It's starting again."

She turned around to her daughter. "Would you like to feel it?"

The young girl nodded in excitement and marched up to her mother. Then she placed her hand on her mother's rounded belly to feel her unborn sibling's soft kicks.

"I can't wait to meet you too!" little Ariadne smiled.

The End

So... that was it! Thoughts? :D

I'm currently back on track with my other fanfic The Fool, worked a lot in the second act. Also check me out on tumblr (also thejudgingtrash ;)), I'm way more active there. See you soon!