This story won the poll! This took absolutely FOREVER! So sorry for that. There were so many distractions and it was hard to remember I had a new story on the go. There were also a few minor problems with writers block. Here you go anyway and hope you enjoy a seasonal fanfic!
Here we go!
SHOUT OUT!
I don't own nuttin'... except the idea.
The snow was falling, their dance gentle and soothing to watch. They sparkled on their way down and Calypso marveled at their beauty from the warmth of the Big House. They were so elegant and fragile and the very thought of catching one on her tongue made her smile. The trees were dressed in the gorgeous layers of pure white gowns, seeming to embrace the winter snow collecting on their branches.
Of course, it was not only the marvelous world outside that was pleasing to her. Even though it did offer her much happiness, the happenings inside the warm building was just as satisfying.
It was Christmas day and the joys of the season were all around her. The smells of baked goods and the wondrous feast, the music playing in the background, and most of all, the people - her closest friends - were all there, embracing the wonderful scene and uplifting the glorious time of year she herself never got to enjoy ever before.
Turning from her gaze out the frosty window, Calypso faced the group surrounding the Christmas tree, all of them wearing sweaters and holding hot mugs of cider or hot chocolate, she herself holding the latter.
Percy and Annabeth sat together on one of the larger couches, cuddling close for personal warmth under a blanket. Percy was happily indulging in specialized blue chocolate chip cookies his mom had sent him. Piper, Jason, and Leo all sat on the floor, each wearing classic, ugly, Christmas sweaters while laughing about some inside joke the three of them shared. Rachel and Hazel were talking on the side, both wearing fuzzy slippers while sipping their steaming beverages. Frank was enjoying his time discussing things of all verity with Reyna, Coach Hedge, and Chiron, nodding with certain statements they made, though looking slightly confused as to why Coach brought in his action-filled comments. Then there was Nico, Will, Nyssa, Harley, Jake, and the Stoll brothers. Their crowd was in the middle of playing a very large and very loud game of Dutch Blitz on the floor just behind the couch Percy and Annabeth were sitting on. It was so hectic, there were even times when little Harley literally flung himself into a full body dive to play his cards which ended up leaving the whole group complaining and yelling at him. He simply sat up with a huge grin on his face.
Amidst all this excitement, stood the Christmas tree. It stood in the corner of the main room beside the fireplace towering with splendor and beauty. Dozens of ornaments clothed it and the soft lights shone through the thick branches. The thing that made it stand out even more, despite the marvelous decor it already held, were the presents stacked carefully underneath until they spilled all they way out to the edge of the rug by the fireplace. The wrapping paper itself was a sight to see. There were so many colors, so many different types of bows... something about this image thrilled her as if she were a small child.
Eventually, after watching her stare at the group for a little while, Leo motioned for Calypso to come join them. Smiling, she accepted and joined his small group on the floor in front of the fire.
"What's up, Cal?" Leo grinned with a mouthful of cookie. "You cold yet?"
Feeling a flow of slight shivers riding down her arms, she shrugged sheepishly. "It's getting to me a little, but it's wonderful."
"Is this really the first Christmas you've experienced?" Piper asked with amazement.
"As a goddess trapped on a magical island for a good part of my life," she explained, "the Christmas season never came to mind, not to mention time being completely different there. Besides, there was never anyone to celebrate it with, but there really wasn't any need for it anyway."
"Oh man, but you have to have Christmas sometime!" Leo exclaimed. "You get presents! What's better than that?"
"Nothing," Jason added helpfully.
Piper rolled her eyes at her boyfriend and adoptive brother. "Well, we're honored you could spend the first one with us, Calypso."
Taking a sip of her steaming hot chocolate, Calypso smiled. "I'm glad I could have it with you guys."
The talking continued and laughter followed shortly after. The different groups around the room mixed and mingled for a good while until finally, after a half-hour more, Chiron rolled his wheelchair to the centre of the room and the multiple groups combined into one large cluster. All eyes looked up at him with expectant glances, waiting for him to say something.
With a smile, the centaur nodded slightly. "I know you have all been patiently waiting for the better part of the day to open gifts..."
From the side, Leo let out an overly enthusiastic hoot which was quickly silenced by Piper so Chiron could continue.
"... And I know I have made you wait it out. And, well, I'm going to make you wait it out just a little more."
"UGH!" Leo complained.
"First," Chiron continued, this time his gaze drifting to Calypso, "I want to point out that we are all delighted you have been able to enjoy this wonderful season with us, Calypso."
She felt the smallest amount of heat rising to her cheeks from the sudden attention. She nodded at the group, fully aware of that adorably goofy grin her boyfriend was giving her.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"It's our pleasure.
"I also want to make a Christmas toast to our Camp Half-Blood family... and, er, of course our fine friends from Camp Jupiter as well." He lifted his mug of cider with a warm smile and the rest did the same. "For those of us who are here to celebrate this wondrous season together, let us toast for a joy-filled and peaceful Christmas and the same for the new year; that all may experience the joy of family and friends from the safety and comforts of home or wherever possible for them."
"Here, here!" someone shouted out and they all clinked their mugs or glasses together in agreement, making a wonderful seasonal sound.
After that, Chiron made the announcement that they were now free to open gifts and Leo, Percy, the Stoll's, and little Harley all scrambled to the front, stepping and tripping on each other in order to reach the tree. Of course, the rest all rolled their eyes at them and found seats wherever they could.
Calypso watched Annabeth, for some reason, step up and start digging into the piles of gifts under the tree. How come the others weren't helping themselves too? Weren't they all supposed to find their own presents?
Her question was answered as Annabeth turned back around with a large gift with red and white polka-dots all over a green colored paper. A large silver bow sat on the top.
"The first present given out this year is for Jason from Piper," she announced and everyone turned to the son of Jupiter with large smiles. He grinned and accepted it from her, quickly sneaking a glance at his girlfriend. She winked in return.
"Hurry up! I wanna see what you got!" Leo urged as he watched him rip the paper. Calypso herself felt excitement bubble inside her at the experience at hand. She had never really watched the thrill of opening a gift.
After unwrapping and revealing a large cardboard box, Jason pulled it open and everyone leaned forward to see what he got.
"Watcha get?" Harley asked with glee. "Is it a remote control car? A basketball? A board game? Come on! I wanna see!"
A large smile came to his face as he pulled out a grey hoodie. On the front was a picture of the Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood logos, both split half and half, the Roman camp's logo in purple, the other orange.
He looked up at Piper. "Hey, thanks, Pipes! I love this! This is great!" He held it up against his chest and looked down at it.
Piper grinned and kissed him on the cheek. "You're welcome, sparky. I hope it's the right size."
With that idea, Jason lifted off the ugly Christmas sweater he had on presently and pulled the new one on, adjusting his glasses back in place. "It fits perfectly! Thanks! I'm going to wear this thing every day!"
She laughed at him. "I had a feeling you'd say something like that."
Calypso then watched as Annabeth gave out the next couple of gifts who were for Hazel and Rachel. Again, she felt the excitement rush inside her chest as she watched as the two each took a turn to open their presents. Everyone's eyes were glued to them and what was hidden inside each box, and once they were opened, there were oooooh's and aaaaaah's all around them.
"Oh, this is beautiful!" Hazel exclaimed as she lifted a golden necklace with a ruby embedded inside from a jewelry box. "Thank you so much, Frank! How did you know I love rubies?"
Frank's face turned the shade of her beloved jewel and shrugged. "I heard you talking the one time. Really, it's nothing."
"Frank, it's gorgeous! Here. Help me put it on."
"Oh yeah!" Rachel shouted out with excitement after opening her own present. "More paints! I was running out too! Oh! And brushes!" she cheered after digging further inside the tissue paper. "You're the best, Hazel! And they're the good kind too! This brand is actually the most preferred by some of the most popular artists of the day. Did you know that this brand of paints actually come all the way from Italy? And don't you dare say a word, Valdez! I do enjoy some classes in my school! Annabeth's not the only person who can like learning!"
Leo shut his mouth.
"I'm glad you like them," Hazel smiled as she let Frank clip the clasp of her new necklace around her neck. "And yes, I did know that. That brand goes all the way back to the early nineteen-twenties. I've used them a few times myself."
"Amazing!"
Fingering her ruby, Hazel nodded and turned her attention back as Annabeth brought out the next present. "It looks like this one's for Chiron."
"Oh, oh! This one's mine!" Leo suddenly scooted on his bottom, sitting Indian style, closer to their camp leader.
Calypso already felt sorry for the centaur. Whatever it was, she was scared to find out. Every little "present" she received from her boyfriend involved him laughing on the floor and her hating him for the next few hours afterwards.
Clearly, Chiron was feeling the same as he hesitantly accepted the gift from Annabeth and gave Leo a pointed look. It was only a small package but he still held it with caution as if expecting it to explode. Knowing Leo, that was actually pretty accurate.
"Valdez," he said calmly in a serious tone. "Before I open this, I want to know right now if the something inside this very box will jump out, explode, dysfunction, or eat me. If by any chance one of these on the list occurs, I will make sure I will confine you to your sleeping quarters for a week without any tools or mechanical objects."
Leo placed a hand on his heart and sat up straight. "I promise none of the above are a possibility whatsoever. Open it!"
With a raised eyebrow, the centaur obeyed and ripped the paper carefully as if distrusting Leo's fine promise. When he opened the package completely, his face twisted in confusion as he lifted something that was the same size as a small hand-held radio. "What is this?"
"A voice recorder!" Leo excitedly declared, a huge grin spread on his face. "Now you don't have to repeat those pesky little speeches every night for our games or reminders! It will record everything you say into it!"
Chiron's face twisted even more. "I don't know about you, but this seems to me like an excuse for someone to goof off while I'm presenting rules or announcements."
"What?" he asked innocently with a quick look around the room. "Not from me, Chiron! I happen to pay close attention to... uh... whatever it is you talk about... But anyway, it great! I made it small enough so you can take it anywhere you want. There's even a button on the side that will compact it into a smaller size so you can fit it into your pocket. The only downfall though, is that it can only record up to 60 times. I wanted to include more recording room, but I was rushed. Use it wisely."
"Oh, I plan to," Chrion grinned with a look in his eye, a plan already growing in his mind. "Thank you, Leo."
He smiled back. "You are very welcome!"
"Yo!" Jake declared suddenly. "Pass the brownies over here!"
Sitting along with him was the rest of the Hephaestus gang minus their cabin councilor. Harley sat proudly alongside Leo with his face completely coated in layers of chocolate and cookie crumbs. Even though he had just grabbed a handful of Christmas M&M's from the big bowl, the attention brought to the brownies seemed to interest the boy. Before the platter of those delicious baked goods were handed to Jake, Harley snatched one for himself and sprinkled his candy on top. Calypso was honestly scared by what they were in for by the look in that kid's eyes. They were as big as the bulbs on the Christmas tree.
Everyone took advantage of the snacks in front of them as they continued to enjoy the gift opening, though Nyssa looked slightly grossed out. She had a good reason to.
"Percy's turn," Annabeth announced as she reached down to get a large gift bag filled with bright yellow tissue paper. "This one's from me."
"All right!" he grinned and clapped his hands like a seal for the present. "Watcha get me?"
"Open and see, seaweed brain," she giggled and flumped on the floor right beside him.
With as much enthusiasm as a small child, the son of Poseidon tore the staples holding the bag closed and fished his hand in, pulling out the tissue paper and throwing it on the floor. He then let out a loud cheer and pulled out a pair of blue swim shorts alongside a surfing shirt. He leaned over and gave Annabeth a kiss.
"This is awesome. Thanks! Now I can go surfing in style."
Leo burst out laughing. "Yeah, I can totally see it. All those fish swooning."
"Shut it, Valdez," Percy said. "Your still haven't opened your gifts yet. You could be up for some pretty insane surprises."
Calypso giggled. No one knew it, but Percy was on the right track. By far, Leo's gift would be the highlight of the night - or at least she thought so. You see, she was pretty proud of the gifts she got for him, especially because she had never experienced Christmas before. Some of them were serious and honestly things she knew he would really like, however, there was at least one that would totally make her day to watch him open. She just hoped it didn't backfire...
"Next present!" Harley shouted while jumping up and down with a handful of Cheezies. "I'm lovin' this!"
"Easy on the snacks there, Harley," Nyssa, his concerned sister begged him. "I don't feel like spending the night with a hyperactive child in the same cabin."
"Oh, shoo!" he said back and waved his hand at her. "'I can do this all day'. CAPTAIN AMERICA SAID IT SO I CAN TOO! WHOOOOO!" and off he went running in circles, looking no more than the perfect description for an idiot.
"Oh brother," Nyssa muttered under her breath.
Thankfully, they moved along with the gifts and it was soon Frank's turn. His gift was from both Hazel and Percy. This one was quite a bit smaller than the rest of them, but it didn't deflate his spirit. With his clumsy hands, he tore the blue and green paper off and tossed it on the floor with the rest of the garbage.
"Wow," he smiled as he brought out a ridiculously expensive-looking camouflage army knife. He flicked the blade out and admired the gleam the unused metal offered before checking the rest of it out. "This is awesome! I kind of wished I had this a few days ago when I wrapped all my gifts. I couldn't find a pair of scissors anywhere."
"Well now you have one," Hazel grinned. "I knew you were secretly wanting one for a long time now. I was hoping like crazy that you would cave and get one yourself though."
He laughed. "I was this close," he said while measuring a very small space between his fingers. "Thanks, guys. I really appreciate this."
"No problem, man," Percy nodded and tossed his candy wrapper in the fireplace. It shriveled up and burned.
More and more gifts were open, each time, the excitement failing to dissipate. At this time, Connor and Travis found themselves with matching T-shirts with the saying It Was Him with an arrow pointing to their sides. Just as Jason had done with his sweatshirt, their new shirts were put on immediately. Both Stoll brothers looked more than pleased thanks to Will and Nico. They had a great gift idea.
Reyna was given a purple mug with with bold yellow letters that read #1 Roman along with a photo album filled with her time with all her new friends from Camp Half-Blood just before it snowed. This was a present from the entire group of Seven plus Nico, in which they all seemed pretty proud of giving her. Her reaction was very positive and her smile never seemed to fade away.
At the moment, Piper had just received a brand new pair of light pink and grey leggings from Jason. It was surprising how much she liked them considering she didn't care much for fashion the way her siblings do, however, she still stood and gave him a huge hug.
"Thank you so much! And they're so warm on the inside!"
Jason laughed. "I'm sure glad you like them 'cause I had no idea what to get you."
"You picked well, sparky," she said. "Thanks."
Next it was Jake's turn. He reached out and accepted the penguin-covered gift with eagerness, the whole group of them watching him with curious eyes. Calypso was sitting closer to him than most of them and even tried to sneak a peak on the inside. He purposely kept the present to himself though and enjoyed the surprise before anyone else. Then he brought it out.
Lifted out of the box it came in, Jake pulled out a heavy-duty tool belt that looked somewhat like Leo's, only Calypso doubted this one was magic.
"Thanks, Leo," Jake said as he wrapped it around his waist and fit the buckle in place. "This was actually on my wish list, though I didn't expect one with so many pockets."
Leo wiped his nose. "It's go big or go home, bro. What's a tool belt without a waistload of pockets? And it's like what we say where I'm from: 'Everything's bigger in Texas'!"
At that, everyone in the room booed at him, though Calypso wasn't quite sure why.
"What's so wrong with that?" she felt the need to ask.
Unfortunately, she didn't get an answer to that as she watched Annabeth grab another package from under the tree. This time, however, instead of handing it out to one of the people she lowered onto the floor and sat on her legs. She looked up and smiled at Percy.
"This one's for me, from Percy," she announced with a look in her eyes.
Her boyfriend looked as eager as her while he leaned forward, his elbows resting on his lap and his eyes stayed glued to the present Annabeth opened.
It was slow going, partially because it was taped a little too well, and also because Calypso figured she was trying to get Percy mad.
He slapped his hands on his thighs with impatience. "Annabeth! Hurry up, will you?! You're slower than a turtle!"
Finally, but not without a humorous look in her eyes, the gift was opened. Annabeth dug her hand into the box and smiled at him. "You didn't."
"I did!" he announced with a finger pointed at her.
"Oh my gods!" she cried out as she lifted a large book out from the numerous sheets of tissue paper. "You did to! Thank you so much!" and she jumped up to kiss him.
In her hands, was a thick book about some sort of archeology... architecture... or something. Calypso didn't know much about that sort of thing, but it must be something she enjoyed enough to get excited about. She was probably the only people who would freak out about that sort of thing.
"Where did you get this?! I have been trying to get my hands on this thing forever now!" Annabeth declared.
"My mom saw it downtown with Paul the other day," Percy answered. "You're welcome by the way."
"Thank you so much! This has been my number one on my shopping list ever since June!" She hugged it and kissed the side of his head again. "Just don't get mad if I disappear for a few hours tonight."
Everyone burst out laughing at the look on Percy's face.
"Well, I guess I can say goodbye now. I'll see you in the New Year," he muttered.
"See you then, seaweed brain," she laughed and stood up to hand out the next present.
Calypso nearly jumped for joy the minute she watched Annabeth grab Leo's gift. He was soooooo going to hate her for it, but she didn't care. This was going to be priceless! If this was the only gift anyone got this entire Christmas, Calypso would be perfectly satisfied. Just to see his reaction... She could hardly wait.
"Alright," Annabeth said while looking at the tag. "This one is for Leo from Calypso."
"Oh boy!" Leo cheered like a little child. "Gimme! This is going to be great!"
Oh, you have no idea, she thought, the smile growing wider on her face.
Eagerly, the Latino ripped the paper in large shreds. Harley stood over his shoulder with a handful of candy popcorn and a can of iced tea, his teeth probably in the process of rotting and stomach nearly ready to explode. Still, he stuffed his mouth like there was no tomorrow.
Seriously. Someone should ban him from the snack table. It was getting dangerous.
Eventually, all the paper was torn off Leo's gift and he set to work on cutting the tape on the box. Frank let him use his new army knife and it did the job fine. Everyone cheered him on to hurry and tell them what he got and he seemed eager to share, however...
The second he opened the box his smile faded and was replaced with confusion.
"Wha...? What the heck is this?" he asked with a scrunched nose. "Did you get me and Piper mixed up or something, 'cause this can't seriously be my gift."
Calypso burst out laughing so hard, her insides felt as if they would give out on her. His face when he looked up at her... Oh, gods! This was so worth every once of her money she spent on him!
At this point everyone was trying to look inside his box with puzzlement.
"Why?" Jason asked while leaning forward from his chair. "What's inside?"
"Yeah," Reyna said. "What's inside the box? Tell us."
Hesitantly obeying, Leo reached in and retrieved a stick of lipstick. "Makeup."
Everyone in the room - even Chiron and Coach Hedge - all filled the room with a chorus of laughter, almost rolling on the floor and holding onto their stomachs.
"Oh my gods! Really?!" Piper exclaimed with a gasp for air. "Let me see! Let me see!"
Handing the package to his adoptive sister, she peered in and set the room laughing all over again. Calypso even saw Leo chuckling along with them a small bit, but he was still mostly confused as to why he would get such a ridiculous present.
"Show them what else is in the box," she encouraged him and he scrunched his nose again.
"Do I have to?"
"Yes!"
Seeing no other choice in the matter, he reluctantly did as he was told and fished more beauty products that were drowning in the layers of tissue paper.
He brought out each thing, one by one, starting with a circular case. "Eye shadow, lip balm, more lipstick, mascara, foundation, eyeliner, more eye shadow, a flyer for... a beauty contest? Cal, what the hell is this? Did you seriously get my gift mixed up or something? Like really. What is this?"
"Merry Christmas, Leo!" she cheered with another giggle. "I thought you would appreciate it."
"This?!"
"Yup," she nodded, making it obvious how pleased she was with his reaction to the whole thing. "Do you remember the argument you and I had the other day about who was prettier? For some odd reason, you insisted it was you. Clearly, I didn't agree, so, I thought this was the perfect way to prove it."
Leo's scrunched nose relaxed to allow a smile to creep up on his face. "You're kidding me, right? This is your idea of getting me to prove I'm prettier than you? Come on. I beat all even without all this crap. All I need is a mirror!" he teased and embraced the moment.
Calypso pointed to his package. "Look at the very bottom, babe. You're not done yet."
Sure enough, when he looked, he pulled out a handheld mirror and the room, once again, filled with laughter.
"Man, you got yourself into a bind on this one, didn't you!" Connor hooted. "Get a load on this guy! He's in for a full-out makeover!"
Travis nudged his brother and chuckled with him. "I'd love to see that."
"Are you kidding me right now?" Leo moaned. "I'm not this cruel to you... though I must say, I do look pretty good in this thing." He flexed his muscles once or twice before setting the mirror down.
"Oh, brother," Nyssa complained and crossed her arms. "Just give it up already."
"What? Being pretty?" he asked. "Can't help it, sis. I was born with it."
Rachel fake gagged herself and pointed at him. Will laughed.
"Well, now that we have all these supplies," Piper grinned, "I suggest we put them to good use. Anyone with me?"
Connor and Travis put their hands up. "We agree!"
"So do I," Nico smirked.
"Do it!" Will laughed.
"NO!" Leo shouted, already backing up from the group. "Chiron! Coach! Do something! I'm already pretty!"
Things got even more interesting the minute Chiron shrugged his shoulders with a look of fake sympathy. "I'm afraid I have no control here, son. And personally, I like watching people enjoy their gifts on Christmas day."
Leo's eyes grew big. "You're a traitor! Coach!"
"What? You think I'm gonna jump in and save you, cupcake? This is a great source of entertainment! Why would I ruin something this good?"
The room cheered and Harley jumped up and down on the couch with yet more junk food. "You're going down, big brother! MWAHAHAHAHA!"
And there, in the middle of the room, Annabeth, Rachel, Reyna, Calypso, Piper, and Hazel all tackled him, Leo attempting to push them off one by one. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to stop large smears of red lipstick colliding with his face or eye shadow to be brushed randomly against his skin. He shouted out against the girls but it was no use.
By the time they were down, Calypso couldn't help but laugh at him.
Dark red lines of lipstick were traced all along from one side of his face to the other. His hair sparkled with eye shadow dust and the mascara brush left him with some unusual streaks on his cheeks.
"Man!" he complained as he tried to wipe it all off with the back of his hand. "Was that really necessary?"
Reyna smirked and handed him the hand held mirror. "Don't you look gorgeous? I'm sure Calypso is falling for you all over again."
"Definitely!" she humored her.
As soon as his eyes met himself in the mirror, Leo's eyes grew big and he lowered the mirror. "Seriously?! You ruined me!"
"Oh, but it's such a big improvement!"
Calypso screeched as he threw a ball of wrapping paper at her, the whole room laughing.
"You're lucky I love you," he warned with a chuckle. Then he pointed to the others. "I didn't say I loved you guys though."
With that, he grabbed one of the lipsticks and untwisted the top. "You will all pay!"
~General POV~
And thus ends this Christmas day, with the whole group enjoying the most ultimate makeup war both Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter have ever seen. Every single one of them, with the exception of Coach Hedge and Chiron, eventually found themselves with makeup stains covering the lengths of their arms or faces. Gradually though, the rest of the gifts were opened by the lipstick smeared demigods after the commotion settled and Harley finally passed out on his back on the couch, chocolate, cookie crumbs, and candy pasted to the edges of his mouth.
Aside from all this commotion, Calypso got to experience some of her own gift opening for the first time. She got new gardening supplies from Piper and Jason, an album of all her friends just like Reyna got from the whole group of Seven and Nico, a knitted sweater from Annabeth, and a silver bracelet from Leo with the inscription Forever My Sunshine.
After pictures were taken, the feast was eaten, and all were gone to bed, Calypso was already counting the days until the next exciting holiday and what kind of surprises were in store for her there.
And if you were wondering, no, Leo didn't enter the beauty contest, though we all know he would have totally rocked the stage. ;P Calypso and Piper are working on him.
Next year...
How was it? I hope you enjoyed my very first one-shot. Please feel free to review and let me know what you think!
And whoever will read this during the Christmas season, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
~supworld~