Secrets

"No."

"Come on Thals, you know you want to."

"What part of 'no' don't you get?"

"I don't understand why you are so against spending Christmas with us."

Ugh, he just can't leave me be, can he?

"I see enough of your face during summer, kelp for brains." she retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

Percy rose one of his eyebrows, watching her intently, mirth dancing in those sea green eyes of his that infuriated her and fascinated her all at once. "That's not how I remember things. A few days ago, you seemed pretty upset that I was avoiding you."

Thalia, not one to let an opening pass her by, was quick to exclaim. "Ha! So, you admit you were being dumb, avoiding me."

"That's not the point pinecone face." he sighed, running a hand over his face in frustration.

"Then what is?" The daughter of Zeus challenged, provoking him.

Not one of my brightest ideas.

It had never really struck her just how tall Percy had gotten over the years, until now, that is. It was a stark difference from the short, skinny, weird, 13-year-old boy she met after no longer being tied to a tree.

But he was still himself, thus she rose her chin up in a defiant manner because she was who she was and no height difference or flashy eye colour could strip her off the very thing that made her Thalia Grace:

Confidence.

"From where I'm standing, it looks like you are the one who's avoiding me now." he paused, unfazed by the infamous glare she sent him, not willing to allow her enough time to protest. "I can't think of any other reason why you wouldn't come. Mom likes you, you know that and you told me you are cool with Tyson and Paul is an okay guy."

He didn't understand and she'd be one big hypocrite if she blamed him for that. It wasn't like she had ever shouted from the rooftops what her mother had been like. Or how she had run away from home after Jason got lost. How she couldn't even remember what celebrating Christmas with family felt like.

Sure, she had her father but Zeus was, more often than not, busy with his head in the clouds, pun very much intended and the last thing she wanted was to think about Hera and her half siblings ever being a decent option. Any kind of option, period.

Besides, Greek gods don't have anything to do with Christmas. Opposite cultures, religions but same dire need of worshippers.

Only Jesus isn't described as an egotistical nutcase.

"Thalia?"

Percy's concerned voice made her snap back to reality. She realized with a sudden jolt that she had been stuck in her own little world, lost in her thoughts and that he must have waited for an answer from her for quite some time now. The brunette inwardly cursed her ADHD.

"I'm fine, just...can you drop this?"

"But..."

She gave him a pleading look and such a rare occurrence was that, enough to make the son of Poseidon instantly quiet. "I will think about it." she finally answered, against her better judgement though.

When he grinned down at her, Thalia had two powerful urges.

"Ow, why did you hit me?!"

It was obvious which one she went for.

"Do I need a reason to?" she questioned rhetorically.

Percy rubbed at his numb arm, glaring down at it because Thalia's punches always came with electricity shocks. "Well normal people do. I forgot you are pinecone face."

"Kelp for brains, you suck at coming up with insults." she stated matter of factly.

"You are lucky the fountain we are passing by is frozen this time of the year." he retorted with a scowl as they walked side by side on the streets of a very white and glittery Manhattan.

She would never admit it out loud, but the colourful lights, the fake Santas entertaining the little kids, the smell of cinnamon and oranges were all managing to stir up old dusty sensations within her that she hadn't felt in a long time.

The walk to her neighbourhood seemed to have lasted an eternity until they finally came to a stop. Percy had been adamant to pick her up from the girls' school Zeus enrolled her at and walk her home since winter break had just started. He didn't ask her, just went ahead and did it.

She refused to think about how warm that gesture made her feel on the inside.

"Thanks for walking me home Jackson."

"Don't mention it." he replied, the warmth of his breath obvious compared to the cold temperature in the air. Thalia took in the sight of his brown hair falling over his forehead, the red tint to his cheeks, his well-defined jawline.

The only thing her mind could process was just how hot he had gotten.

Noticing her hesitating and lingering outside, Percy, not for the first time that day, strongly believed there was something wrong with the daughter of Zeus. He had never seen Thalia behave as...airheaded before, no pun intended. She seemed constantly confused and unsure about what she was doing which was so unlike her that he felt like giving her several occasions to laugh at his expense if only that would be enough to bring back her usual self.

It frustrated him that she didn't trust him enough to say what was bothering her. If he pushed, she'd take two steps backwards and that was the last thing he wanted, to drive her away.

So, there they stood, looking at each other in utter silence.

"I should probably..."

"Do you want to come inside?" the words were out of her mouth before she could have stopped them. Thankfully, they came out casual enough.

If Percy was surprised, he did a very good job at not showing it, shrugging his shoulders. "Sure." he replied, following her in.

Her apartment wasn't big or luxurious since she had refused all the money Zeus sent her through Hermes but it had one bedroom, a kitchen and a bathroom. It didn't strike any resemblance to the house she grew-up in and that's what mattered. Her land lady was difficult but nothing she couldn't handle. As long as she managed to pay the rent in time, all was good.

Thalia went ahead inside the kitchen, preparing two mugs of hot cocoa. It wouldn't be the first thing she and Percy had in common. They both liked it in the same way, with lots of sugar and whipped cream.

"How about we make a deal?" she questioned, licking her spoon clean.

"About?"

"You tell me why you and Annie broke-up, especially since things between the two of you don't seem to be getting any better and I will tell you why I refuse to celebrate Christmas."

In her humble opinion, it was only fair to trade one secret for another.

"You are beginning to sound like Hermes, Thals." Percy commented, half amused and half hesitant.

He was having a dilemma. On one hand, he wanted to know what she was hiding. On the other hand, the price of knowing was too big. What would he tell her anyways? "Annabeth and I broke up because of you"? How would he explain that without revealing he felt something beyond friendship for her?

"It's about time you started confessing, Percy."

Aphrodite's voice echoed inside his mind, like velvet. Persuasive. He wondered if she could charm speak from a distance.

"Oh, I definitely can sweetie but where would the fun in that be? I'd rather you do it out of your own free will. Much sincerer than me messing with your head."

He sighed, which didn't go unnoticed by the dark-haired girl standing across from him.

"Earth to Jackson." she called, snapping her fingers in front of his face, a frown creasing her forehead. "What's wrong? Sorry if I brought back some unpleasant memories..."

Thalia looked so genuinely guilty, enough that it pulled at his heart strings a bit.

"Don't worry about it." he was quick to assure her, taking a sip from his cocoa.

Well, here goes nothing.

"I agree, to the deal."