Percy and Annabeth-Their future

I'll Be Home For Christmas

"Sleigh bells ring, are you listenin'? In the lane, snow is glistenin'. A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight, walkin' in a winter wonderland." 

Taylor hadn't stopped singing Christmas carols since Thanksgiving. Even now, as she and Luke were helping me tidy up the house for all of the guests coming for Christmas Eve, she wouldn't stop.

"Oh gods, Taylor, can you just be quiet for a minute or two?" Luke asked, exasperated. Taylor flipped her hair and him and smiled. 

"And why on Earth would I do that?" 

It was snowing, the grayness covering the blue skies of only a month ago. Sophia and Logan were going to be arriving any second; Percy was getting them from the airport. 

Lena was in the kitchen making an apple pie for the occasion; Danny was coming over, and she wanted everything to be perfect. 

Taylor and Luke didn't have any significant others in their lives (thank gods), so the only potential other invitee would be Lauren Sorenson. She and Rion weren't dating or anything, but they'd gotten close. He had been debating whether or not it was weird to invite a girl-friend to Christmas Eve.

"It's something I'd do if she were my girlfriend," I'd overheard him telling Luke. "But she's not; I mean, we're just friends."

"Is that all you want to be, Ri? Friends?" Luke had asked. I'd left before I heard the response. 

                                                                                               ~

"Sophia!!!" Taylor screamed, practically dropping the cranberry sauce on the counter. She ran to the door where her older sister greeted her with open arms. 

"Hey Taylor! Oh gods, have I missed you guys!" Sophia ran to me, throwing her freezing arms around my neck. "Mom!!!"

"Easy on the bear hugs," I laughed. Rion and Luke took the suitcases up to Sophia's old room, and Lena tackled Sophia with the same enthusiasm I'd gotten. 

Percy and Logan appeared a few minutes later, their noses blue and their hands shaking from the cold.

"Sophia sort of ditched us back there," Logan said once he'd put all the presents in his arms down. Lena was already on the phone with Danny, wondering when he'd be arriving. Ever since he'd been diagnosed with leukemia, they'd been inseperable... he wasn't sure how long he'd have left, and she didn't want to lose him completely, ever. 

"She sure did," Percy agreed, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Man, it's got to be at least in the single digits out there."

"That cold?" I asked, skeptically. 

"Oh yeah." Logan laughed as Percy handed him a cup.

That's when Rion walked into the room, pale as a ghost. 

"Hey, buddy," Logan smiled, but Rion didn't respond. "Dude, are you okay?"

He shook his head like he'd done something unimaginably wrong. "I asked Lauren if she wanted to come over for Christmas Eve." Oh, shoot. She said no, didn't she? "And she said yes." 

My mouth hung open. "Are you serious? Rion, sweetie, isn't that what you'd been aiming for?" 

"Yeah," he said, the color draining back to his face. "But tonight better be perfect- If I mess up- well, let's just say this might be my only shot at making a move. Ever."

"Just don't puke on her," Logan called after him. Percy gave him a look. "What? I've almost done that. I've never actually done that- Man, would that be bad?"