December 23rd
It was December 23rd and all the demigods were making there way to Camp Half-Blood and the Big House to meet and chat before going to bed and delivering gifts.
Annabeth and Percy met up after school and walked to the 'Moonlight Tree Clearing' to pick up Grover before they drove to their camp, talking and laughing. They parked down the hill of camp and as they got out of the car, they met up with Thalia and Reyna.
"Hey," Percy said, giving his cousin a bro hug.
"How's life been?" Reyna asked Annabeth as they embraced.
Thalia and Annabeth shared a look. "It's been. . . interesting."
"Such is life as a demigod," Reyna remarked.
Thalia gave Grover a bro hug too. "How's the tree?"
It was now Percy and Grover's turn to share a look.
"It's. . . good," Grover stated.
The five friends talked as they made their way up the hill where Piper and Jason were just touching down.
Annabeth, Reyna and Piper exchanged hugs while Grover, Percy and Jason said their hellos.
"Thought you'd get out of a hug from your sister?" Thalia asked when Jason turned to go down the hill.
Jason rolled his eyes as Thalia embraced him, then she put him in a head lock and tussled his hair.
"Hey!" Jason protested.
The group walked down the hill and saw a small, orange blur running across the white ground.
"Ay!" Jason called. "Leo!"
The blur stopped and Leo smiled up at them.
"What took you so long?" he asked playfully as they exchanged greetings.
"Do we have to remind you of how you left us for month because you ran after a girl?" Jason pointed out as they continued walking towards the Big House.
"Do I have to remind you of how you've been living closer to Piper than to me?" Leo joked. Well, he said it like a joke.
"I'm going to school!" Jason protested.
They walked through the door to the wooden house and inside was Nico, Will, Hazel, and Frank. They were in blankets and were drinking something that smell like hot chocolate.
As the people inside saw the people coming in, they stood up and set down their drink to say 'hi' and give hugs.
Once everyone was settled, they decided to play Uno until they quickly realized that playing a game with a kid that lived in a Casino for sixty was not the smartest choice. They settled for telling stories of past Christmas' and making each other laugh as they recounted their childhood holidays.
The sky grew dark and the wind became sharper and colder, but the demigods didn't notice a thing. Leo had found a box full of lights and they discovered paper in a closet and Will fetched some supplies form the infirmary. They started decorating the room and it started to feel like a party, especially when Nico may or may not have shadow traveled to his cabin to grab his radio.
They sang and laughed and when the place was mostly decorated, they sat by the fire and just talked. They reminisced about old memories with each other, they told new ones, and as the sky became black and the moon and stars became the only light in the universe's darkness, people started rest on each other's shoulders and yawning as they spoke.
"I think we should head to our cabins," Will suggested as he played with his boyfriend's hair that was now laying in his lap.
"Sounds good," Annabeth seconded and she patted awake her half asleep boyfriend that had been resting on her shoulder.
Slowly and sleepily, the demigods stood up and got their coats on. The cold wind froze their faces and woke up their senses as they all remembered they would have to journey outside again to give their presents. Well, everyone except Nico.
Tired "goodnight"s and "see you tomorrow"s were said and each demigod retired to their beds. Some of them stayed awake to give their gifts. Some fell asleep and had their cabin mate wake them up later, *cough* Percy *cough* but in the end, they all drifted off into sleep and for some demigods, it was the first night free of dreams they'd had in years.