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The Fanfic
The Fanfic One Night's Mistake
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universalpowa posted on Apr 07, 2012 at 08:40PM
Title: One Night's Mistake
Rated: T (It's mostly cursing. Lots of cursing. Well, not so much in the beginning, but oh well lol) Type: Fanfiction (what is this site again? lolz) Characters: Everyone from HoO and a few OCs Summary: Leo and Piper have been just a little more than friends for the past few months. Jason left Piper for Reyna after the war, having received the rest of his memories. It started as a day at the coffee parlor in New York, and became a rollercoaster from there... One night, in the middle of their senior year, something big happens. Their choices will impact the rest of their lives, and their friends. It all started out slow, and in one night became a jet plane of life- and changes everything. When the unexpected happens, Leo is forced to grow up, and become more like an adult. Piper is forced to limit her access to the outside world, arising suspicion in her close friends... When her friends discover the truth, they are in disbelief. Of course, Leo and Piper aren’t the only ones keeping secrets... When one night mistake impacts the rest of your life, it’s hard to grab on and stay on the rollercoaster ride until the very end. ----------------------------------------- Prologue- Every story has to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Welcome to Leo’s life. Some of his choices have been poor, leading him to this disaster. Interested? Good. Let’s start at the beginning. ========================================= Disclaimer: All Characters belong to Rick Riordan, OCs belong to meeee :D [A/N- Hollister is the most gullible person I have ever met] :D 
last edited on Jan 03, 2013 at 02:22AM
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heeyyy guys :) Aphrodite here, you may recognize me from several pages back :)
So, Liz sent an email out asking if someone could tell her fans this message:
Last message.
Im quitting fanpop. My parents are taking away my laptop. Daniel, I can still text you, but my phone is acting up. So this is goodbye guys.
Anyone left on Fanpop/ TELL THEM IM DONE.
Im sorry guys. Send this to whoever else has contact with me.
Bye.
So, Liz sent an email out asking if someone could tell her fans this message:
Last message.
Im quitting fanpop. My parents are taking away my laptop. Daniel, I can still text you, but my phone is acting up. So this is goodbye guys.
Anyone left on Fanpop/ TELL THEM IM DONE.
Im sorry guys. Send this to whoever else has contact with me.
Bye.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I THINK I MIGHT CRY!!!!!!!!! WHAT'S THE MISTAKE WHAT DID LEO DO WHAT ARE WE
GOING TO DO WITHOUT UNIVERSALPOWA?!!!?!?!!!?
GOING TO DO WITHOUT UNIVERSALPOWA?!!!?!?!!!?
NONONONONONONOONONONOONONONOONONONONONOONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONOI
This is obviously a joke and scheme to throw us off course then smash us in the face with an incredibly amazeballs chapter....right?
Nah I love you guys too much to leave you like that.
Hey I think I have to caution more swearing in this chapter but one of my friends was helping me write this so they didn't exactly monitor their language :D LOL IT WORKS ANYWAYS
:DDDDDDDDD I MISSED Y'AALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL (and so did the characters they don't like being stuck in hiatus becuase then they are paralyzed and they dont appreciate that :D)
-----
Chapter 29
Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree
Leo
“Piper, pass the garland,” Annabeth hummed as she stepped up onto a ladder to hang more popcorn across the tree. “I can’t reach it from here.”
Piper obliged and weaved her way through boxes carefully to avoid stepping on decorations, while Leo and Percy attempted to hang wreaths from the staircase.
Leo’s muscles protested in pain while Percy sat on his shoulder, trying to reach a pin on the stairs. “Could you hurry up?” Leo whined, but Percy hummed a Christmas tune that was almost unrecognizable from the off-key tones. It was either “Noel” or a mixture of a “Silent Night” which Leo couldn’t determine either of.
“Dude,” Leo asked. “What in the blazes are you singing?”
Percy frowned, and swiftly slid off Leo’s back to gather more christmas hangings. “The Little Drummer Boy. Duh.” He hummed the tune again in a series of pitches that Leo still didn’t recognize, but he shrugged and said “Uh-huh sure.”
“Away in a mangerrrrrr,” Frank falalaled in a graceful waltz across the living room and almost tripped over the coffee table. “No crib for a bed, Falalala, I don’t know the words to the song...”
“Mhm,” Leo plopped down on the couch to watch Hazel attempt to lift metal ornaments and fly them onto the tree. “Gold star performance there, Zhang.”
Frank seemed to ignore him and spun around with a reindeer headband over his head.“Falalala, Leo is a dick face, Falalalaa-”
Hazel fumbled with an ornament, and Piper happened to see it and caught it before it crashed into the wall. “Frank!” Hazel scolded like a fussy old-fashioned school teacher. “Thou shalt not use naughty language!”
“Yeah, Fai,” Leo snickered. “Thou shalt not waltz and sing naughty lyrics.”
“FALALALALA, SCREW YOU VALDEZ, FALALALA-”
“Back to normal,” Leo grinned. “Fai giving pathetic excuses of vocabulary. If you hang out with me and Percy you might pick up some-”
Hazel gave him the worst Don’t You Even Think About It glare he had to get up and walk away in the other direction while whistling innocently.
While doing so, he tripped over the wires attached to the Christmas tree and fell cursing and wriggling onto a box of ornaments. Just before that, Frank the Klutzmaster had shoved into it, so Leo missed the box, and fell face-flat onto the floor.
Piper made her way over to pick up the box Frank had kicked and stepped over Leo’s fallen torso. “Well, at least the ornaments aren’t broken.” She picked up the box and carried it to a safer location away from the male specimens.
“FALALALALA,” Frank did a long waltz in his socks and slid across the hardwood floor. “FALALA-” He overshot his slide-factor and slammed into the kitchen door. “SHIT!”
Leo groaned and rolled over off his stomach and onto his back. “Zhang, those aren’t the words.” Leo picked up his head ever so slightly and saw Frank rubbing his head and getting back up. He scowled and went back to decorating the tree with Annabeth and Hazel, except now humming “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” while he untangled tinsel and hung it over the branches.
Percy, who had been wrapping garland around the spiral staircase, jumped down the entire flight of stairs and began singing “FROSTY THE SNOWMAN-”
Leo took that as his cue. “WAS A JOLLY HAPPY SOUL-”
“-WWIIITTTHHH A CORNCOB PIPE AND A BUTTON NOSEE AND TWO EYES MADE OUT O’ COAAAALLLL!” Leo and Percy embraced and linked each other’s arms so they could skip around the living room together.
Hazel was laughing while the two guys sang, and Percy linked up with Frank and they all bellowed out the chorus, and then Annabeth had to step off her ladder so she wouldn’t fall- she was laughing too hard. Piper was laughing too, but, red-faced, she cupped her hands and said in a powerful opera voice: “GAAAAAAAYYYYYY!”
“Oh you guys,” Hazel chuckled as the boys continuously pranced around the room singing as loud as they could and probably pissing off the next-door neighbors.
Turns out they were right, because five minutes later one of the neighbors with a thick unibrow knocked on the door and told them to put a sock in it, and stormed away.
“He looked mad,” Percy commented as he shut the door and rebolted it.
“That was a girl,” Annabeth pointed out and wrapped off the last end of tinsel. “Done!”
“That was a woman?” Percy asked, baffled. “If so, she needs a good shave.”
Leo cackled, while Frank added “Like Valdez does.”
That abruptly cut Leo off, so he could jump over the couch and attack Frank. Piper eventually told Leo to stop, because Frank was turning blue from being choked, and Percy gave a loud taxi-cab whistle that almost shattered the windows.
Now that he had their undivided attention (which is hard for ADHD demigods) Percy broke out into a grin and said “Who’s gonna help me decorate this tree?”
“MEEEE!” Leo bounced up and down, grabbing Piper’s wrist and dragging her into the mess of ornament boxes. Hazel and Frank joined them and went through the first stack of ornaments, while Annabeth shook her head.
“I did all this work, now I go back to my own work.” She huffed. “You guys sat around and sang.”
“Hey!” Hazel and Piper protested. “We helped!”
“Yeah, maybe a little...but I have some maps to plan out for Wisp on Olympus- she’s my head organizer, and I need to finish some plans for an Athenian statue.” Annabeth stepped up the stairs and vanished into her room to go do...Annabeth-things.
Percy sighed. “Whoever hangs the most ornaments gets to hang the star.”
Leo dashed over and filled his arms with orbs to hang. “Then don’t stand there, let’s get started!”
----
It was long, tedious work to hang all the ornaments.
The result in having male life-forms hanging ornaments was lots of clumsiness and swearing, but only four glass ones broke in the end. Piper had a good time, and Leo was happy to see her smiling and laughing, until his hand came upon the last few ornaments.
“These are special ornaments,” Percy instructed as he reached his hand in and took out seven decorated ones. “They were gifts from special people.”
Leo happened to glance over, and his heart sank. Shit, Percy was going to seriously-
“One for Frank,” Percy handed one to Frank that was wooden and carved into the shape of a beaver. He scowled at it, but he looked grateful for it.
“Hazel’s,” Percy handed a gold ornament in the shape of a round circle with diamond engravings.
“Leo,” Percy passed his without comment, his being made of scrap metal and shaped like a dragon head. Leo held it in his palm and didn’t look at it right away.
“Here’s mine,” Percy frowned and turned over a seashell one. He started laughing. “Oh,” he laughed. “I knew Annabeth would write that on mine.”
Leo saw him tuck his and Annabeth’s away. He handed a pink heart-shaped one to Piper, who took it without comment, and Percy turned around and said “Jason-” and his cheerful voice faltered.
He let it slip. Crap. Leo whipped around and saw Piper’s expression twist and crumble drastically. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. SHIT.
He had already slipped his ornament in his pocket as he ran to catch her- or push her somehow- away from the mess they were about to slide in. The others seemed to have sensed the sudden static charged in the air, like the molecules were about to combust all around them.
Double shit. His arms were already around her and he pulled her into a tight hug, and she was holding onto his shirt like it was the only thing keeping her alive. It only took one slip-up; it was too soon for a scar to be covered over. She needed time, Leo thought. And her friends. (And me...)
Piper wasn’t actually crying, Leo figured out. She seemed caught between sobbing and shaking, but Leo just held her until she made up her mind if she wanted to shiver or cry her eyes out. She still seemed stuck on that, but for now, Leo was alright with that.
The time seemed to pass quickly, and before Leo realized it, they had watched a whole day slip by. He murmured things into her hair, but Piper was frozen in a state of re-shock from remembering too many things at once.
Leo hadn’t realized she was talking until she had stopped. So he blinked and focused on her, trying to remember if she had spoken.
Piper, apparently realizing he hadn’t been paying attention, looked annoyed and sad (and a little relieved?) at his zone-out. “I asked if you would show me your ornament.”
“Oh. Ha.. That thing.” Leo unwrapped one of his hands and reached into his pocket. He had kept it in there all day, while everyone else had already hung theirs on the tree. Piper was still clutching hers in her pocket, and Leo had watched Percy drop Jason’s onto the coffee table- as if holding it caused it to burn his hands.
Out of all the things Leo had ever built, he had never seen so much care in one product. The ornament was a tiny version of Festus- back when he had been a full bronze dragon- except the eyes glowed from the inside with a realistic looking flame. His jaws were wide open like he was talking or breathing fire- either of which Leo would have loved the dragon to do- but maybe wasn’t a good idea to have a fire-breathing ornament on a tree.
One of Festus’ sides had been carved out, like a little jukebox had been dug in. The gift was the size of Leo’s palm, and it was so fragile and intricate he had to be careful when handling it.
“Press his head,” Piper advised. “Each of them have something special.”
Leo looked at mini-Festus warily. “Will he breathe fire?”
Piper gave a dry laugh. “No. Well, I don’t think he will.”
“Assuring.”
“Press it,” she urged. Leo moved his fingers over Festus’ head and pressed down gently. Something clicked inside the tiny figurine, and the cutout section of his side glowed like a mini television.
It was like a miniature slideshow in a tiny video clip. Little pictures of the seven of them filled up the screen, lasting about ten seconds before fading and moving on. Leo squinted to make out some of the things, when suddenly the dragon’s hide glowed and little inscriptions began appearing on the screen.
Hey Valdez, the first one said. Wassup mah brothah? That sounded cooler in my head. Well, you’re my awesome bud and stuff, and you’re mah homie, so like, keep a cool head Fire boy, or I’ll have to chase after you with a bucket of water. Happy Christmas! :D
The next one read: You’re an absolute nutto, but a genius, so I’ll respect you for that. Also, DON’T STEAL MY SCROLLS. Happy Holidays!
And the next: You creep me out sometimes, and confuse me with your tech babble a lot, but you’re like a brother to me and you’re friends are always there for you. Just try not to light my belongings on fire as much, k? Merry Christmas! :D OH MY GOD IT SMILES!!
Leo almost had a fit with the next one- and by fit, he almost dropped it and laughed until he died: You’re annoying. You’re an ego-maniac and get along way too friendly with that faun Hedgy or something. You’re fire powers honestly scare the living bejesus out of me. But you’re Leo and you and I are like brothers, even when you kidnap my pants and force me to do dog tricks. Happy Holidays from Canada! C:
“That’s mine,” Piper smiled as the next one showed up.
Leo....you’re like my best friend EVER and you’re like...everything I’ve always wanted for an annoying brother or something like that. You’re brave and smart and sometimes get on my nerves, but I know you’re in for the best and I couldn’t ask for a better friend. LE VALDEZ RAWKS THE HOLIDAYS- P.s.- please keep your taco meat OUT OF MY STOCKING THIS YEAR. Merry Christmas! :D
Leo knew what message was next, and took a glance at Piper who remained calm (mostly) while he read it.
Dude, you’re crazy and nuts and tend to do lots of really weird, stupid things- but those weird stupid things tend to save my life, so I guess that makes you a genius! (Take that as a compliment.) And blah blah something about thank you for your service to the legion (Ooh by the way can you agree with me; the tattoo hurts a lot. Percy was like “eh” all manly and stuff but it HURTS LIKE FRIGGIN’ HELL RIGHT?) Anyways you’re my BEST BEST BESTIE BUD EVAH OR SUMTHANG IDK Howmbro you keep rocking on in your Valdez way while the rest of us sit back either weirded out or extremely entertained. I’ll clap too, if it makes you happy. HAPPEH HOOLIDAYYS BUDDEH (And lay off the eggnog this year, okay?) ;)
Leo felt a little choked up inside. He knew they had each made these for one another last week as a gift, but they did it in groups so the person they were making it for wouldn’t see it.
“Well,” Leo said in a gravelly voice. “Let’s see yours, then.”
Piper took her own ornament out, and after a few flashes of pictures the heart-shaped gift changed screens and started showing the messages.
You’re the strangest, most bad-ass daughter of Aphrodite I have ever met, the first one said. So much so, keep that dagger pointed away from me at all times. Keep doing whatever you’re doing and stuff, and try not to piss of all the prep girls you meet, okay? :D HAPPAY HOOLUIDAYS HEHE
Piper, you’re smart and way more adventurous than most children of love...to the point I think you might be a little bit crazy. :D That’s okay though, the others are just as nuts. I’d love to bond over architecture designs with you, but Leo’s the only one who can stay on the same topic and actually get excited about it! Well, I guess if I need fashion advice, I could ask you...or pray to your mom. Well, beyond that, Happy Christmas buddy!
You’re an awesome sister, you know that? You look out for me and help me do my hair and random stuff that I don’t even know how to explain (and the list is too long anyways) and you’re nice and strong and confident and looking out for your family and your friends. :D Leo suggested a hashtag so here we go: #YOLO! Wait I died before so...? Ah, nevermind. Yum Our Lovely Oreos! :D
Leo snorted.
Ahh....well you’re definitely strong and somehow manage to keep Percy and Jason in line and Leo so kudos to you! If anyone deserves an awesome award on how to handle Valdez, it’s you! Enjoy the holidays and hide if you see any drunk fauns on eggnog...just a suggestion. Happy Holidays :D
“Yay here’s mine,” Leo whispered excitedly.
BOOM. BOMBOBMBOBMOBMBBOBMBKBMBOBMB Well chica, you’re like an explosion of awesome and ass-kicking and girly shit all rolled into one taco, so basically, stay away from explosive objects because then the whole world will explode. :D That sounded pretty awesome, actually. You’re awesome and like my little sister and other shit and I love ‘ya and idk what else to write heyyy FELIZ NAVIDADES, CHICA LOCA 8D
“Really, Leo?”
Heyo Pipero! No, Leo, I didn’t say to actually write that- Ah shit. Anyways, you’re awesome and you and Leo are my besties and shit and I love you to death and I’ll do anything for you. You’re pretty and awesome and I don’t care what anyone else says, you’re perfect all on your own. Merry Christmas, Piper.
Piper looked close to tears now. “Merry Christmas, Jason...”
“...Wherever you are,” Leo finished. “Stay alive so I can hunt you down and kick your ass for ever leaving us.”
Piper stood up and stumbled like she was in a daze (or drunk), and Leo caught her quickly. He led her over to the tree, as he passed and picked up Jason’s ornament, and looked up and down at the tree.
The rainbow lights flashed in all synchronized patterns and random times, and the other ornaments seemed to be flickering in the light. Leo happened to see the time and- 12:36 - Shit- figured he was going to sleep on the couch that night. The stairs were a dangerous obstacle course in the dark.
Leo hung his ornament first, facing Festus so he was looking out at them. His eyes glowed like candlelight, flickering and wavering as the air shifted.
Piper passed her hand over her own ornament and strung it onto a few branches away from Leo’s. Leo took out Jason’s, and Piper took one other side of the lightning bolted treasure, and Leo guided her hand onto a branch in the middle of their ornaments.
When it was hung, he guided the exhausted girl (who was exhausted mentally and physically) to the couch where he laid down and she snuggled up next to him as they fell asleep.
Leo watched the blinking lights until his eyes refused to stay open, and he fell asleep, his arms still wrapped around his best friend who was cuddled up securely in the safety of each other.
Leo was still asleep, until an irritated voice said “Shit, you two have been down here all night? Damn.”
Hey I think I have to caution more swearing in this chapter but one of my friends was helping me write this so they didn't exactly monitor their language :D LOL IT WORKS ANYWAYS
:DDDDDDDDD I MISSED Y'AALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL (and so did the characters they don't like being stuck in hiatus becuase then they are paralyzed and they dont appreciate that :D)
-----
Chapter 29
Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree
Leo
“Piper, pass the garland,” Annabeth hummed as she stepped up onto a ladder to hang more popcorn across the tree. “I can’t reach it from here.”
Piper obliged and weaved her way through boxes carefully to avoid stepping on decorations, while Leo and Percy attempted to hang wreaths from the staircase.
Leo’s muscles protested in pain while Percy sat on his shoulder, trying to reach a pin on the stairs. “Could you hurry up?” Leo whined, but Percy hummed a Christmas tune that was almost unrecognizable from the off-key tones. It was either “Noel” or a mixture of a “Silent Night” which Leo couldn’t determine either of.
“Dude,” Leo asked. “What in the blazes are you singing?”
Percy frowned, and swiftly slid off Leo’s back to gather more christmas hangings. “The Little Drummer Boy. Duh.” He hummed the tune again in a series of pitches that Leo still didn’t recognize, but he shrugged and said “Uh-huh sure.”
“Away in a mangerrrrrr,” Frank falalaled in a graceful waltz across the living room and almost tripped over the coffee table. “No crib for a bed, Falalala, I don’t know the words to the song...”
“Mhm,” Leo plopped down on the couch to watch Hazel attempt to lift metal ornaments and fly them onto the tree. “Gold star performance there, Zhang.”
Frank seemed to ignore him and spun around with a reindeer headband over his head.“Falalala, Leo is a dick face, Falalalaa-”
Hazel fumbled with an ornament, and Piper happened to see it and caught it before it crashed into the wall. “Frank!” Hazel scolded like a fussy old-fashioned school teacher. “Thou shalt not use naughty language!”
“Yeah, Fai,” Leo snickered. “Thou shalt not waltz and sing naughty lyrics.”
“FALALALALA, SCREW YOU VALDEZ, FALALALA-”
“Back to normal,” Leo grinned. “Fai giving pathetic excuses of vocabulary. If you hang out with me and Percy you might pick up some-”
Hazel gave him the worst Don’t You Even Think About It glare he had to get up and walk away in the other direction while whistling innocently.
While doing so, he tripped over the wires attached to the Christmas tree and fell cursing and wriggling onto a box of ornaments. Just before that, Frank the Klutzmaster had shoved into it, so Leo missed the box, and fell face-flat onto the floor.
Piper made her way over to pick up the box Frank had kicked and stepped over Leo’s fallen torso. “Well, at least the ornaments aren’t broken.” She picked up the box and carried it to a safer location away from the male specimens.
“FALALALALA,” Frank did a long waltz in his socks and slid across the hardwood floor. “FALALA-” He overshot his slide-factor and slammed into the kitchen door. “SHIT!”
Leo groaned and rolled over off his stomach and onto his back. “Zhang, those aren’t the words.” Leo picked up his head ever so slightly and saw Frank rubbing his head and getting back up. He scowled and went back to decorating the tree with Annabeth and Hazel, except now humming “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” while he untangled tinsel and hung it over the branches.
Percy, who had been wrapping garland around the spiral staircase, jumped down the entire flight of stairs and began singing “FROSTY THE SNOWMAN-”
Leo took that as his cue. “WAS A JOLLY HAPPY SOUL-”
“-WWIIITTTHHH A CORNCOB PIPE AND A BUTTON NOSEE AND TWO EYES MADE OUT O’ COAAAALLLL!” Leo and Percy embraced and linked each other’s arms so they could skip around the living room together.
Hazel was laughing while the two guys sang, and Percy linked up with Frank and they all bellowed out the chorus, and then Annabeth had to step off her ladder so she wouldn’t fall- she was laughing too hard. Piper was laughing too, but, red-faced, she cupped her hands and said in a powerful opera voice: “GAAAAAAAYYYYYY!”
“Oh you guys,” Hazel chuckled as the boys continuously pranced around the room singing as loud as they could and probably pissing off the next-door neighbors.
Turns out they were right, because five minutes later one of the neighbors with a thick unibrow knocked on the door and told them to put a sock in it, and stormed away.
“He looked mad,” Percy commented as he shut the door and rebolted it.
“That was a girl,” Annabeth pointed out and wrapped off the last end of tinsel. “Done!”
“That was a woman?” Percy asked, baffled. “If so, she needs a good shave.”
Leo cackled, while Frank added “Like Valdez does.”
That abruptly cut Leo off, so he could jump over the couch and attack Frank. Piper eventually told Leo to stop, because Frank was turning blue from being choked, and Percy gave a loud taxi-cab whistle that almost shattered the windows.
Now that he had their undivided attention (which is hard for ADHD demigods) Percy broke out into a grin and said “Who’s gonna help me decorate this tree?”
“MEEEE!” Leo bounced up and down, grabbing Piper’s wrist and dragging her into the mess of ornament boxes. Hazel and Frank joined them and went through the first stack of ornaments, while Annabeth shook her head.
“I did all this work, now I go back to my own work.” She huffed. “You guys sat around and sang.”
“Hey!” Hazel and Piper protested. “We helped!”
“Yeah, maybe a little...but I have some maps to plan out for Wisp on Olympus- she’s my head organizer, and I need to finish some plans for an Athenian statue.” Annabeth stepped up the stairs and vanished into her room to go do...Annabeth-things.
Percy sighed. “Whoever hangs the most ornaments gets to hang the star.”
Leo dashed over and filled his arms with orbs to hang. “Then don’t stand there, let’s get started!”
----
It was long, tedious work to hang all the ornaments.
The result in having male life-forms hanging ornaments was lots of clumsiness and swearing, but only four glass ones broke in the end. Piper had a good time, and Leo was happy to see her smiling and laughing, until his hand came upon the last few ornaments.
“These are special ornaments,” Percy instructed as he reached his hand in and took out seven decorated ones. “They were gifts from special people.”
Leo happened to glance over, and his heart sank. Shit, Percy was going to seriously-
“One for Frank,” Percy handed one to Frank that was wooden and carved into the shape of a beaver. He scowled at it, but he looked grateful for it.
“Hazel’s,” Percy handed a gold ornament in the shape of a round circle with diamond engravings.
“Leo,” Percy passed his without comment, his being made of scrap metal and shaped like a dragon head. Leo held it in his palm and didn’t look at it right away.
“Here’s mine,” Percy frowned and turned over a seashell one. He started laughing. “Oh,” he laughed. “I knew Annabeth would write that on mine.”
Leo saw him tuck his and Annabeth’s away. He handed a pink heart-shaped one to Piper, who took it without comment, and Percy turned around and said “Jason-” and his cheerful voice faltered.
He let it slip. Crap. Leo whipped around and saw Piper’s expression twist and crumble drastically. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. SHIT.
He had already slipped his ornament in his pocket as he ran to catch her- or push her somehow- away from the mess they were about to slide in. The others seemed to have sensed the sudden static charged in the air, like the molecules were about to combust all around them.
Double shit. His arms were already around her and he pulled her into a tight hug, and she was holding onto his shirt like it was the only thing keeping her alive. It only took one slip-up; it was too soon for a scar to be covered over. She needed time, Leo thought. And her friends. (And me...)
Piper wasn’t actually crying, Leo figured out. She seemed caught between sobbing and shaking, but Leo just held her until she made up her mind if she wanted to shiver or cry her eyes out. She still seemed stuck on that, but for now, Leo was alright with that.
The time seemed to pass quickly, and before Leo realized it, they had watched a whole day slip by. He murmured things into her hair, but Piper was frozen in a state of re-shock from remembering too many things at once.
Leo hadn’t realized she was talking until she had stopped. So he blinked and focused on her, trying to remember if she had spoken.
Piper, apparently realizing he hadn’t been paying attention, looked annoyed and sad (and a little relieved?) at his zone-out. “I asked if you would show me your ornament.”
“Oh. Ha.. That thing.” Leo unwrapped one of his hands and reached into his pocket. He had kept it in there all day, while everyone else had already hung theirs on the tree. Piper was still clutching hers in her pocket, and Leo had watched Percy drop Jason’s onto the coffee table- as if holding it caused it to burn his hands.
Out of all the things Leo had ever built, he had never seen so much care in one product. The ornament was a tiny version of Festus- back when he had been a full bronze dragon- except the eyes glowed from the inside with a realistic looking flame. His jaws were wide open like he was talking or breathing fire- either of which Leo would have loved the dragon to do- but maybe wasn’t a good idea to have a fire-breathing ornament on a tree.
One of Festus’ sides had been carved out, like a little jukebox had been dug in. The gift was the size of Leo’s palm, and it was so fragile and intricate he had to be careful when handling it.
“Press his head,” Piper advised. “Each of them have something special.”
Leo looked at mini-Festus warily. “Will he breathe fire?”
Piper gave a dry laugh. “No. Well, I don’t think he will.”
“Assuring.”
“Press it,” she urged. Leo moved his fingers over Festus’ head and pressed down gently. Something clicked inside the tiny figurine, and the cutout section of his side glowed like a mini television.
It was like a miniature slideshow in a tiny video clip. Little pictures of the seven of them filled up the screen, lasting about ten seconds before fading and moving on. Leo squinted to make out some of the things, when suddenly the dragon’s hide glowed and little inscriptions began appearing on the screen.
Hey Valdez, the first one said. Wassup mah brothah? That sounded cooler in my head. Well, you’re my awesome bud and stuff, and you’re mah homie, so like, keep a cool head Fire boy, or I’ll have to chase after you with a bucket of water. Happy Christmas! :D
The next one read: You’re an absolute nutto, but a genius, so I’ll respect you for that. Also, DON’T STEAL MY SCROLLS. Happy Holidays!
And the next: You creep me out sometimes, and confuse me with your tech babble a lot, but you’re like a brother to me and you’re friends are always there for you. Just try not to light my belongings on fire as much, k? Merry Christmas! :D OH MY GOD IT SMILES!!
Leo almost had a fit with the next one- and by fit, he almost dropped it and laughed until he died: You’re annoying. You’re an ego-maniac and get along way too friendly with that faun Hedgy or something. You’re fire powers honestly scare the living bejesus out of me. But you’re Leo and you and I are like brothers, even when you kidnap my pants and force me to do dog tricks. Happy Holidays from Canada! C:
“That’s mine,” Piper smiled as the next one showed up.
Leo....you’re like my best friend EVER and you’re like...everything I’ve always wanted for an annoying brother or something like that. You’re brave and smart and sometimes get on my nerves, but I know you’re in for the best and I couldn’t ask for a better friend. LE VALDEZ RAWKS THE HOLIDAYS- P.s.- please keep your taco meat OUT OF MY STOCKING THIS YEAR. Merry Christmas! :D
Leo knew what message was next, and took a glance at Piper who remained calm (mostly) while he read it.
Dude, you’re crazy and nuts and tend to do lots of really weird, stupid things- but those weird stupid things tend to save my life, so I guess that makes you a genius! (Take that as a compliment.) And blah blah something about thank you for your service to the legion (Ooh by the way can you agree with me; the tattoo hurts a lot. Percy was like “eh” all manly and stuff but it HURTS LIKE FRIGGIN’ HELL RIGHT?) Anyways you’re my BEST BEST BESTIE BUD EVAH OR SUMTHANG IDK Howmbro you keep rocking on in your Valdez way while the rest of us sit back either weirded out or extremely entertained. I’ll clap too, if it makes you happy. HAPPEH HOOLIDAYYS BUDDEH (And lay off the eggnog this year, okay?) ;)
Leo felt a little choked up inside. He knew they had each made these for one another last week as a gift, but they did it in groups so the person they were making it for wouldn’t see it.
“Well,” Leo said in a gravelly voice. “Let’s see yours, then.”
Piper took her own ornament out, and after a few flashes of pictures the heart-shaped gift changed screens and started showing the messages.
You’re the strangest, most bad-ass daughter of Aphrodite I have ever met, the first one said. So much so, keep that dagger pointed away from me at all times. Keep doing whatever you’re doing and stuff, and try not to piss of all the prep girls you meet, okay? :D HAPPAY HOOLUIDAYS HEHE
Piper, you’re smart and way more adventurous than most children of love...to the point I think you might be a little bit crazy. :D That’s okay though, the others are just as nuts. I’d love to bond over architecture designs with you, but Leo’s the only one who can stay on the same topic and actually get excited about it! Well, I guess if I need fashion advice, I could ask you...or pray to your mom. Well, beyond that, Happy Christmas buddy!
You’re an awesome sister, you know that? You look out for me and help me do my hair and random stuff that I don’t even know how to explain (and the list is too long anyways) and you’re nice and strong and confident and looking out for your family and your friends. :D Leo suggested a hashtag so here we go: #YOLO! Wait I died before so...? Ah, nevermind. Yum Our Lovely Oreos! :D
Leo snorted.
Ahh....well you’re definitely strong and somehow manage to keep Percy and Jason in line and Leo so kudos to you! If anyone deserves an awesome award on how to handle Valdez, it’s you! Enjoy the holidays and hide if you see any drunk fauns on eggnog...just a suggestion. Happy Holidays :D
“Yay here’s mine,” Leo whispered excitedly.
BOOM. BOMBOBMBOBMOBMBBOBMBKBMBOBMB Well chica, you’re like an explosion of awesome and ass-kicking and girly shit all rolled into one taco, so basically, stay away from explosive objects because then the whole world will explode. :D That sounded pretty awesome, actually. You’re awesome and like my little sister and other shit and I love ‘ya and idk what else to write heyyy FELIZ NAVIDADES, CHICA LOCA 8D
“Really, Leo?”
Heyo Pipero! No, Leo, I didn’t say to actually write that- Ah shit. Anyways, you’re awesome and you and Leo are my besties and shit and I love you to death and I’ll do anything for you. You’re pretty and awesome and I don’t care what anyone else says, you’re perfect all on your own. Merry Christmas, Piper.
Piper looked close to tears now. “Merry Christmas, Jason...”
“...Wherever you are,” Leo finished. “Stay alive so I can hunt you down and kick your ass for ever leaving us.”
Piper stood up and stumbled like she was in a daze (or drunk), and Leo caught her quickly. He led her over to the tree, as he passed and picked up Jason’s ornament, and looked up and down at the tree.
The rainbow lights flashed in all synchronized patterns and random times, and the other ornaments seemed to be flickering in the light. Leo happened to see the time and- 12:36 - Shit- figured he was going to sleep on the couch that night. The stairs were a dangerous obstacle course in the dark.
Leo hung his ornament first, facing Festus so he was looking out at them. His eyes glowed like candlelight, flickering and wavering as the air shifted.
Piper passed her hand over her own ornament and strung it onto a few branches away from Leo’s. Leo took out Jason’s, and Piper took one other side of the lightning bolted treasure, and Leo guided her hand onto a branch in the middle of their ornaments.
When it was hung, he guided the exhausted girl (who was exhausted mentally and physically) to the couch where he laid down and she snuggled up next to him as they fell asleep.
Leo watched the blinking lights until his eyes refused to stay open, and he fell asleep, his arms still wrapped around his best friend who was cuddled up securely in the safety of each other.
Leo was still asleep, until an irritated voice said “Shit, you two have been down here all night? Damn.”
last edited 7 months ago
And a sneak peek at next chapter!
TROLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
----
Chapter 30
Shopping Lists
Leo
Leo blinked his eyes trying to think, but it seemed clogged and slow. “What?” He asked in a croaky voice. His throat was raw like during the night evil elves had come and shoved a cheese grater down his throat.
“Fuck- Leo, you’re sleeping with Piper- Holy shit- You know, I don’t want to know.” Leo opened his eyes a little wider to see Percy looking a little scarred, annoyed, and freaked out. Percy was also wearing pajamas. (Hey, at least it wasn’t battle armor- that would mean bad things. Or battle armor AND pajamas. That was definitely a new fashion statement Percy seemed to keep making on bad days.)
“What?” Leo asked louder, but then remembered suddenly Piper was sleeping next to him and his voice did a funky jump to a higher pitch- about eight octaves, maybe. (If he was being generous because Leo didn’t think his own voice could go that high.)
Percy rubbed the back of his neck like he wasn’t sure if he should scold them or boast how he was still a virgin and hadn’t ever gotten ‘laid.’ (Which he would have been totally lying- the walls in the house were NOT SOUNDPROOF. Off-topic.)
Leo’s mind was still half-asleep. “Leo,” Percy whispered and motioned to Piper like she should keep sleeping. “We need to talk.”
Leo brushed Piper’s head off his lap and stretched while she slept peacefully on the couch. It felt like his leg was numb because it was stiff and hard to move. Percy looked strangely nervous, and dragged him into the kitchen.
Leo noticed it was exceptionally dark outside, and the time was... No, it couldn’t be 5 AM. What!?
“Dude!” Leo hissed angrily. “It’s like freaking five in the morning! Could this wait until like, seven?”
“No,” Percy sounded scared. “They found Jason.”
---
you guys are screwed i have gone back to trolling you all MWAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
TROLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
----
Chapter 30
Shopping Lists
Leo
Leo blinked his eyes trying to think, but it seemed clogged and slow. “What?” He asked in a croaky voice. His throat was raw like during the night evil elves had come and shoved a cheese grater down his throat.
“Fuck- Leo, you’re sleeping with Piper- Holy shit- You know, I don’t want to know.” Leo opened his eyes a little wider to see Percy looking a little scarred, annoyed, and freaked out. Percy was also wearing pajamas. (Hey, at least it wasn’t battle armor- that would mean bad things. Or battle armor AND pajamas. That was definitely a new fashion statement Percy seemed to keep making on bad days.)
“What?” Leo asked louder, but then remembered suddenly Piper was sleeping next to him and his voice did a funky jump to a higher pitch- about eight octaves, maybe. (If he was being generous because Leo didn’t think his own voice could go that high.)
Percy rubbed the back of his neck like he wasn’t sure if he should scold them or boast how he was still a virgin and hadn’t ever gotten ‘laid.’ (Which he would have been totally lying- the walls in the house were NOT SOUNDPROOF. Off-topic.)
Leo’s mind was still half-asleep. “Leo,” Percy whispered and motioned to Piper like she should keep sleeping. “We need to talk.”
Leo brushed Piper’s head off his lap and stretched while she slept peacefully on the couch. It felt like his leg was numb because it was stiff and hard to move. Percy looked strangely nervous, and dragged him into the kitchen.
Leo noticed it was exceptionally dark outside, and the time was... No, it couldn’t be 5 AM. What!?
“Dude!” Leo hissed angrily. “It’s like freaking five in the morning! Could this wait until like, seven?”
“No,” Percy sounded scared. “They found Jason.”
---
you guys are screwed i have gone back to trolling you all MWAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
I hate you, but you really deserve this
You had it coming MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
You had it coming MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Good chapter Liz, and your cliffhanger didn't work on me. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Amazeballs chapter!!!! and I feel dumb but I haven't figured out what the game is yet....
Does that mean I lost it? Ah who cares? Leo's still as awesome as ever!!! And I can completely imagine percy wearing battle armour and pj's.
Does that mean I lost it? Ah who cares? Leo's still as awesome as ever!!! And I can completely imagine percy wearing battle armour and pj's.
DMLIME, the game is simple. If you don't think about the game, you are winning but if you think about the game, you lose.
I lost the game! *glares at ontril* you just had to make a comment that made me think of the game didn't you! Haha just kiddin ontril I'm just yanking your chain.
0-o Why do I have the creepiest feeling that you killed Jason, Uni?
LOL THAT IS TRUE I LOVE TO TORTURE PEOPLE LAWL
OH LOL Btw it just occured to me
In the beginning I said everything was happening a year before
yeah I lied
it's two years
TWO
DOS
sorry I wrote it in my notes but I meant two lol
so yeah the beginning of the story with Leo sitting in a hospital is in the year 2017
and everything going on now is 2015 and soon to be 2016 :D HEHE
HEHE
HE
HE
HEHEHE
and no Jason's isn't dead that would be too simple I just wanted to throw in more love triangles
----
Chapter 30
Shopping Lists
Leo
Leo blinked his eyes trying to think, but it seemed clogged and slow. “What?” He asked in a croaky voice. His throat was raw like during the night evil elves had come and shoved a cheese grater down his throat.
“Fuck- Leo, you’re sleeping with Piper- Holy shit- You know, I don’t want to know.” Leo opened his eyes a little wider to see Percy looking a little scarred, annoyed, and freaked out. Percy was also wearing pajamas. (Hey, at least it wasn’t battle armor- that would mean bad things. Or battle armor AND pajamas. That was definitely a new fashion statement Percy seemed to keep making on bad days.)
“What?” Leo asked louder, but then remembered suddenly Piper was sleeping next to him and his voice did a funky jump to a higher pitch- about eight octaves, maybe. (If he was being generous because Leo didn’t think his own voice could go that high.)
Percy rubbed the back of his neck like he wasn’t sure if he should scold them or boast how he was still a virgin and hadn’t ever gotten ‘laid.’ (Which he would have been totally lying- the walls in the house were NOT SOUNDPROOF. Off-topic.)
Leo’s mind was still half-asleep. “Leo,” Percy whispered and motioned to Piper like she should keep sleeping. “We need to talk.”
Leo brushed Piper’s head off his lap and stretched while she slept peacefully on the couch. It felt like his leg was numb because it was stiff and hard to move. Percy looked strangely nervous, and dragged him into the kitchen.
Leo noticed it was exceptionally dark outside, and the time was... No, it couldn’t be 5 AM. What!?
“Dude!” Leo hissed angrily. “It’s like freaking five in the morning! Could this wait until like, seven?”
“No,” Percy sounded scared. “They found Jason.”
---
It would have been a lie to say he took the news well. Percy had to to drag him outside in his boxers and throw his friend into the snow for him to calm down.
“So let me get this straight,” Leo asked through chattering teeth as he and Percy went through the back door and back into the kitchen. “You’re telling me they FOUND him, and then LOST him again.”
“Hey,” Percy spread his arms in a placating fashion like Not My Fault. “I wasn’t there. And I only know because Reyna IMed me at four thirty this morning.”
“Jesus; does she ever sleep?”
“She was doing night patrol, idiot.” Percy told him impatiently. “That’s not what’s wrong. They caught him on the border, chasing something across the Caldecott Tunnel. At least we know he’s alive.”
A few feelings of anger, quickly replaced by sheer stupor at his best friend’s amazing ability to get lost, and then guilt. Was it right to have moved onto his best friend’s girl right after he left? A part of his mind was saying UH DUH OF COURSE NOT but another said Well he left and dumped her, you have fair game and then the really pervy Percy part of his mind said Dang, she still kisses awesome.
Damn I’m a perv, Leo thought hopelessly.
“And then?” Leo asked. “After they managed to catch Amazing Grace?”
Percy sighed. “Apparently Reyna had him literally tied to a chair, had the entire fifth cohort keeping an eye on him.... and he vanished. Again.”
Leo slammed his fist into the door of the refrigerator. “Damn.”
“It sucks, horribly,” Percy agreed. “Reyna was trying to talk sense into him...but she noticed he seemed a little...off. He kept repeating something about ‘a sacrifice of mortal blood’ and stuff like ‘the final chapter has yet to come’ and ‘the earth has her vengeance to yield upon the heroes’- you know, I think he’s been watching too much Doctor Who.”
Leo shook his head, trying to ignore the tingling sensation in his hand from where it had hit the fridge. “But...how did he escape then?”
Percy shrugged. “I just wanted to tell you now. I have to fly to meet up with Reyna in The Great Lakes where they managed to chase him that far. He flew across the water and they think he’s still somewhere on the water. I have to catch my flight in about ten minutes...tell the others I went to go buy bread or something, okay?”
“Yeah,” Leo said. “Because I hope you remember to bring back a day’s worth of bread.” Percy managed to smile.
“Keep your head on, Valdez.” He clapped his shoulder. “I gotta grab some clothes. Oh, and take Piper out somewhere today to take her mind off things. I think the others could use some fresh air too.”
Leo mumbled something in answer, but his mind went back to being tired and he collapsed on the armchair in the living room and heard Percy close the front door and drive off to the nearest airport.
The nice thing about being Demigods, they got to pretty much use airline service any time they needed it. There were so many old legion members all over the States, they just had to call in and a pilot would get a plane prepped for them. Plus, Percy was the praetor of Camp Jupiter, he got to pretty much do it for free as well. (They liked to charge the Greeks regardless if they were friends of Reyna or Percy. Jerks. Yellow spotted lily-livered-)
The next thing Leo knew he was being judo-flipped off the armrest, his neck being held in a vulnerable position over the arm of the couch, and a blade pressing into his back.
Uh-oh. Bad cop Annabeth had apparently just gotten her you-know-what. And, EW!
“Where.” Annabeth growled dangerously. “Is. Percy. Jackson.”
Leo gulped and laughed nervously. Last time Annabeth had done something regarding Percy Jackson’s well-being was when Leo had first met her- giving him an evil stare and a very serious Give Me My Boyfriend Or You Won’t Have A Head kind of attitude.
“Wha-” Piper flung off the couch and fell on the ground and landed under the coffee table. She looked at Leo and the murderous look in Annabeth’s glare, and asked “Did Leo mess up one of your blueprints or are you going through your-?”
“Where is Percy.” Annabeth repeated, digging the dagger into Leo’s shoulder blades. He yelped in surprise and used multiple swears. “Fuck, Annabeth, stop stabbing me! I’ll tell you but-Get off me first!”
Annabeth leaned back and let him stand on his feet, breathing heavily from being attacked in his sleep. “He woke me up this morning.” Leo explained calmly, although annoyed at Annabeth’s instinct to judo-attack him while he was snoozing. “There was a problem and he was hungry, and we were out of bread, so he went to go buy bread.”
Piper seemed to find that a worthy answer, got up, and walked off to the kitchen. “Well, I’m gonna get breakfast. Someone go wake up Hazel and Frank.”
She slammed the kitchen door so it swung back and forth a few times and disappeared from view. Annabeth’s full attention was on Leo.
“So,” she said. “Are you going to tell me where he really went, or will I have to force it out of you?”
“No karate, please,” Leo begged. “And I’m sworn under secrecy.”
“It’s about Jason, isn’t it.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Leo, you are a really, horrible liar.”
“I’m also fashionably dressed, and a wonderful mime.” Leo passed through the maze of christmas boxes and up the stairs. “Sadly, pajamas don’t suit me as much as you would think.”
“BREAKFAST!” Piper yelled from the kitchen.
“YES, DEAR,” Leo yelled back sarcastically. “RIGHT AFTER I GO CLEAN MY BEARD!”
“YOU MIGHT GET ONE UNLESS YOU SHAVE!”
“SHUT UP PIPER!”
“GO SHAVE!”
“NO!”
“YOU ARE A MAN NOW LEONARD VALDEZ!”
“AM NOT!”
“WHY ARE WE ARGUING OVER YOUR MANLINESS?”
“I HAVE NO IDEA!” Leo slammed the door to his bedroom and put on a clean shirt and thick sweat pants. He considered wearing his christmas rainbow socks, and then remembered Percy’s suggestion and decided against it.
Hazel peeked her head through the door, while holding a hand over her eyes. “Can I look?”
“Jesus, Hazel, I ain’t got nothin’ to show you.”
Frank peeked his head in over the top of Hazel. “Why were you guys yelling?”
“Don’t ask,” Leo said and pushed past them to the downstairs. “I’m gettin’ myself a bagel and some cereal, come join?”
“Waffles,” Frank said.
Hazel sighed. “Boys.”
“No,” Frank disagreed. “Men.”
“Gentlemen,” Leo agreed.
Hazel sighed. “What’s for breakfast anyways?”
“BREAKFAST IS TOFU!” Piper yelled from downstairs helpfully.
“Idiots. Now what were you saying about a bagel?” Hazel went downstairs with them.
---
“Leo, do you even know how to drive?” Piper asked anxiously, as Leo squeezed his winter boots onto his feet. He looked at her like she was crazy.
“Of course!” Leo answered. “Although according to New York State I don’t...”
Piper rolled her eyes, but she still looked anxious. “I don’t think this a good idea.”
Leo sighed. “If we die in a car accident, I’ll apologize. Now come on! You’re a daughter of Aphrodite, you, chica, need some shopping done.”
Piper soured. “So that’s what we’re doing. Oh, silly me by your enthusiasm, I thought it would be something fun.”
Leo beamed at her and linked his arm in hers. “Sure it will! I wanna stop by Victoria’s Secret and-”
“Leo, you’re gay.”
“-I was gonna say drool over the half naked woman, but okay, if you think so.” Leo dragged her into the second-time around car Percy had gotten from his parents. They had been using his mom and dad’s car to drive to stores and such for the winter (because walking is so exhausting for two blocks) and carry groceries. It looked like Percy had taken his parent’s car to the airport as well because the other car, Hubert, was outside.
“Oh great,” Piper grumbled. “We get the Hubby car.”
The Hubby car was an old 67’ Volkswagen Beetle car. It was white and pretty well used, but it was cheap and the mileage had been cheated (meaning; Leo screwed around with the engine until it got better miles), but it was a fine car. The boys had gotten used to calling it the Hubby car because usually the couples in the household would drive it back and forth in between dates- and when there was two dates on the same night (which didn’t happen often) then...well they hadn’t quite come to a compromise. And the boys were the only ones that drove the Hubby car. It was Leo’s side project away from his other projects.
“Aw, come on,” Leo opened up the passenger door for her. “Hubert is a good car.”
“Right up until it falls apart on the highway,” Piper muttered and slipped inside the car. Leo closed the door firmly, walked around the car, and sat in the driver seat. The turned the keys and put it in Reverse, and backed it out of the street-driveway they had. They hit the bump on the sidewalk, Leo put it in Drive, and stepped on the gas.
“Jesus Christ,” Piper swore as they narrowly missed a cyclist just out by her rearview mirror. “You’re gonna kill someone.”
“They’ll live.”
“Or us.” Piper pointed out. She gave another half-scream as Leo went over a hill at a fast speed. “Leo, slow down!”
Leo cackled. He knew the car was fine. The thing with Leo, was that the moment he turned the key and ignition, the car felt like it was attached to his arms. He could feel the road beneath him, and even the sharpest turns were a breeze for him. He had no problem shifting and braking, even with his sensory unit that the brakes in the car were almost shot. He’d fix those eventually.
He flipped the steering wheel over and pulled the car to a sharp stop. Piper peeked through her fingers, and slowly unraveled herself from hugging the seat.
“I’m driving on the way back,” Piper snapped. “That was not fun.”
“Aw, it was fine.” Leo said. “I get carsick, and I felt fine the whole ride.”
“You had your eyes closed the entire ride.”
“So did you.”
“I wasn’t driving!” Leo ignored her and slammed the driver door closed, and clicked the keys. The car beeped and flipped the lights on and off. He took Piper’s hand and led her up the street.
“What you need,” Leo said as they passed a tiny venue of stores. “Is some time to relax.”
“Relax,” Piper grumbled. “Yes, relaxation is the solution to the world’s problems.”
“Hey, relaxing helps the poor and the needy.”
“It’s also for rich people.”
“And it’s free.” Leo said. Piper tucked her other hand in her jacket. They were dressed for a winter outing, and it was actually relatively cold out. Piper had black earmuffs. Leo had a trapper hat with little flaps to cover his ears, and it was patterned with little flame symbols. (Piper had gotten him that the christmas before.)
She was wearing a Northface sweatshirt in the color of a dark winter sky blue, while he was wearing a Ski jacket with a tag that said “FLAMEO, HOTMAN!” and a little winky face. Percy had found it appropriate to steal it and have someone from another cabin weave it into his zipper. It was a wonderful present.
Piper was wearing her old combat boots, which had somehow survived throughout the years. Even looking like little winter crows in a white cityscape, Leo thought she had never looked more beautiful; especially how she looked more natural with pink cheeks and a red nose from the cold.
Leo’s ears were getting very warm in his hat.
“Oooh.” Piper stopped outside of a store with a French looking name Leo couldn’t even begin to attempt to pronounce, much less find interesting. “I was hoping to buy Annabeth and Hazel something in here.”
Leo snorted. “I was going to get them something heartwarming.”
“Yeah, you were gonna steal their belongings and then hand it back to them.” Piper frowned and opened the door to the shop. “Well, you can go buy whatever you want, I’m gonna stay here for a while. Come back in like half an hour, okay?”
“Good plan.” Leo said. “Don’t get mugged or attacked in that time period.”
Piper glared at him. “Idiot, you’re gonna jinx it.”
“Jinx! All fixed.”
“Leo!”
---
Leo honestly hated shopping alone. Shopkeepers would watch him like giant evil apron wearing hawks, like he was going to steal something and hide it under his jacket. Yeah, right.
So when he had walked back to the store Piper was in, she had a few bags but other than that wasn’t carrying a huge load. That was fine with Leo, because it probably meant he was going to have to carry most of it. Piper must have enjoyed the last minute Christmas sales.
“Here,” Piper handed him a few bags. Leo had been right.
Leo groaned at the unexpected weight. “What am I, a mule?”
Piper ignored him. “Do you want to carry it around or drop it off in the car?”
“Car. I hate carrying heavy things. Like Percy.”
Piper elbowed him playfully. “Oh come on, wimp. Annabeth can judo-flip him off the bed, unless you think she’s stronger than you.”
“My manly-pride is not injured to say Annabeth just about beats me at everything.”
“Yeah, but she can’t beat the fact I have the best friend ever.” Leo felt his cheeks go pink, at the sudden praise.
If it was Leo’s imagination, but something was definitely watching them. He flicked his eyes to the corner of a building that was covered in snow, but he didn’t see anything.
Taking Piper’s hand, he pulled her to the car, almost running. When they packed up Piper’s Christmas shopping, Leo shut the trunk and they decided to head back up another street.
“Are you sure you don’t need to go Christmas shopping?” Piper asked him curiously.
Leo looked down. “Nah. I don’t really have the money, plus I can make a lot better things.”
Piper linked her arm in his in a romantic-couple way that made him somehow even more embarrassed. “Let’s head this way.”
The strange feeling of being watched was back. Leo dragged her away and to a different venue.
“Leo,” Piper asked, suddenly worried. “Is the street scaring you?”
“No,” Leo answered, checking over his shoulder once again to look over the top of a building. “Do you feel like you’re being watched, or is it just me?”
Piper rubbed her arms nervously. “I don’t know. Like, a monster kind of bad vibe, or just some gang stalking us?”
“Neither. It doesn’t feel good or bad.”
“Maybe it’s some rival gods from another culture,” Piper smiled. “I wonder if the flying hedgehogs are coming after me.”
“....What?”
“Nevermind.” Piper took his hand and squeezed it, walking down the street. “Let’s just walk down here like we’re normal people, hypothetically have normal lives, and hypothetically not being watched by something we can’t see.”
“Gee, when you say it that way, we sound pretty crazy.”
“Yep.” Leo squeezed his way off the street as an elderly couple passed them, arguing over the price of green vegetables.
“Ah,” Leo sighed sympathetically. “Old love.”
“What’s wrong with being old? You and I are like seniors in the Camp Half-Blood status.”
“Yeah, but Annabeth is like a skeleton.”
Piper smiled. “She’s like a Chiron status.”
“Or she could be dust.”
“Or she’s somehow reached Bunker age status.”
They stopped walking, and Piper’s hands dropped to her sides. Leo stuck his hands in his pocket sheepishly, not sure what his plan of action was after that.
Piper seemed to be scanning the street signs for something. Leo watched her facial expressions. Her eyes weren’t as angry or sad today, but more of a quiet bliss. The light in her eyes was still there. Leo took that as a good sign.
That light quickly faded, as Leo watched. Piper suddenly started walking towards one of the shops, like she was in a trance. He stood frozen, as she suddenly broke out into a run and almost got hit by a boy riding on the street on his bicycle.
“Piper!” Leo cried and chased after her, weaving his way through oncoming mobs of people. When he finally caught up to her, she was standing in the front of a Jewelry store, like it held old evil curses.
“That necklace...” She sounded like she was about to pass out. “He...he promised me. He said he’d come back someday and get it for me...”
“Piper?” Leo asked uncertainly, watching her facial expression caught between utter betrayal and the phase before crying. He pulled her into a hug and wrapped his hands in her hair, rocking her on his heels from the uneven pavement.
“Leo?” Piper finally choked. “I...I could use a painkiller right now.”
“I left my Aspirin at home, sorry.”
“...L-e-eo...”
“In public?”
She shivered from the cold a little, even though Leo was holding her protectively from a potential sharp lash of wind. (Thar hurt most in the face.)
“I...” Leo couldn’t figure out what to say.
A few years ago, if someone asked him if he liked Piper in a like-like kind of way, he would have laughed. Maybe a little bitterly. But Piper was like his sister, and those feelings were still the same. But ever since Jason left, Leo’s head was even more confused than the rest of him, which meant his whole emotion chart thing going on with his head/heart/teenage boy hormones was now really, really, fucked up.
(Throw in an enthusiastic “Yay.”)
Leo wasn’t sure how they started awkwardly kissing in the middle of a street with lots of pedestrians walking by them giving him evil glares, but he decided it was actually pretty fine by his standards. Piper’s lips tasted like cinnamon and hot chocolate.
(Ew- that sounded like something from Twilight. Edward was an evil blood-sucking bastard who just had lots of patience to go in and suck his girlfriend’s blood. DIE. DIE. DIE. Annabeth had never described that character in a decent way. Leo was pretty sure she had just read the summary on Spark Notes because she couldn’t bring herself to actually read the book. And he couldn’t blame her for that.)
Leo happened to open his eyes and glance over when he saw a little boy about the age of six holding a giant rainbow lollipop bigger than his head. He was looking at them with wide eyes, like he had suddenly walked in on a PG-13 film. Leo looked at him like What are you looking at? and the kid scampered off to find his parents.
Next thing Leo felt was total bliss, because his head was suddenly floating in the midst of lights. He was aware Piper wasn’t next to him suddenly, because there was cold snow on his cheek and in his jacket- which felt like the time Percy had snuck into his bedroom late at night and dumped ice water down his and Jason’s shirts. Leo almost burned the house down after that.
He was aware of Piper yelling something, and he groaned and rolled over. “What the hell was that for?” He croaked, blinking and trying to ignore the giant pain in the back of his head. He must has been hallucinating, because he saw a police officer in a blue trench coat holding a giant bat like the kind Coach Hedge liked- but Piper was yelling curses and wrestling him for it. The NYC cop was wearing black earmuffs, and the trenchcoat looked on the verge of splitting down the middle from the stress of his One-too-many-donut-coffee-breaks stomach.
“‘Mam!” The police officer growled. “I was trying to help!”
“Help what? I was fine! Oi- let it go!” Piper sounded like she was trying to use her charmspeak, but it seemed lost on the mortal. The cop wrenched it out of her hands and made a swing towards Leo, who recovered quite quickly and jumped out of the way.
“OI!” Leo bellowed. “Don’t kill me!”
The police officer held the bat threateningly at Leo like he was the leader of a gang. “You, sir, are under arrest for rape.”
“Rape?” Leo asked, his expression suddenly concerned. “What the hell-?”
“Officer,” Piper pressured further. “He isn’t a gang member or anything else.... Me and my boyfriend were just taking a walk through the streets.” Leo got a tingly sensation in his stomach when she said that. It was the kind between the urge of vomiting and dancing in a single emotion. It was the feeling he had when he’d kissed Piper that day Jason had vanished, and like all the times they had after; like the last one they had shared before being interrupted by a PDA obsessed cop.
The crazy cop swung his bat over his shoulder. “Silence!” He said in a loud authoritative tone, like they were just peasants before a king. “You will be held under trial-”
“Dude,” Leo’s legs wobbled as he stood up. “You’re completely off your nut.”
“Leave me and my boyfriend alone.” Piper added, becoming more persuasive as he charmspeak grew power in her voice.
“Yeah.” Leo agreed. He looked over. “Is that an old elderly lady over there getting mugged?” Leo pointed up the street.
The police’ officers eyes narrowed, and then widened. “Great Gadzooks! I WILL HELP YOU, MY FAIR MAIDEN!” And raced off.
They both shared a look, glanced at the crazy cop now running down the street to go harass other citizens- and made a split run for the car.
They didn’t even look back, and Piper didn’t argue when Leo sped down the road going over the speed limit.
---
lol crazy police officers yeah typical day for them
you should see the time leo has to go on some crazy mission to rescue piper from a crazy kidnapping dentist
wait was that a spoiler
yeah it was
oh well
its hilarious
LOL :D SEE YA GUIIIZZZ Next chapter is bromancing so if monica was here she would fangirl
oh well
BAAIII GYIIIZZZzZZZZzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzz
OH LOL Btw it just occured to me
In the beginning I said everything was happening a year before
yeah I lied
it's two years
TWO
DOS
sorry I wrote it in my notes but I meant two lol
so yeah the beginning of the story with Leo sitting in a hospital is in the year 2017
and everything going on now is 2015 and soon to be 2016 :D HEHE
HEHE
HE
HE
HEHEHE
and no Jason's isn't dead that would be too simple I just wanted to throw in more love triangles
----
Chapter 30
Shopping Lists
Leo
Leo blinked his eyes trying to think, but it seemed clogged and slow. “What?” He asked in a croaky voice. His throat was raw like during the night evil elves had come and shoved a cheese grater down his throat.
“Fuck- Leo, you’re sleeping with Piper- Holy shit- You know, I don’t want to know.” Leo opened his eyes a little wider to see Percy looking a little scarred, annoyed, and freaked out. Percy was also wearing pajamas. (Hey, at least it wasn’t battle armor- that would mean bad things. Or battle armor AND pajamas. That was definitely a new fashion statement Percy seemed to keep making on bad days.)
“What?” Leo asked louder, but then remembered suddenly Piper was sleeping next to him and his voice did a funky jump to a higher pitch- about eight octaves, maybe. (If he was being generous because Leo didn’t think his own voice could go that high.)
Percy rubbed the back of his neck like he wasn’t sure if he should scold them or boast how he was still a virgin and hadn’t ever gotten ‘laid.’ (Which he would have been totally lying- the walls in the house were NOT SOUNDPROOF. Off-topic.)
Leo’s mind was still half-asleep. “Leo,” Percy whispered and motioned to Piper like she should keep sleeping. “We need to talk.”
Leo brushed Piper’s head off his lap and stretched while she slept peacefully on the couch. It felt like his leg was numb because it was stiff and hard to move. Percy looked strangely nervous, and dragged him into the kitchen.
Leo noticed it was exceptionally dark outside, and the time was... No, it couldn’t be 5 AM. What!?
“Dude!” Leo hissed angrily. “It’s like freaking five in the morning! Could this wait until like, seven?”
“No,” Percy sounded scared. “They found Jason.”
---
It would have been a lie to say he took the news well. Percy had to to drag him outside in his boxers and throw his friend into the snow for him to calm down.
“So let me get this straight,” Leo asked through chattering teeth as he and Percy went through the back door and back into the kitchen. “You’re telling me they FOUND him, and then LOST him again.”
“Hey,” Percy spread his arms in a placating fashion like Not My Fault. “I wasn’t there. And I only know because Reyna IMed me at four thirty this morning.”
“Jesus; does she ever sleep?”
“She was doing night patrol, idiot.” Percy told him impatiently. “That’s not what’s wrong. They caught him on the border, chasing something across the Caldecott Tunnel. At least we know he’s alive.”
A few feelings of anger, quickly replaced by sheer stupor at his best friend’s amazing ability to get lost, and then guilt. Was it right to have moved onto his best friend’s girl right after he left? A part of his mind was saying UH DUH OF COURSE NOT but another said Well he left and dumped her, you have fair game and then the really pervy Percy part of his mind said Dang, she still kisses awesome.
Damn I’m a perv, Leo thought hopelessly.
“And then?” Leo asked. “After they managed to catch Amazing Grace?”
Percy sighed. “Apparently Reyna had him literally tied to a chair, had the entire fifth cohort keeping an eye on him.... and he vanished. Again.”
Leo slammed his fist into the door of the refrigerator. “Damn.”
“It sucks, horribly,” Percy agreed. “Reyna was trying to talk sense into him...but she noticed he seemed a little...off. He kept repeating something about ‘a sacrifice of mortal blood’ and stuff like ‘the final chapter has yet to come’ and ‘the earth has her vengeance to yield upon the heroes’- you know, I think he’s been watching too much Doctor Who.”
Leo shook his head, trying to ignore the tingling sensation in his hand from where it had hit the fridge. “But...how did he escape then?”
Percy shrugged. “I just wanted to tell you now. I have to fly to meet up with Reyna in The Great Lakes where they managed to chase him that far. He flew across the water and they think he’s still somewhere on the water. I have to catch my flight in about ten minutes...tell the others I went to go buy bread or something, okay?”
“Yeah,” Leo said. “Because I hope you remember to bring back a day’s worth of bread.” Percy managed to smile.
“Keep your head on, Valdez.” He clapped his shoulder. “I gotta grab some clothes. Oh, and take Piper out somewhere today to take her mind off things. I think the others could use some fresh air too.”
Leo mumbled something in answer, but his mind went back to being tired and he collapsed on the armchair in the living room and heard Percy close the front door and drive off to the nearest airport.
The nice thing about being Demigods, they got to pretty much use airline service any time they needed it. There were so many old legion members all over the States, they just had to call in and a pilot would get a plane prepped for them. Plus, Percy was the praetor of Camp Jupiter, he got to pretty much do it for free as well. (They liked to charge the Greeks regardless if they were friends of Reyna or Percy. Jerks. Yellow spotted lily-livered-)
The next thing Leo knew he was being judo-flipped off the armrest, his neck being held in a vulnerable position over the arm of the couch, and a blade pressing into his back.
Uh-oh. Bad cop Annabeth had apparently just gotten her you-know-what. And, EW!
“Where.” Annabeth growled dangerously. “Is. Percy. Jackson.”
Leo gulped and laughed nervously. Last time Annabeth had done something regarding Percy Jackson’s well-being was when Leo had first met her- giving him an evil stare and a very serious Give Me My Boyfriend Or You Won’t Have A Head kind of attitude.
“Wha-” Piper flung off the couch and fell on the ground and landed under the coffee table. She looked at Leo and the murderous look in Annabeth’s glare, and asked “Did Leo mess up one of your blueprints or are you going through your-?”
“Where is Percy.” Annabeth repeated, digging the dagger into Leo’s shoulder blades. He yelped in surprise and used multiple swears. “Fuck, Annabeth, stop stabbing me! I’ll tell you but-Get off me first!”
Annabeth leaned back and let him stand on his feet, breathing heavily from being attacked in his sleep. “He woke me up this morning.” Leo explained calmly, although annoyed at Annabeth’s instinct to judo-attack him while he was snoozing. “There was a problem and he was hungry, and we were out of bread, so he went to go buy bread.”
Piper seemed to find that a worthy answer, got up, and walked off to the kitchen. “Well, I’m gonna get breakfast. Someone go wake up Hazel and Frank.”
She slammed the kitchen door so it swung back and forth a few times and disappeared from view. Annabeth’s full attention was on Leo.
“So,” she said. “Are you going to tell me where he really went, or will I have to force it out of you?”
“No karate, please,” Leo begged. “And I’m sworn under secrecy.”
“It’s about Jason, isn’t it.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Leo, you are a really, horrible liar.”
“I’m also fashionably dressed, and a wonderful mime.” Leo passed through the maze of christmas boxes and up the stairs. “Sadly, pajamas don’t suit me as much as you would think.”
“BREAKFAST!” Piper yelled from the kitchen.
“YES, DEAR,” Leo yelled back sarcastically. “RIGHT AFTER I GO CLEAN MY BEARD!”
“YOU MIGHT GET ONE UNLESS YOU SHAVE!”
“SHUT UP PIPER!”
“GO SHAVE!”
“NO!”
“YOU ARE A MAN NOW LEONARD VALDEZ!”
“AM NOT!”
“WHY ARE WE ARGUING OVER YOUR MANLINESS?”
“I HAVE NO IDEA!” Leo slammed the door to his bedroom and put on a clean shirt and thick sweat pants. He considered wearing his christmas rainbow socks, and then remembered Percy’s suggestion and decided against it.
Hazel peeked her head through the door, while holding a hand over her eyes. “Can I look?”
“Jesus, Hazel, I ain’t got nothin’ to show you.”
Frank peeked his head in over the top of Hazel. “Why were you guys yelling?”
“Don’t ask,” Leo said and pushed past them to the downstairs. “I’m gettin’ myself a bagel and some cereal, come join?”
“Waffles,” Frank said.
Hazel sighed. “Boys.”
“No,” Frank disagreed. “Men.”
“Gentlemen,” Leo agreed.
Hazel sighed. “What’s for breakfast anyways?”
“BREAKFAST IS TOFU!” Piper yelled from downstairs helpfully.
“Idiots. Now what were you saying about a bagel?” Hazel went downstairs with them.
---
“Leo, do you even know how to drive?” Piper asked anxiously, as Leo squeezed his winter boots onto his feet. He looked at her like she was crazy.
“Of course!” Leo answered. “Although according to New York State I don’t...”
Piper rolled her eyes, but she still looked anxious. “I don’t think this a good idea.”
Leo sighed. “If we die in a car accident, I’ll apologize. Now come on! You’re a daughter of Aphrodite, you, chica, need some shopping done.”
Piper soured. “So that’s what we’re doing. Oh, silly me by your enthusiasm, I thought it would be something fun.”
Leo beamed at her and linked his arm in hers. “Sure it will! I wanna stop by Victoria’s Secret and-”
“Leo, you’re gay.”
“-I was gonna say drool over the half naked woman, but okay, if you think so.” Leo dragged her into the second-time around car Percy had gotten from his parents. They had been using his mom and dad’s car to drive to stores and such for the winter (because walking is so exhausting for two blocks) and carry groceries. It looked like Percy had taken his parent’s car to the airport as well because the other car, Hubert, was outside.
“Oh great,” Piper grumbled. “We get the Hubby car.”
The Hubby car was an old 67’ Volkswagen Beetle car. It was white and pretty well used, but it was cheap and the mileage had been cheated (meaning; Leo screwed around with the engine until it got better miles), but it was a fine car. The boys had gotten used to calling it the Hubby car because usually the couples in the household would drive it back and forth in between dates- and when there was two dates on the same night (which didn’t happen often) then...well they hadn’t quite come to a compromise. And the boys were the only ones that drove the Hubby car. It was Leo’s side project away from his other projects.
“Aw, come on,” Leo opened up the passenger door for her. “Hubert is a good car.”
“Right up until it falls apart on the highway,” Piper muttered and slipped inside the car. Leo closed the door firmly, walked around the car, and sat in the driver seat. The turned the keys and put it in Reverse, and backed it out of the street-driveway they had. They hit the bump on the sidewalk, Leo put it in Drive, and stepped on the gas.
“Jesus Christ,” Piper swore as they narrowly missed a cyclist just out by her rearview mirror. “You’re gonna kill someone.”
“They’ll live.”
“Or us.” Piper pointed out. She gave another half-scream as Leo went over a hill at a fast speed. “Leo, slow down!”
Leo cackled. He knew the car was fine. The thing with Leo, was that the moment he turned the key and ignition, the car felt like it was attached to his arms. He could feel the road beneath him, and even the sharpest turns were a breeze for him. He had no problem shifting and braking, even with his sensory unit that the brakes in the car were almost shot. He’d fix those eventually.
He flipped the steering wheel over and pulled the car to a sharp stop. Piper peeked through her fingers, and slowly unraveled herself from hugging the seat.
“I’m driving on the way back,” Piper snapped. “That was not fun.”
“Aw, it was fine.” Leo said. “I get carsick, and I felt fine the whole ride.”
“You had your eyes closed the entire ride.”
“So did you.”
“I wasn’t driving!” Leo ignored her and slammed the driver door closed, and clicked the keys. The car beeped and flipped the lights on and off. He took Piper’s hand and led her up the street.
“What you need,” Leo said as they passed a tiny venue of stores. “Is some time to relax.”
“Relax,” Piper grumbled. “Yes, relaxation is the solution to the world’s problems.”
“Hey, relaxing helps the poor and the needy.”
“It’s also for rich people.”
“And it’s free.” Leo said. Piper tucked her other hand in her jacket. They were dressed for a winter outing, and it was actually relatively cold out. Piper had black earmuffs. Leo had a trapper hat with little flaps to cover his ears, and it was patterned with little flame symbols. (Piper had gotten him that the christmas before.)
She was wearing a Northface sweatshirt in the color of a dark winter sky blue, while he was wearing a Ski jacket with a tag that said “FLAMEO, HOTMAN!” and a little winky face. Percy had found it appropriate to steal it and have someone from another cabin weave it into his zipper. It was a wonderful present.
Piper was wearing her old combat boots, which had somehow survived throughout the years. Even looking like little winter crows in a white cityscape, Leo thought she had never looked more beautiful; especially how she looked more natural with pink cheeks and a red nose from the cold.
Leo’s ears were getting very warm in his hat.
“Oooh.” Piper stopped outside of a store with a French looking name Leo couldn’t even begin to attempt to pronounce, much less find interesting. “I was hoping to buy Annabeth and Hazel something in here.”
Leo snorted. “I was going to get them something heartwarming.”
“Yeah, you were gonna steal their belongings and then hand it back to them.” Piper frowned and opened the door to the shop. “Well, you can go buy whatever you want, I’m gonna stay here for a while. Come back in like half an hour, okay?”
“Good plan.” Leo said. “Don’t get mugged or attacked in that time period.”
Piper glared at him. “Idiot, you’re gonna jinx it.”
“Jinx! All fixed.”
“Leo!”
---
Leo honestly hated shopping alone. Shopkeepers would watch him like giant evil apron wearing hawks, like he was going to steal something and hide it under his jacket. Yeah, right.
So when he had walked back to the store Piper was in, she had a few bags but other than that wasn’t carrying a huge load. That was fine with Leo, because it probably meant he was going to have to carry most of it. Piper must have enjoyed the last minute Christmas sales.
“Here,” Piper handed him a few bags. Leo had been right.
Leo groaned at the unexpected weight. “What am I, a mule?”
Piper ignored him. “Do you want to carry it around or drop it off in the car?”
“Car. I hate carrying heavy things. Like Percy.”
Piper elbowed him playfully. “Oh come on, wimp. Annabeth can judo-flip him off the bed, unless you think she’s stronger than you.”
“My manly-pride is not injured to say Annabeth just about beats me at everything.”
“Yeah, but she can’t beat the fact I have the best friend ever.” Leo felt his cheeks go pink, at the sudden praise.
If it was Leo’s imagination, but something was definitely watching them. He flicked his eyes to the corner of a building that was covered in snow, but he didn’t see anything.
Taking Piper’s hand, he pulled her to the car, almost running. When they packed up Piper’s Christmas shopping, Leo shut the trunk and they decided to head back up another street.
“Are you sure you don’t need to go Christmas shopping?” Piper asked him curiously.
Leo looked down. “Nah. I don’t really have the money, plus I can make a lot better things.”
Piper linked her arm in his in a romantic-couple way that made him somehow even more embarrassed. “Let’s head this way.”
The strange feeling of being watched was back. Leo dragged her away and to a different venue.
“Leo,” Piper asked, suddenly worried. “Is the street scaring you?”
“No,” Leo answered, checking over his shoulder once again to look over the top of a building. “Do you feel like you’re being watched, or is it just me?”
Piper rubbed her arms nervously. “I don’t know. Like, a monster kind of bad vibe, or just some gang stalking us?”
“Neither. It doesn’t feel good or bad.”
“Maybe it’s some rival gods from another culture,” Piper smiled. “I wonder if the flying hedgehogs are coming after me.”
“....What?”
“Nevermind.” Piper took his hand and squeezed it, walking down the street. “Let’s just walk down here like we’re normal people, hypothetically have normal lives, and hypothetically not being watched by something we can’t see.”
“Gee, when you say it that way, we sound pretty crazy.”
“Yep.” Leo squeezed his way off the street as an elderly couple passed them, arguing over the price of green vegetables.
“Ah,” Leo sighed sympathetically. “Old love.”
“What’s wrong with being old? You and I are like seniors in the Camp Half-Blood status.”
“Yeah, but Annabeth is like a skeleton.”
Piper smiled. “She’s like a Chiron status.”
“Or she could be dust.”
“Or she’s somehow reached Bunker age status.”
They stopped walking, and Piper’s hands dropped to her sides. Leo stuck his hands in his pocket sheepishly, not sure what his plan of action was after that.
Piper seemed to be scanning the street signs for something. Leo watched her facial expressions. Her eyes weren’t as angry or sad today, but more of a quiet bliss. The light in her eyes was still there. Leo took that as a good sign.
That light quickly faded, as Leo watched. Piper suddenly started walking towards one of the shops, like she was in a trance. He stood frozen, as she suddenly broke out into a run and almost got hit by a boy riding on the street on his bicycle.
“Piper!” Leo cried and chased after her, weaving his way through oncoming mobs of people. When he finally caught up to her, she was standing in the front of a Jewelry store, like it held old evil curses.
“That necklace...” She sounded like she was about to pass out. “He...he promised me. He said he’d come back someday and get it for me...”
“Piper?” Leo asked uncertainly, watching her facial expression caught between utter betrayal and the phase before crying. He pulled her into a hug and wrapped his hands in her hair, rocking her on his heels from the uneven pavement.
“Leo?” Piper finally choked. “I...I could use a painkiller right now.”
“I left my Aspirin at home, sorry.”
“...L-e-eo...”
“In public?”
She shivered from the cold a little, even though Leo was holding her protectively from a potential sharp lash of wind. (Thar hurt most in the face.)
“I...” Leo couldn’t figure out what to say.
A few years ago, if someone asked him if he liked Piper in a like-like kind of way, he would have laughed. Maybe a little bitterly. But Piper was like his sister, and those feelings were still the same. But ever since Jason left, Leo’s head was even more confused than the rest of him, which meant his whole emotion chart thing going on with his head/heart/teenage boy hormones was now really, really, fucked up.
(Throw in an enthusiastic “Yay.”)
Leo wasn’t sure how they started awkwardly kissing in the middle of a street with lots of pedestrians walking by them giving him evil glares, but he decided it was actually pretty fine by his standards. Piper’s lips tasted like cinnamon and hot chocolate.
(Ew- that sounded like something from Twilight. Edward was an evil blood-sucking bastard who just had lots of patience to go in and suck his girlfriend’s blood. DIE. DIE. DIE. Annabeth had never described that character in a decent way. Leo was pretty sure she had just read the summary on Spark Notes because she couldn’t bring herself to actually read the book. And he couldn’t blame her for that.)
Leo happened to open his eyes and glance over when he saw a little boy about the age of six holding a giant rainbow lollipop bigger than his head. He was looking at them with wide eyes, like he had suddenly walked in on a PG-13 film. Leo looked at him like What are you looking at? and the kid scampered off to find his parents.
Next thing Leo felt was total bliss, because his head was suddenly floating in the midst of lights. He was aware Piper wasn’t next to him suddenly, because there was cold snow on his cheek and in his jacket- which felt like the time Percy had snuck into his bedroom late at night and dumped ice water down his and Jason’s shirts. Leo almost burned the house down after that.
He was aware of Piper yelling something, and he groaned and rolled over. “What the hell was that for?” He croaked, blinking and trying to ignore the giant pain in the back of his head. He must has been hallucinating, because he saw a police officer in a blue trench coat holding a giant bat like the kind Coach Hedge liked- but Piper was yelling curses and wrestling him for it. The NYC cop was wearing black earmuffs, and the trenchcoat looked on the verge of splitting down the middle from the stress of his One-too-many-donut-coffee-breaks stomach.
“‘Mam!” The police officer growled. “I was trying to help!”
“Help what? I was fine! Oi- let it go!” Piper sounded like she was trying to use her charmspeak, but it seemed lost on the mortal. The cop wrenched it out of her hands and made a swing towards Leo, who recovered quite quickly and jumped out of the way.
“OI!” Leo bellowed. “Don’t kill me!”
The police officer held the bat threateningly at Leo like he was the leader of a gang. “You, sir, are under arrest for rape.”
“Rape?” Leo asked, his expression suddenly concerned. “What the hell-?”
“Officer,” Piper pressured further. “He isn’t a gang member or anything else.... Me and my boyfriend were just taking a walk through the streets.” Leo got a tingly sensation in his stomach when she said that. It was the kind between the urge of vomiting and dancing in a single emotion. It was the feeling he had when he’d kissed Piper that day Jason had vanished, and like all the times they had after; like the last one they had shared before being interrupted by a PDA obsessed cop.
The crazy cop swung his bat over his shoulder. “Silence!” He said in a loud authoritative tone, like they were just peasants before a king. “You will be held under trial-”
“Dude,” Leo’s legs wobbled as he stood up. “You’re completely off your nut.”
“Leave me and my boyfriend alone.” Piper added, becoming more persuasive as he charmspeak grew power in her voice.
“Yeah.” Leo agreed. He looked over. “Is that an old elderly lady over there getting mugged?” Leo pointed up the street.
The police’ officers eyes narrowed, and then widened. “Great Gadzooks! I WILL HELP YOU, MY FAIR MAIDEN!” And raced off.
They both shared a look, glanced at the crazy cop now running down the street to go harass other citizens- and made a split run for the car.
They didn’t even look back, and Piper didn’t argue when Leo sped down the road going over the speed limit.
---
lol crazy police officers yeah typical day for them
you should see the time leo has to go on some crazy mission to rescue piper from a crazy kidnapping dentist
wait was that a spoiler
yeah it was
oh well
its hilarious
LOL :D SEE YA GUIIIZZZ Next chapter is bromancing so if monica was here she would fangirl
oh well
BAAIII GYIIIZZZzZZZZzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzz
last edited 6 months ago
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