Chapter Text
Leo hissed in pain as the hammer slipped and smashed his right arm. His skin bubbled with pain, and his brain screamed to do something, but all he could do was stand there and watch. Over the past year, Leo noticed that he does this a lot. He’ll sit still in his own suffering and not do a thing to stop it. No one around him seems to notice. Maybe that is why he decided he didn’t want to be involved with Camp Half-Blood anymore, for his own mental health.
He quickly moved towards the sink to put his arm under the cool water. It only relieved his pain for a few seconds, but it was better than nothing. Leo contemplated going to the hospital. The closest one was an hour and a half long walk, or he could take the bus- Scratch all that, Leo didn’t have the space in his budget for a sporadic trip to the E.R. That was definitely something he could not afford. So instead, he grabbed the keys hanging on his refrigerator and headed towards the pharmacy for bandages.
As Leo walked down the narrow hall of his apartment, he saw his neighbor Ms. Gonzales carrying her sleeping seven-year-old to the stairway. She glanced back to see Leo awkwardly hunched over his door lock, trying to close it properly. His landlord refused to replace the damn knob.
"Oh lord- you scared me, Leo." Ms. Gonzales laughed nervously.
Once he had the door properly locked, he turned to the woman at the end of the hall.
"Sorry, didn't mean to," Leo said. "It's almost 1am, where are you heading so late at night?"
Ms. Gonzales made a slight clicking noise with her tongue and glimpsed down at her sleeping child. It was clear she had a lot on her mind.
"I forgot to drop Liana off at her father's house. He just called to remind me."
"Oh… okay." Leo muttered.
He decided not to ask any questions. He often heard Ms. Gonzales screaming with her ex-boyfriend. Leo felt terrible for her, but it was not like he could do anything about it. Sometimes she would ask Leo to keep her daughter Liana in his apartment when things got bad, and he gladly agreed. It wasn’t like he could be a worse babysitter than Hera.
No. Do not think about family. Not the time.
"Well, I guess I'll be seeing you then?" Ms. Gonzales said, waving goodbye.
She was gone before Leo could wave back.
While Leo waited at the intersection for the light to change so he could cross, he thought more about his injury. He knew that an Apollo kid could get his arm wrapped up perfectly, and he wouldn’t have to pay five hundred dollars out of pocket. Then he could scarf down a sandwich with an ice-cold drink while sitting in front of the campfire. But instead, he was standing next to a man that looked like he was ready to jump him, with an empty stomach and an arm throbbing in pain.
This was still better than Camp Half-Blood.
Leo will never forget the day he left the camp. It was a warm sunny day in mid-July. A new batch of campers had just arrived. One of them was already identified to be a son if Dionysus. The grounds were buzzing with energy. A few of the Aphrodite kids were helping to decorate the big house. Mr. D seemed delighted watching one kid teeter on a ladder. Most of the Hephestus cabin was helping with repairs around the camp. Technically he was supposed to be there with them, but he was planning on leaving without saying goodbye. Doing so when they were all busy was a good plan in Leo's mind.
Piper happened to be at the camp when he was leaving. She was also part of the reason he was going. All she could do was talk about Jason, how much she loved Jason, how he could not make the trip to New York because he had to take summer classes in New Rome. It was mind-numbing. It was heartbreaking. Leo was tired of being reminded of what he could not have.
Leo trekked through the trees. His worn-out sneakers felt as though they would give out any minute now. He was looking forward to never seeing this camp again.
The light changed to red.
Leo scurried across the street.
He swiftly entered into the pharmacy, pulling his hood over his head so he could not be identified. He turned into the first aid aisle, pocketed a box of bandages, and ran out before anyone could see him. Leo did not particularly enjoy stealing, but he had grown used to it over the years. Growing up as a runaway meant he did not have the money for most essentials, telling him he needed to steal here and there.
Once Leo reached the front door, he relaxed for only a second before beginning to cross the street toward his apartment. The dim road lights blurred around him, and Leo had to stand in the middle of the crosswalk to compose himself. His head began to throb, and his eyes brimmed with tears. He hated this feeling. It was not a full-blown panic attack. It had some panic attack symptoms, but not enough to be called such. Sometimes when things happen too quickly, Leo will start to freak out. He just needs a breather. That is it.
Against Leo's better judgment, he sits on the sidewalk in front of his apartment. He does not have the energy to stand up. He rests his head on his knees and begins to breathe deeply, trying hard to calm his racing heart. Gods, did he hate stealing. Leo did not have to steal in the years he was staying at the camp. It took him damn near forever to get rid of the habit. Yet here he was, crying because he was a thief. It was pathetic.
Leo did not have the time to honestly think about all his financial issues; instead, he thought about the terrible smell coming from his left of him. Great, another junkie was here to beg.
"How many times do I have to tell you people, I'm broke too-"
He was cut off by a low growl and a waft of hot breath.
Leo jumped back and screamed. Hovering over him was a 7ft monster ready to gobble him up as a late-night snack. And he was on a eight month "No monster attack" streak too.
He reached to his side to get his toolbelt, quickly realizing it was still sitting on the kitchen table next to a cold bowl of Kraft mac and cheese.
The grotesque creature did not show any sympathy that this was not a fair fight and charged, teeth-baring and claws ready to tear the demigod to pieces. Leo was not ready to die tonight, especially since he was not sure if he was heading to Elysium. He rolled onto the street and right into a wet pothole. Leo jumped up and started running towards his apartment door, but the monster pushed him back, causing him to fly right into the pavement.
"Uuuugh-" Leo groaned.
From above, he could see one of his neighbors, Mr. Halls, leaning out of his window with suds in his graying hair and a loofa in his grasp.
"Damn kids. Get outta the street you hoodlum! And take your junkie friend with you!" He yelled.
"Call 911!" Leo screamed as he ran down the block from the monster.
"And waste my tax paying dollars on you and a crackhead? You must be outta your mind!"
Leo tripped and slammed down onto the road, scraping his hands and further hurting his arm. He forgot about the mist. His neighbor can’t see the monster, only a… crackhead? If he really thought about it, Mr. Halls would not help him either way, monster or not.
It was up to him, he’d done this before, fought all by himself. Leo was not always the brains when it came to plans, but he knew how to think on his feet occasionally. He stood up and ran into an empty lot that had been "under construction" since he moved onto this street. Lots of wood, no cameras. Perfect.
He hid behind a few crates waiting for the monster to show its hairy- and frankly quite ugly- face. He started climbing up, and just as he reached the top, the creature came barreling in. Setting this thing on fire might not be the best idea, but he was not great at identifying Greek monsters like Percy and Annabeth were. He could definitely set shit on fire, though.
"I'm over here you big pile of-"
The monster crashed into the wooden crates before Leo got a chance to finish. He also did not get to "set shit on fire." He landed in the dirt, a crate nearly crashing onto his head.
"I really gotta stop with the one liners." Leo pushed himself shakily off the ground.
He was in so much pain it was unbelievable, and the monster seemed to be doing just fine. A rumbling roar came from its mouth, definitely waking up the whole neighborhood. This was it; this was Leo's demise. He has no weapons, no toolbelt, and most of all, no help. Maybe he would get to go to Elysium, but part of him hoped he would not. He’d love to see his mom again.
Leo moved to stand up again, but now his ankle was killing him. He was heaving for breath and wiping sweat from his forehead. He needed to keep going, at least try. Leo limped away as fast as he could, the monster right on his trail. He grabbed the first thing he could find, a piece of plywood. This would have to do. He tightened his grip and lit it on fire. There was a low heat on his hand and splinters digging into his palms, but no burn. He’d never get used to that. Leo slammed the plywood right into its face as the monster was about to tackle him, causing it to stutter backward. Leo laughed with the little victory he had in his system. The monster's matted fur was scorched in places, but it recovered quickly. He scrambled, trying to figure out what to do next. He had to set the creature on fire somehow, but he did not have enough time to create some sort of trap. He needed a quick fix that would trap it in the lot.
Leo ran back to the crates and set them all on fire. He looked around to see if he could find anything else flammable. He only saw some metal rods and a few empty Dunkin coffee cups. Leo looked down to the ground and realized the perfect flammable object was right underneath his boots. Dry grass.
Now all Leo needed to do was get out of there. He sped around low to the ground with a trail of fire behind him. It did not take long for the whole lot to be lit up like a Christmas tree. The only problem was that the monster could easily follow him out. He needed something to tie the fence shut.
Leo exited the lot while keeping a close eye on the monster roaring in agony as it burned to a crisp. He pulled the fence closed and reached into his pocket for the pack of bandages. He quickly wrapped the fence gate shut and tied a knot to keep it that way. Leo slowly backed away to watch what he had just done. The monster crawled towards it, still on fire but extremely weak. It clawed at the fence, attempting to escape. It was so close to death that there was no way it could get out. At least, that was what Leo hoped.
Sirens could be heard a few streets away, someone called 911. Took them long enough. Leo limped back to his apartment, trying not to be seen by anyone. He hoped that the police would simply think it was a junkie who set the lot on fire and not him. He did not need to get in any legal trouble right now. It was hard enough to keep the jobs he already had.
The stairs of the apartment only caused Leo more pain. With each step, he let out a whimper. All he could think of was how he had to work in the morning, and working at a Food Mart was not fun when you have a sprained ankle. He jammed his key into the lock, suddenly hearing another roar of pain. Part of him felt terrible, but Leo did not dwell on the guilt for too long as the door swung open. He threw the empty pack of bandages onto the kitchen table, right next to the tool belt.
Leo glanced over at his tool bench as he stripped off his now burnt hoodie. He has been working on a Monster security system for his apartment. Not everyone can have a magical tree protecting them. The system was similar to a setup he had seen in New Rome the summer he had turned seventeen. It was good, but he knew he could make it better.
Leo remembered bragging to Jason about how he could improve the system. He could apply that same technology to create a phone that would not attract monsters. Not that he could afford to buy a phone anyway. Jason simply smiled down at him. Leo still remembers exactly what he said:
"You're going to change the world someday."
From there, Jason talked about Leo attending college in New Rome with him the following year. They could dorm together, stay up studying all night, and Leo could study engineering. At first, he was a bit hesitant, but then Jason got Piper talking about it, and even Annabeth said it would be great if they all went to school together.
So, Leo packed the little belongings he owned and moved it into a small dorm with Jason. It worked for a while, things were good, but some things are not meant to be.
Leo dropped his hoodie on the floor next to his pair of dirty Vans that were gifted to him for his eighteenth birthday. Tonight was just another terrible reminder of everything he had lost over the years. He knew he missed his friends to an extent. Leo was not ready to unpack all of that at almost two in the morning. He let himself fall onto his twin-sized mattress, wrapped up by a thin sheet so as not to overheat in the New York heat.
Leo was woken up by a loud knocking on his door and a massive headache. He slowly sat up in bed, the throbbing pain he felt was enough for him to want to fall back into bed, but the knocking was persistent.
"Alright, I'm coming!" He yelled as he threw the sheets to the side of his bed.
Leo padded across the wood floor, carefully stepping around loose bolts and screwdrivers. Half asleep, he unlocked the door without checking and peeked his head out.
"If you're the damn mormons again, I swear I'll-"
"Leo?"
A tall blond man stood in front of him, gorgeous as ever. His hair was neatly combed, yet longer than it used to be. He wore a college sweatshirt, white and gold, it fit him well. His backpack was slung over one shoulder and held a newspaper.
"L-"
Leo slammed the door shut. He could not do this today.
"Leo!" Jason yelled from behind the door.
"Go home," he said, sounding defeated.
"Leo please, I've been looking for you for ages."
Leo suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. He turned back around and opened the door.
"How did you find me?"
Jason's eyes went wide with shock. Maybe he did not think Leo would actually open the door again.
He held up the newspaper he was holding. It was slightly crumpled up, Leo could barely read the headline. "Mysterious Man Nearly Killed in Attempted Arson Attack by Drug Addict." Well… at least he was not the one in trouble this time, this city loved blaming a drug addict for anything. Unfortunately, they did get a perfect picture of him running from the fire with the back of his sweatshirt showing. The print on the back clearly said, "Camp Half Blood Cabin #9." Leo looked down and to his left at the charred fabric sitting on the floor.
"I've really gotta burn that." Leo muttered.
"Leo please,"
"I don't have time for this, I've got work in an hour."
Leo stepped back but yelped as his bad ankle got caught in the sweatshirt, causing him to fall and land on his bad arm. He yelled in agony, forgetting that Jason was standing right there. The other boy ran to his side with panic in his eyes.
"Oh gods Leo you're hurt."
Jason began checking all the bruised places on Leo's body. The light fingers brushing over areas made Leo blush.
"I'm fine."
"No."
"No?"
Jason looked down at Leo with annoyance, a face Leo was very used to.
"Can you stand?" Jason asked.
"Pft, of course I can. It's just a sprained ankle."
Leo tried standing but quickly fell into Jason's arms, causing him to blush harder.
"Okay, I'm going to carry you to your bed. I think I still have some ambrosia on me."
Jason lifted him up with ease. He rested Leo on the bed and used the backpack to prop up his ankle. Jason pulled out some ambrosia squares, and he carefully broke piece by piece off to feed Leo.
There was an awkward silence between the two. The last time Leo had seen Jason was during their argument right before finals. They had not talked since, and even when Piper told him Jason missed him, Leo simply could not handle talking to him again. And now here he is, kneeling beside him.
"Piper has been so worried about you, we all were."
Leo scowled but did not say anything.
"I've been searching for you since Chiron said you went missing last year. I had to stop school for a semester. Gods Leo I- you don't understand what I've done all these months."
"I never told you to put your life on pause to come find me. You made that choice Jason."
Jason bit his lips in frustration.
"That's not what I'm saying at all!"
Leo pushed the last piece of ambrosia away. His head was no longer in pain, and his arm and ankle felt fine.
"You should just go back to camp."
"I'm not leaving unless you are coming with me." Jason said firmly.
"Then I guess I'm calling the police." It was an empty threat, Leo still had no phone.
"You had a monster attack and set a construction site on fire!"
"What's that got to do with any of this?' Leo said.
"I'm not leaving."
"I have not gotten into a single fight for nearly eight months… except for last night."
"Yeah that is so freaking reassuring."
They continued going back and forth like this for a while. Leo's anger from their last argument was obviously still there, and Jason was majorly annoyed by Leo's absence. They had not even noticed the seven-year-old standing in the doorway with her mother.
"Leo, are you making all that noise?" Ms. Gonzalez said.
Leo sat up in his bed, knocking his head right into Jason. Liana giggled at the sight of the two boys making a fool of themselves.
"Who's this?" Ms. Gonzalez asked.
Jason stood up swiftly and walked over to introduce himself, but Ms. Gozalez stepped back cautiously.
"Sorry Ms G, This is… an old friend of mine. We went to school together." Leo sighed as he made his way over to the both of them.
"Oh, you're not talking about Jason are you? The young man you've told me about-"
"Okay okay! I think that's enough of an introduction. I really need to get to work."
Now Ms. Gonzalez was laughing right along with Liana. She told them to have a nice day and stay out of trouble. She must've read the paper this morning.
Leo stepped back into his apartment, walking to his bathroom to change.
"I'm serious you know, I have work," Leo grumbled once they were alone.
"I can drive you there."
Leo looked up at Jason. Gods, he looked just as handsome as he did when they last saw each other. Leo hated how well put together the boy looked. Jason always looked perfect.
"I can walk."
"That ankle is not fully healed."
Leo yelled out in frustration. Jason always had to have his way. Leo gripped his uniform, threw it over his head, and then walked out of the bathroom.
"Fine, but I want coffee first."