PJO/HoO Around the Campfire

Chapter 38: Campfire

April 12, 2022

After dinner a lot of the campers crowded around the campfire.

Annabeth had walked Jason over, but not long after she left with a sheepish look on her face in search of Percy. Jason was just about to head back to his cabin when Leo and Connor got there. Leo quickly walked away from Connor and took Jason's right side as Connor saddled up to his left.

"How are you Jason?" Connor asked, a bit awkwardly.

Jason sighed, "gods, I hate that everyone knows about that." Outright referencing the breakup.

"Yeah, sorry, we all kind of got the message at dinner today."

Leo chimed in then. "Am I going to have to choose sides now?" he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

It didn't work.

Jason's face fell. That was exactly what he was worried about. It didn't matter how many fake memories Leo had of him because of Hera, or how many real ones they made since then, the connection between Leo and Piper was just something he knew he could not beat. This thought wasn't new, but previously he didn't have to worry about it, it was never a competition and there was no chance of Leo picking one of them. But now...

"I'm not picking sides though, of course that could never happen," Leo said in a conversational tone, either not having noticed Jason's reaction or not wanting to acknowledge it.

Jason opened his mouth to dispute that when Piper walked up to them.

She smiled awkwardly at the three of them and wavered a bit before taking a seat in front of them, effectively closing off their small circle.

"Hey, guys. What's up?"

"Nothing much," Jason said.

"We were just talking about your breakup," Leo said. He thought it would be better to bring it up right away, at least to get it out in the open. He didn't mean it in a harsh way and he hoped that was conveyed through his tone.

"Oh, I see. So?" Piper replied, obviously having picked up on Leo's intentions.

"We were just talking about how I'm not going to pick sides between the two of you and we're all going to stay friends and be one happy family." Leo swung both his arms up and over both Piper and Jason's shoulders.

"Wow, I feel like a fourth wheel, should I go... or?" Connor said, joking.

"No, of course not," Jason said, quick to reassure him, even if he wasn't really sure why Connor was there with them in the first place.

Leo just laughed and Piper let her gaze fall on Leo a moment longer than necessary, hoping he'd look at her.

"In fact, I was just about to go actually. Annabeth wanted me for something." Jason got up and left before the others could say anything but "bye".

"I should go too, actually. I'll see you tomorrow?" Connor said not much later.

And then when Leo and Piper were left alone the tension grew higher.

"So... the breakup. Wanna talk about it?" Leo broke the silence first.

"Sure." Piper tried to keep her voice level. "Um... I actually talked to Nico about it a bit."

Leo gasped jokingly, "you talked to Nico before me?! Piper, I'm hurt."

Piper looked down, half smiling. "Yeah, well... We were in a fight." She shrugged and looked back at him. "And you were always off somewhere," Piper said experementaly, this was what their fight had started with but she desperately wanted things between her and Leo to go back to normal.

Leo looked away, "Yeah, sorry." Neither mentioned Connor, though both were thinking about him.

Leo sighed, he didn't want to fight either. "So, you wanted to talk about the breakup?"

Piper also sighed, but out of relief, and breathed out her answer. "Yes, please."

As if a weight had been lifted off their relationship they both smiled at each other. Neither acknowledged the fight beyond that point, both knew the other had completely forgiven them.

"Okay, so tell me what's going on, " Leo said.

"Okay, so... And I really hate saying this but. You were right."

"Woah, hold on. I never thought I would hear those words coming out of your mouth. Could you—Could you repeat that please?"

Piper sighed, frustrated but happy. "You were right, Leo. Get past it, that's the only time I'm saying it to you."

"Fine, what was I right about?"

"That I didn't actually like Jason." Piper said this with a straight face, she was done crying about it.

"Oh." All the humour left Leo's voice. Of course he knew he was right but he hadn't actually wanted to be right.

"Yeah, so anyway, once I figured that out I didn't want to keep stringing him along or anything like that." Piper continued, trying to push past the awkwardness.

"Well, that's good." Leo knew he was still walking on eggshells, he had just gotten Piper back, he didn't want to say the wrong thing and lose her again.

"Leo, I'm going to need more from you than that," Piper said while nudging him.

"Right, well, what do you need from me?"

"I don't know." Piper paused, opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. "Maybe... I could use a hug?"

Leo laughed, "well, that I can do. Bring it in!" He opened his arms and Piper practically fell into them.

"Piper, you know you did the right thing, right?" Leo whispered into her hair.

And the thing was, she did know that, that's why she did it. But something about hearing Leo, her best friend, say it made it real to her. Having him agree with her made the choice solidify within her and she now knew that her choice was the right one, a thousand percent.

Piper clung to Leo just a little bit tighter as a tear escaped her eyes, the last tears she'd shed for this situation, she made that promise to herself.

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