Forever || Leo Valdez x Reader || Book 1

Baby Shark, misunderstandings, and the ballad of the dyslexic Swifties

(A/N: Longest chapter yet! Y'all remember voting for the songs ALL those months ago? Yep, this is why)

"Alright, so we sent out a poll to everyone this morning," Austin said, propping his elbows on the table and leaning forward as we finished our dinner. "To vote on the song Y/N and Dad are singing at the campfire tonight. And majority says you guys are going to be singing 'The Last Time' by Taylor Swift and Gary Lightbody."

(A/N: That was actually the second most popular choice u guys voted for, but I need to make my chappy longer lol)

Gracie snorted, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "Why am I not surprised? Us demigods are basically a walking Swiftie fan club. But hold up. Isn't that a breakup song? Will and Nico just got engaged, and now we're kicking off the campfire with a song about... well, breaking up?"

Nico, who had been half-listening while poking at his dinner like it had personally wronged him, glanced up. "It's not like the song's gonna break us up," he said, rolling his eyes. "So, yeah, go ahead. Knock yourselves out."

I blinked and looked over at Dad, who was sitting next to me, then looked back at my siblings. "Okay, hold up- I'm reconsidering this. You want me," I pointed at myself, "to sing with the literal god of music," I deadpanned, pointing at Dad. "I'm gonna sound like a dying cat compared to him!"

Dad snorted. "Please, you're being dramatic. You're gonna do great."

"Uh-huh," I muttered, crossing my arms. "Unless you want me to cause a mass exit from the campfire- because, trust me, no one's gonna stick around when the audience has to watch me flounder next to you. And what about the fact that it's awkward to duet a break-up song with your dad? Austin, give us another song."

"Well, uh-" Austin cleared his throat, glancing down at his phone like it was suddenly the most fascinating thing in the world. "The second most popular song was 'ME!' by Taylor Swift and Brandon Urie-"

"Oh my gods, I LOVE that song!" Jerry practically launched himself out of his seat, his grin bright enough to rival Dad's chariot at noon. "You guys have to do it! It's got amazing energy."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying not to giggle. "Another Taylor song? First a breakup anthem, now one that says, 'Spelling is fun'? Most of us are dyslexic here."

Gracie smirked, tossing a grape at me. "Hey, if the shoe fits. Besides, it's definitely great for jumping along to-"

"It's better than the third option," Austin interrupted, a little too quickly.

"Which is?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Uh..." Austin hesitated, his ears turning suspiciously pink. "A duet version of 'Baby Shark.'"

(A/N: Yes, I know that wasn't part of the voting you guys did, but it's funny)

The entire table erupted into chaos. I faceplanted onto the table so hard that the plates rattled, while Gracie snorted so loudly she nearly fell out of her chair. Kayla clutched her stomach as she burst into laughter, Will choked on his water, Nico muttered something in Greek about "curses worse than Tartarus," and Yan clapped his hands like a deranged seal.

"Okay, 'ME!' it is," Dad said loudly, waving his hands for order. "Before someone gets it into their head to start singing that monstrosity. Let's get to the campfire."

We all stumbled out of the pavilion, still laughing and shaking our heads. The campfire wasn't far, just past the stream. As we made our way through the soft glow of the fading sunset, I couldn't help but glance over at Dad, who walked beside me.

"So," I muttered, side-eyeing him, "any tips for not sounding like a dying cat when we sing tonight?"

Dad gave me a half-smile, his usual confidence gleaming in his eyes. "Trust me, you'll be fine. A little musical inspiration goes a long way."