madness and ecstasy // leo valdez

-oh my god they were roomates-

we need some happiness <3

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"I dunno, I mean what are the chances of me even making it that far?" Leo laughed, screwing in the new cover sheet of stainless steel, to go over the inner workings of the automated oar mechanics.

The rocks in the water had smashed them to shit, but he was getting through repairs while Annabeth and Percy went ashore to scout.

Piper didn't say anything for a few seconds, and when he looked up and saw her stirring her yogurt and blueberries around with a blank face, he realised his answer was wrong. He held the last few bolts in his lips and tried not to swallow them when he spoke. "Kidding. We're gonna be fine, we've fought so many monsters now, dirt woman'll be a walk in the park... Why?"

She shrugged, and brought her knees to her chin, setting her breakfast to the side. They were sitting on the deck, since it was so warm out. Piper was even in knee length jort's.

"I mean, assuming we defeat Gaea, her minions, and we all survive-"

"Which we will."

"Sure," she said. "I just don't... I don't have anything- have anywhere... I don't know. I really don't know what I'd do. We spent so long at Camp Half-blood just preparing for this, I've got absolutely nothing ahead of me when it's over."

Sure, Teqi had the mental powers, but sometimes he suspected he and Piper were psychically connected.

It wouldn't be a stretch. He had those exact same thoughts every time he thought about something beyond Gaea's rise or fall. He couldn't for the life of him imagine being good at anything other than repairing a warship. And with that, he spat out a screw and finished the steel plating.

"You've got your dad, you could nepo-baby yourself into an acting career." He wiggled his eyebrows. "You were pretty good at convincing Percy he'd turned blue from all the dye he'd eaten this morning."

Piper rolled her eyes. The darker parts of her iris's flashed.

They got up, picking up their snacks and circular saws and trudging a few meters over to the next blasted open oar panel, to sit back down again. Leo flipped his welding mask down and sawed off the curls of corrugated iron so he could re make it.

After the ringing subsided in his ears and it was quiet again, apart from the sounds of locals on the docks and seagulls, the conversation could continue.

"I can't go back," she said, and let out a weird nervous giggle sort of thing, a sound that didn't usually come from Piper. "That's the first time I've said that. I just can't. I couldn't live with my dad and pretend I was at a Wilderness school for the last year. We saved his life and he thinks I'm a delinquent."

Leo may not be the most conversation savvy guy, but even he knew not to bring up the fact that Piper actually was a delinquent.

She huffed. "I mean, I am."

See. Psychically connected.

He pointed a screwdriver at her before realising it was the wrong size for the ones he was using. "But that's not the point."

"That's not the point," she re-established, and stabbed a blueberry. "I don't want to be cabin counsellor, it takes so much energy and patience I don't have, I've got no idea how Teqi does it, but I feel bad cause Drew doesn't want to either and I'm older than her so it's my responsibility in the first place-"