criminal at the heart [leico/valdangelo]

[ v ]

Leo's POV

When I woke up, everything was spinning like crazy.

I heard voices whispering, probably talking about me.

I tried so desperately to force myself to get up, but everything hurt, and also for some reason, I was tied to the bed.

Wait, tied to the bed?

I gasped as my eyes flew open. I struggled against the ropes, panic pumping through my veins as everything blurred and faded in and out of focus.

After I bit, I could feel gentle hands rubbing my shoulder, a soft voice saying that everything was okay, and that I was safe to relax.

That voice.

"Hey hey Leo, calm down, you need to sit down, you're still healing from the wound and--" I haven't heard that voice for so long. So long.

"Travis?" My voice cracked pathetically, I tried to reached out to touch him, see if he was real, but the ropes prevented me from doing so. Travis' body cleared up. I saw that it was him. It was actually him. I wanted the ropes off me so badly, to finally hug him, to reassure myself this wasn't a dream.

Travis smiled gently at me, grabbing my hand, rubbing his thumb against it gently. He murmured comforting words into my ear, and I eventually relaxed into the mattress.

Huh, I haven't slept in an actual mattress for probably over a year, it felt so good...

Before I could realize it, I fell asleep.

Nico's POV

The memory of Travis single-handedly calming down the boy, Leo, into falling asleep still burned in my mind as I stood out in the dock.

I remembered just an afternoon before he was screaming and thrashing, trying to get away from Will. Leo must really trust Travis. And also must be really really tired. It looked as if he hadn't slept in a legitimate bed for ages.

A small tug of jealousy nibbled my heart, but I quickly swatted it away. This was no time to be jealous of a boy who obviously loved Leo as a brotherly way. Why was I jealous in the first place?

I saw a hand wave in front of my face, and I swiftly gripped the hand as a first reaction, stopping it in place. I noticed that the hand belonged to Annabeth, and I swiftly let go, apologizing.

"Sorry, first reaction." Annabeth let out a humored chuckle.

"It's alright Nico, but I've been trying to get your attention for the past minute or so..." I was surprised, was I that caught up in my thoughts? I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly, giving Annabeth a "sorry" look.

"Sooo... What was the reason you were trying to get my attention?" I asked, subtly diverting the conversation. Annabeth rolled her eyes, obviously noticing my not-so-subtle conversation change. But as she opened her mouth, Piper interrupted her.

"We want you to be friends with Leo." Annabeth scowled at Piper. I sat there, confused.

"Buuuuut.... I thought we were going to do that anyways... You know, since he is kinda a camper and needs friends..." I trailed off awkwardly, not knowing how to even go on anymore. Piper and Annabeth exchanged looks. Oh no, what was the catch.

This time, Annabeth spoke up.

"You saw how Leo reacted to pain and confinement, and how he pushed away Will so roughly. But remember in the Big House? When he started choking and shaking? And how he let you hold him as he fell asleep? Well, since he let you, I'm just going to guess that for some reason he trusts you more than any of us...So please please I'm begging you to try to get Leo to open up to you." Annabeth and Piper both sent me puppy dog eyes. I sighed and crossed my arms.

"Doesn't he have Travis for that?" I tried to not let the jealousy to drip out of my words, but I was pretty sure Piper noticed, being a daughter of Aphrodite and all.

"I know, but Leo can't have just one friend and that's it!"

"Well then why can't we all try to be his friend?" I was getting a bit mad.

"Because then he'll feel crowded!" Piper yelled at me desperately. I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose.

"How do you know?" I countered back. Annabeth glared at me, snarling a bit. I knew I was a bit stubborn, but still.

"YOU SAW HOW HE REACTED WHEN WE CROWDED HIM IN THE BIG HOUSE!!" Oh, so now we're playing the yelling game, huh? We all knew I excelled at that.

"YEAH, I SAW HIM FALL ASLEEP IN MY ARMS!" Annabeth and I were getting a bit heated, but I was so clouded by fury, that we both didn't notice Leo standing at the start of the dock.

"Talking about me behind my back?" We both freeze, turning around to see a smirking Latino boy, with his arms crossed.

Shit.