Leo Valdez x Reader

We Can Get Through This

"Well we can't just leave it here, and if we call the police..." I trailed off.

Leo looked down.

"Do you think Chiron would know what to do?" I sniffed.

"I think we should IM him," he said, grabbing a golden drachma from his bag.

"We have a- hose- out- back-" I wheezed.

"Hey, calm down. I know you lost your mom but just breathe," he said, taking my hands.

I nodded my head and began to slowly relax a bit. I led him to the back, where I started the hose. The water was freezing cold, but it was giving off enough mist for an IM.

Chiron answered, and his eyes fell on my tear-stained face.

"Is everything alright, you two?"

I knew I couldn't explain it, so Leo took the lead.

"We found her mom...dead in the bathroom. A monster, uh, killed her."

I nodded in agreement.

Chiron was in shock too.

"Is the body still...in the house?" Chiron asked.

"Yes," Leo answered quietly.

"Okay...I will fix it. I'll have her properly buried. Has she been dead long?"

"No, probably not more than a day," I said, Leo agreeing.

"Okay. Y/n...I'm sorry. I know that doesn't help but...you don't deserve this. No one deserves this."

The IM began to fade, Iris asking for another coin.

"Call me again later, okay? Keep in touch," said Chiron.

We both nodded and the IM disappeared. I turned the water off and hurried inside with Leo behind me.

I walked towards my room, the door to the bathroom still halfway open. My eyes glanced inside, but the body was gone.

Leo followed me into my room, which was cleaner than I'd left it. My mom must have fixed it up for me in hopes I would come back. I guess I was just too late.

I took off my jacket and hung it on my closet door.

"Want me to take yours?" I said to Leo.

He pulled it off, exposing his work shirt and suspenders. Typical him.

I hung it on top of mine, and motioned for him to sit next to me on my bed.

It felt weird, having Leo in my room. He clearly felt awkward.

"I knew Ares was going to betray me but..." I took a deep breath. "This is just evil."

"I know, y/n. It's honestly sad how he and Gaea are very close in nature. More scary than anything, though, I suppose."

"Leo..." I sniffed. "I'm so sick of crying. I just want all this mess to be over," I said, slow tears pouring down my face. "I know my mom kicked me out and made me sad but I still loved her! She was my mom."

Leo looked at me, eyes full of sympathy.

I stood up from my bed and walked around, animating feelings.

"I'm so close to breaking Leo. And I don't want to leave you, I don't. Ares will stop at nothing to hurt me by hurting the people I love. He already killed my mom, who knows what he would do to you, or my siblings, or Nyssa, Harley..."

"I don't care if he hurts me, y/n. If it means I get to love you, then I don't care. I'd do anything for even just one minute with you."

"But what about everyone else, Leo! Everything I touch, I ruin. Phobos and Deimos captured you and Will and nearly killed both of you just to get at me. Don't you see how guilty I feel? They hurt everyone else but me because they know how bad it hurts, Leo. They know my greatest weakness."

Leo got up and stood in front of me. "Maybe they do, but they haven't won yet. I don't care about the stupid prophecy. No one is going to kill you. You're not going to die," he said, pulling me into a hug. His words seemed as if they were trying to convince him instead of me.