Kerosine Dreams (Leo Valdez x Reader)

Did You Happen For A Reason?

 After being dropped onto the ships deck by Jason, Y/N took a moment to gather herself and try to refocus. She tried to stand, but her legs were completely drained of energy and she only managed to fall back on herself. Unable to move, she looked up to see what the commotion was now breaking out in front of her.

Leo stand there, more vulnerable looking than Y/N had ever seen him. He gripped the sides of his pants so tightly his knuckles were white and his hands shook. His eyes were locked on the wooden deck, completely unable to lift up to face his friends. The twisted look on his face matched with his glassy eyes which radiated pain.

"What—" Percy cursed. "What the hell was that?!"

Annabeth was holding Percy back by the arm from whatever he was about to do.

Though she felt as if she was locked in concrete, Y/N forced through the exhaustion and bravely brought herself to stand.

Was what Leo did right? No. Was he thinking when he did it? No.

But was he deserving of having his friends tear him apart more than he already did to himself? No. Was he such a bad person that he didn't deserve to have anyone stand up for him? Absolutely not.

"Listen," Y/N scowled, now staggering closer towards the others. Everyone eyed her warily. "He screwed up. Hugely, might I add. But do you really think he doesn't know that?"

Percy pursed his lips and shifted his gaze in frustration. So many things were running though his mind and all he wanted to do was scream at Leo until the boy turned to dust. The right words weren't coming to his mouth just yet, but he knew they would soon.

Y/N stood her ground. Seconds felt like hours for Leo as he watched her stand there, face to face with Percy, hair falling into her eyes every so often from the howling wind.

"Leo can't focus past the end of his nose or control himself in the first place, and you're just fuel to his fire!" Percy finally stormed, looking to Leo. "You can't follow the simplest of orders and you always make more problems that the rest of us have to deal with! You're never the one clean up the mess after you make it! Gods you're such—"

"Hey!" Y/N shrilled, her voice cutting right through the wind and slicing everyones ears. "He doesn't feel the effects of what he's done? Look at him! He's afraid and hurt and his chest is caving in with guilt! You cannot tell me he doesn't feel."

"Oh please!" Percy spat. "You hardly know him! You're an outsider. You weren't there when he bombed Camp Jupiter, you weren't—"

"No! No, I wasn't there!" She yelled. "But unlike you, I've listened to him when he talks. And, because of that, I know Camp Jupiter wasn't his fault! Stop using that against him!"

Something about what either Y/N or Percy had said finally set Leo off. In seconds he went from a teary eyed, frail boy to a smouldering force not to be reckoned with. He tore through the crowd which were supposedly his friends and dove below deck, immediately racing off to his room and slamming the door. Countless times in earlier years he had done this, running away from the group in tears after they had all yelled at him for any kind of mistake he made. It wasn't new. But, it was even more devastating than normal because he thought he was past it. Thought he was beyond this walk of shame back to his room after being humiliated.

Y/N and Percy followed him, but were too late. The door was shut before they got there and were only met with smoke bellowing out from beneath the door. That in itself was enough of a sign to let Y/N know that Leo was deeply hurt. Very, very deeply hurt.

"Nice job." Y/N scowled, quickly storming off away from Percy. She left the son of Poseidon there in the hallway which was now flooding with smoke without words. He was now questioning if he'd really overacted to an extent that was irrational. Or, was Y/N just getting to his head, her being new and unpredictable and all? Whatever it was, Percy knew he had some thinking to do. Along with that, possibly an apology to be given to more than one person.