Judgmental (a Percy Jackson AU)

The Elements

When people named the four elements as wind, fire, earth, and water, Leo thought they had forgotten a fifth: snow. Sure, snow, hail, and ice were technically just frozen forms of water, but solidified water behaved differently than liquid water. You couldn't swim through ice or throw water-balls like you could snowballs. In Leo's mind, snow was as different from water as a wedding was from a funeral. Water nurtured life; snow stole it away.

The seventh day after they moved into their new apartment, a blizzard hit and Leo was reminded of the fifth element. Khione was on the phone for two hours in the morning, calling people to find out if the fashion show scheduled that day was cancelled. Once she found out that it was still going on, she left in a whirlwind.

      The house seemed warmer without her. Leo's stomach ached and he decided to make some hot cocoa. He rummaged through the pantry, but found no store-bought mix or cocoa powder. The only chocolate in the house was a half-eaten Reese's peanut butter cup lying on the counter. The smell of creamy peanut butter coated with chocolate made Leo's belly rumble.

    He opened the fridge and took inventory. There wasn't much: just a jar of pickles, a jar of mayonnaise, and a gallon of milk. He took out the milk and poured some into a small saucepan that he put on the stove. He turned on the stove, put the carton of milk back into the fridge and rummaged through the pantry again. His eyes caught sight of some sugar and spices. He grabbed them and then set them down on the counter.

      He was soon measuring out sugar to put into the milk. He decided if he couldn't have hot cocoa, then he'd have warm milk. Sure, it wouldn't be the same, but it would warm him up and put his stomach at ease.

      Leo was turning off the stovetop when he heard a knock on the door. His heart lurched as if he was slipping and he quickly looked at the saucepan. He exhaled when he realized there was enough warm milk for two people.

    Leo made his way to the door and opened it up. He blinked at the figure facing him. It wasn't Khione who had been knocking, but his neighbor, Jason. Jason was a tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes rimmed with smart-looking glasses. When he had come over with Frank, Leo had noticed Khione eying the blonde with interest. This made Leo feel like a broom next to a vacuum compared to Jason.

       "Hey, what's up?" Leo asked.

       "I was wondering if we could speak," Jadon said.

     "Yeah, come in," Leo said, mindful of how cold it was outside.

     Jason smiled and exhaled as the warmth came back to his cheeks. He followed Leo to the kitchen and watched as the curly-haired man poured a steaming beverage into two mugs and handed one to him. Leo watched Jason take a tentative sip and then another. He smacked his lips appreciatively.

      "This is wonderful," he said. "You're a good barista."

        "Well, I gotta have some talents," Leo said, shrugging. "If I cannot be handsome, I'd better be pretty handy."

    Jason looked up from his mug. His brows were knit.

     "Did Khione tell you that?" he asked softly.

      "No," Leo said, scratching his back with one hand. "Why'd you ask?"

    Jason didn't immediately reply. Instead, his gaze swept through the kitchen. Leo imagined he was judging him through the messiness of the kitchen. When Jason spoke, however, he did not mention the stacks of dirty dishes or the dust on the floor. In fact, his words were not judgmental at all.

     "I'm concerned about you," he said.

      Leo swallowed a gulp of warm milk too quickly. His throat burned and he coughed. He could hear Jason speaking, but couldn't discern his words. He felt a hand thumping his back. Suddenly, Leo regained his senses as a breathe of fresh air cleansed his lungs.

     "Leo, Khione isn't someone you should marry," Jason said.

    Leo gaped at him. How could he know? Who was he to butt in and tell him what to do?

     "You're just saying that because you want to be her boyfriend," Leo said.

     "Leo," Jason said, a pleading tone entering his voice. "That's not true. I'm genuinely concerned about—"

      "Get out!" Leo said, raising his voice. "I didn't invite you into my apartment for this."

     "Leo, please listen," Jason said as he was ushered to the door. "Khione doesn't treat you well. I've heard her shouting at you. I bet she even hits you. I've been waiting for the right time to call the police, but I'm afraid she'll get off the hook and hurt you."

     Leo shoved the taller man through the doorway. He slammed the door. Suddenly, the apartment seemed cold and oppressive again. Was Jason right? Should he actually marry Khione?