Results May Vary

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Short chapter because I can.

One would think that after about 18 years of maybe friendship, Nico would know everything there is to be known about Leo Valdez, and yet.

Yet here he is, helping Nico do 'a cleanse', his words, while trying to find out what kind of music they both like. And maybe their tastes align a lot more often than not, and Nico should be annoyed at the loudness and Leo's general 'Leo-ness', but turns out cleaning with music on really is easier than doing it without; and Nico is maybe enjoying himself, no one will ever know.

He never thought he'd spend time with Leo, much less like this; and he doesn't know if the easy feeling that settles between them is something that would've happened before the whole Will/Calypso thing. He's still a little offset by the knowledge that Leo's own relationship crumbled just as his did, but he doesn't know how to bring it up.

"Nico?"

He's really bad at keeping his mouth shut when Leo looks at him like that.

"Why did you and Calypso break up"

Leo blinks at him a few times before letting out this amused little sound.

"That was terrible"

Nico feels his face heat up in embarrassment, but instead of teasing him even more, Leo sighs and runs a hand through his hair.

"She kept thinking I was gonna leave her if I spent so much as an extra minute away from home"

He shows Nico a book on anatomy, Nico points to the cardboard box with his head.

"Like I wasn't juggling with her schedule too, or like I forbade her from visiting me"

He's frowning now, but it's not the annoyance of anger one would expect to accompany such words.

"I probably wasn't the best boyfriend either"

Nico gets this hard to describe feeling in his chest and throat, so he moves, puts the full box in his hands on the floor, and then he puts a hand on Leo's shoulder. It's awkward, which is to be expected considering Nico's never done this; but then Leo gives him this soft smile, and he can't help but feel like he's done something right.