Leo Valdez x reader (oneshots and the Fire Elementalist series)

Fire Elementalist: 13

TYPE: fluff at the end
T/W: thinking you're the reason someone's miserable?
CONTEXT:
- not much Leo, sorry, but important to get the plot moving
- I will brush past other stuff in the MoA and just jump to "the fall" in the next few chapters

Hope y'all enjoy, darlings 💜

• • •

Leo's POV

We were probably asleep for half an hour when Coach Hedge started yelling above deck. I woke (y/n) up and we headed upstairs in out pyjamas, weapons drawn. The view made my jaw drop. Cruising alongside us was a ship, probably a few feet longer than the Argo II.

My jaw dropped as I saw the details. The designs looked foreign and old, no doubt ancient Egyptian. At the bow was a crocodile-headed man, standing guard with a staff. The entire ship let out a gold/bronze-ish glow. My spine shivered when I saw a man stare at us from his throne. He was dressed in ancient pharaoh's clothing. He had a dark complexion and mature features. He studied us intently with dark eyes, heavily lined with kohl—you know, Egyptian eyeliner. Yeah, I read.

He got up and walked towards the railing. (Y/n) did the same. I took her hand to stop her. "Careful, Guppy."

She looked at me calmly. "It's fine, Leo. I know this guy."

I didn't let go of her hand, but I followed her as we walked to the railing. The others started to climb aboard. Apparently, Coach yelled for backup. Both ships were now a foot away from each other, which was dangerously close.

The pharaoh guy held out his right hand and a silver platter of cookies materialized. I don't know if he was also glowing, or the ship was reflecting off his skin. "Cookie?" he offered.

"Hell, yes," (y/n) said, reaching out. Annabeth then smacked her hand away.

"Annabeth!" (y/n) said as she proceeded to take a chocolate chip cookie. "It's fine. That's Ra, Egyptian sun god."

"Ooh, blue cookies," Percy said as he reached for a blue one. I reached for a few myself. The others cautiously declined, even though, (y/n) seems to trust this guy.

"Ra," the crocodile guy called from the bow, "are we really going to just trust these Greeks?"

"Shut it, Sobek," (y/n) said with a mouthful of cookies. The guy, Sobek, scowled, showing his abnormally sharp teeth. He looked intimidating, even from a distance, but (y/n) has guts if she could just tell him to shut it with cookie crumbs around her mouth.

"Ignore him," Ra said. "The gods have been on edge since we were forced to retreat to the heavens."

"You make it sound like keeping the world safe is such an inconvenience," (y/n) retorted.

Ra rolled his eyes. "Thank you for almost depleting your life force to banish the giant serpent back into the deepest, darkest realms of the Duat," he said sarcastically.

"Much better," (y/n) replied with even more sarcasm as she reached for a macaroon. How she managed that, I don't even know.

"Anyway," Ra said, "we need to talk."

"We're kind of in a hurry," Annabeth said.

"You'll have plenty of time," Ra replied. "Besides, the exit will only open at sunrise, so (y/n) and I have a couple more hours to catch up. This will only take a few minutes."

"Hold on," Percy stepped forward, "whatever you have to say to my sister, you can say to us."

Ra looked confused. "Sist—Ahh, the other brother. Apologies, son of Poseidon, but this is a matter of god-to-host confidentiality."