RELÁMPAGO, leo valdez

X. he made it so much easier to be fine

0010. | HE MADE IT SO
MUCH EASIER TO BE FINE

          Leo gave the helm to Coach Hedge and everyone met in the Mess Hall. Leo was holding her hand under the table again and running his thumb over her knuckles. Everyone else was eating but Nadia quickly found out she couldn't after the assault on her oesophagus so she just sipped her water and listened to Piper tell the story of what happened at TOPEKA 32.

Nadia felt Frank staring at her when Piper spoke about how she expelled Gaea from her mind and she met his gaze. His eyes were fearful but he managed a smile at her that she was grateful for. Leo watched the interaction and stretched, shifting his hand from holding hers to lay across the back of her chair whilst narrowing his eyes at Frank.

           Then Piper finished the story by explaining how the eidolons had possessed the boys. Hazel slapped her hand against the table making Frank drop his burrito. "Of course!" Nadia's doppelgänger cried. "That's what happened to Leo, too."

           Nadia frowned slightly. Why was Hazel so concerned about what happened to Leo? Nadia didn't answer herself. Instead, she rested her hand on Leo's thigh. He gulped oddly.

           He exhaled. "So it wasn't my fault." He said. "I didn't start World War Three. I just got possessed by an evil spirit. That's a relief!"

"But the Romans don't know that." Annabeth pointed out. "And why would they take our word for it?"

"We could contact Reyna." Jason offered and Nadia stiffened. She saw how Piper's expression tensed at the mention of Jason's ex-whatever. "She would believe us. You could convince her, Pipes, I know you could."

Nadia and Leo shared an oh jheez look. Nadia tightened her hold on his leg as if to say thank you for not being an oblivious boyfriend like Jason. But for some reason, when she held his leg, he stiffened awkwardly and his face flushed pink.

"I could try." Piper mumbled. "But Octavian is the one we have to worry about. In my dagger blade, I saw him taking control of the Roman crowd. I'm not sure Reyna can stop him."

            "She's right." Frank noted. "This afternoon when we were scouting, we saw eagles again. Nadia," he glanced at the bruised girl. "Have you blocked their vision yet?"

           No. No she hadn't. Getting possessed by a protogenos goddess kind of distracted her a little bit. She bowed her head in silence and Leo answered for her. "Lay off, man. It's been a long day." He said.

           Frank's expression flickered apologetically as he realised what he said. "Sorry, I didn't mean-,"

          "It's fine." Nadia smiled at him softly.

          Frank cleared his throat and nodded thankfully at her. "Well, they were a long way off." He added. "But they're closing in fast. Octavian is on the war path."