Asphodels (Valdangelo)

Torn (part 2)

Every few chapters I have to re-read my stories in order not to fuck up the continuity. Riordan's descriptions of Europe during the quest of the seven leads me to believe it happens during summer, but the quest to save Juno happens during spring/summer? So like, not a lot of time passes.

Nico gets a window to finally talk with Leo, even if it's for a very short time, as Reyna tells him they'll start the trip at sunrise; and maybe he should be going to sleep, but he knows he won't be able to unless he fixes this. But Leo isn't in the engine room, so Nico goes looking, and finds him on the deck, leaning over the railing with Hazel at his side.

Normally, Nico would just approach them, sure that his sister will let them have a moment, but the shadows stop him; instead he finds himself in a position similar to that of his first experience aboard the Argo II, hiding as he overhears a conversation not meant for him.

"It was in the parking lot of a McDonalds"

This time though, Nico can actually see them, and so he sees how Hazel's eyebrows knit together, sees how Leo's face turns into a smile.

"I know, not the most romantic place on Earth"

He watches him turn towards the night sky, rubbing a hand over his forearm, and old scar his mind provides, and Nico's heart starts racing.

"I was running from a monster, only I didn't know it was an actual monster"

Nico remembers, running from place to place, scared and angry; remembers the boy he'd been convinced was a ghost.

"Fun thing is I don't actually remember if we talked, if we did anything other than exist in the same place at the same time"

Leo makes a pattern against the railing as though distracted.

"But I remembered him, even with my memories scrambled, I couldn't forget him for long; and then I choked every time I thought about him"

Nico needs to get out of here; the shadows at his feet seem to sense his current torrent of emotions, because they swiftly take him away.

Leo's honestly astonished when, after Reyna and Nico disappear into the horizon, Jason pulls him aside; though he does appreciate that whatever problem Jason has with him will be talked about privately. He's internally panicking a minute later, when he finds out the actual reason Jason asked him to talk privately; because in the taller boy's hands, there's Leo's blood dyed rag.

Leo's hand goes to the scar in his forearm, a small line barely below his elbow, an action he's been doing more and more often since he remembered exactly how he got it. He'd had his suspicions that Jason knew, at least some of it, but maybe it hadn't been enough to worry him; why else would he have not approached Leo sooner otherwise?

Jason has a somber expression on his face, which doesn't exactly bode well for Leo.

"You're not ok"

Leo weights his options, and finds they're a little similar to what he can do to cure himself; he can lie, pretend like nothing has happened, forget, or...

"I'm cursed"

He can tell the truth, and face the consequences; he needs practice with that one.

"It's called Hanahaki, and I have it because I feel for someone that doesn't love me back"

Jason makes a face tossing the rag into a nearby bin; Leo was going to throw it away regardless so he doesn't comment.

"What do asphodels have to do with that?"

Leo winces, he had hoped Jason hadn't seen the whole flower.

"They grow in my lungs when I think about him"

Jason's face goes through a series of expressions like rapid fire, too fast for Leo to make sense of any of them.

"Does anyone know?"

Leo looks away.

"Hazel and Nico"

He hears a slapping sound from Jason's direction, but keeps his eyes away.

"Let me guess, they don't know what flowers they are"

Leo finally looks at him, and he's massaging the bridge of his nose.

"Hazel knows they're asphodels, Nico doesn't"

Jason lets out a sigh that sounds a little like he's in pain; Leo feels a little guilty about it so he shares something else.

"It has two cures"

Jason turns back to him; Leo's hands goes for the small pouch still tied to his tool belt.

"Asclepius told me, it's why I went back, that and Nico was the corn plant"

Jason huffs. 

"So, what did he say?"

Leo sighs, resting against a nearby wall, taking advantage of the position change to not look at Jason.

"Forget the last what, seven months? Or confess and 'face heartbreak', pick one or die, the usual"

There's a pause and then Jason makes a move like he's leaving.

"I need like an hour"

Leo does not stop him; he doesn't think he'll tell anyone.

He'll have to visit the new land of the gods eventually, if only to retrieve a cure that he knows won't get used; but one he had given, as was his duty as deity of medicine. He ponders about the boy briefly, alive only by the fire in his veins, and despite the pain he was clearly in, still willing to save the one who unknowingly caused it.

Maybe it isn't such a bad thing, that a demigod now has the death cure, if only because of who the boy is.