"I'm completely in love
with you and you haven't
even realised but I'm totally
fine with the crippling
knowledge that you don't like
me back. That's fine, I'm fine.
Totally fine."
[ LEO VALDEZ x FEMALE OC ]
[ HEROES OF OLYMPUS SERIES...
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0019. | THE LOVERS IN THE ENGINE ROOM
Leo couldn't have been beaming any harder, which was a weird sensation for him. Leo used to have to wake up every morning and have to remind himself to smile; to look in the mirror and force up that crooked smile of his that made people worried for his mischievousness. He would have to remind himself to be happy, but since Di... he didn't have to try so hard to be happy anymore.
It wasn't effort to smile, it didn't take much to be happy, and he wasn't struggling to be content. Now he finally understood. He had the privilege of being Nadia's, but also of her being his.
Leo had never been wanted by anyone in his life other than his mother, and he was more than happy for the great love of his life to be Di. She was his first love, but he hoped to all the gods that she was his last too. He never wanted anyone other than her, and he found it just a little too easy to admit that to himself. He was so secure that she was all he could ever need, but also all that he would ever want.
He couldn't quite believe that she loved him too. Not because he doubted her honesty, but because he doubted if he was lovable at all. He couldn't imagine him, a boy once named el diablo, being loved by a girl he considered in all lights as an angel. She had proven to him what he thought was impossible - that he could be loved, and for the first time since he could remember, he didn't doubt it.
She made him feel loved, and worthy of it too. Him, a little bit messy, a little bit ruined, a chaotic storm of self-doubt and sarcasm and sadness, and her; a girl who wasn't afraid of a little mess or a storm. He had fallen in love with Tempest herself.
"Cuidado, mi amor. Careful, my love." Leo caught Nadia's elbow just in time from leaning on the button that would set all the cannons to offence. He was fussing about the helm controls on the quarterdeck as the others of the Eight ate their breakfasts. Nadia had sat with him by the controls eating a bowl of mango and occasionally feeding him a cube as he worked.
"Sorry," she mumbled, her cheeks flushing in the sort of way that made him want to melt. Did she have to be so adorable all the time? "Here," she pointed her fork at him, a chunk of mango on the end. He grinned and ate it.
He vaguely heard Frank and Hazel finish telling the story of what had happened under the ocean after the Shrimpzilla attack. Leo did his best to ignore it because he still felt a little awkward around the couple. He had explained to Frank what had happened with that dream thing that Hazel had shown him, but he had decided to keep his distance from Hazel. For a little while at least. Just enough to keep Nadia assured that what he had told her was true: it's you, it's always you.
"Incredible." Jason murmured. He had brownie crumbs on his chin and Leo could tell Nadia was fidgeting with wanting to wipe them off for him. "These are really good brownies."
