Leo Valdez- Learning to Live

Chapter 22

Sorry I'm being slow again. School has officially started up again, so. You know.

I don't own PJO/HOO. Hope you enjoy!

"Aha! There you are!"

Leo jumped at the sudden voice coming from behind him. Both him and Percy automatically turned at the noise, and immediately got caught on the handcuffs linking them together. Percy chuckled a bit, and they shifted around awkwardly to see none other than Nyssa marching toward them.

She came to a stop in front of them. "I've been looking for you!" she all but scolded, shaking a finger admonishingly in Leo's face.

Leo blinked in confusion. "You have?"

"Of course! I wanted to grab you before one of your other friends stole you again. Come on, you're eating at the Hephaestus table tonight."

"Oh uh," Percy began. "Actually, I think Frank was supposed to have him next?" 

Leo didn't move a muscle, but he inwardly flinched at those words. Have him next. Like he was some sort of obligation that had to be passed around like a terrible disease.

You're just a burden. You're not important and you never have been. It would be better for everyone if you--

He was shocked from his thoughts when Nyssa suddenly wheeled on Percy. "Oh don't get me started on you. I don't care how many times you've saved the world, you are not stealing my brother away from me any longer. I mean, first you guys steal him at every meal, and then you take him away from our cabin at night, so we don't even get to see him then! All we've got is when he comes to the forges to work on stuff, and he won't even talk to us then," she said, shooting a glare in Leo's direction.

Leo winced for real this time. He hadn't meant to neglect his siblings, really he hadn't. All his other friends were just so worried that they had essentially kidnapped him at all times, making it hard to spend time with Nyssa and the others. Though he guessed that was Nyssa's point.

"Not that I blame you, Leo," Nyssa quickly assured him, as if she could sense the guilt steadily rising in him. "It's this fool's fault for not thinking to write any of your actual siblings into the schedule," she said, jabbing Percy in the chest with an accusatory finger. 

Percy stared down at Nyssa, a bewildered look on his face. "Ummm... I wasn't like, in charge of that, really. I mean, it was more of a group effort... thing... Mostly led by Annabeth..." His voice trailed off. He seemed confused as to how to respond to the short but tough girl in front of him. As far as Leo knew, the two had never even interacted before.

"I don't care. Just hand over my brother, and we'll call it even."

Percy blinked a few times against the weight of Nyssa's stare.

A few minutes later as Leo and Nyssa left Percy behind on the path, Leo thought he heard a, "Man, that girl is scary," coming from behind them, and he couldn't help but smirk a little.

The two demigods walked to the dining pavilion in a comfortable silence. Leo hadn't expected this sudden change of plans, but he didn't mind it either. The details of these pointless days hardly seemed to matter.

Oh wait. He wasn't supposed to think like that anymore.

Well, it's true, isn't it?

The entire Hephaestus group seemed to light up when they saw him approaching, and Leo flushed with embarrassment.

They're probably just happy to see Nyssa. No one cares about you.

"Leo!" Jake called cheerfully as Nyssa and Leo slid onto the bench across from him. "It's so good to see you again."