Found Family (HoO, Mortal AU)

LEO VALDEZ

Leo woke up, realising he was in Piper's house. At this point, one of the spare rooms was practically his own. He always felt bad when he stayed. Although Tristan McLean was rarely home, Leo still felt like a burden.

His head was killing him. How much had he drank? He sat up, checking the time. 11am. He got up, wondering if Piper was awake.
The curtains were still opened and he was still in his clothes from the previous night. He'd obviously collapsed into bed.

He made the bed quickly and walked out of the room, going across the hallway to Piper's. He knocked on Piper's door, getting an 'ughhh' for an answer. He decided that meant yes and opened the door.
Piper was sipping out of a glass of water. Leo couldn't help but laugh. She still hadn't taken off her makeup. One of her false eyelashes had fallen off, the other barely hanging on. Her lipstick was smudged, her hair a frizzy mess.

"Shut up-" Piper groaned.
"Can I just say you look amazing, m'lady." Leo grinned, sitting at the end of Piper's bed.
Piper sat down the glass of water. "Do you remember like anything from last night?"
"Uh. Yeah. I remember-" Leo cringed. "Singing on Reyna's table. Uh. Then you forced me to drink water- and yeah." And Jason Grace kissing Drew Tanaka.

"Oh! Guess what? I got a video!"
"Huh?" Leo said. Piper grabbed her phone.
"Of you singing Slim Shady on Reyna's table."
"No."
"Oh, but yes." Piper smiled, showing Leo the video.
"I hate you."
"Heheh. I know. Anyhow. I'm going to the shower. My fucking hair is frazzled." She said, quoting Gemma Collins.
"I'm claustrophobic, Darren-"
Piper laughed, going into her en-suite.

• • •

Leo decided to go make breakfast for him and Piper. He was just finished when Piper walked into the kitchen, her hair still wet.
"Thanks, Leo." Piper took a seat as Leo set the breakfast in front of her.
"Don't worry. All vegetarian." He sat across from her, beginning to eat.

Leo was surprised to see Tristan McLean walk into the kitchen. Piper seemed to also be surprised.
"Dad!" She said, standing up.
Tristan looked over to them. "Hi, Pipes. Hi-" Tristan paused. "Leo?"
"Dad- can I talk to you?" Piper asked.
"I'm sorry, Piper. I don't have time right now. Later, okay? Talk to Jane and see if she can help."
Jane was Tristan's assistant. Leo did not like her. Tristan rushed out of the kitchen, leaving the house.
"Some chance of talking later." Piper muttered.

Leo knew Piper wouldn't be in a great mood after that, so he decided to stay for a while and try to raise her spirits. They played Mario Kart (Leo totally didn't lose), Just Dance (Leo definitely won that, too) and Animal Crossing (Leo was kicked off Piper's island for running on a gold rose).

The day passed quickly, Leo barely even noticed. He checked the time.
"I'm gonna need to go back to the foster home. I snuck out last night and now they're gonna take my phone off me or something. So, see ya tomorrow. Hopefully!"

• • •

Leo got back to the orphanage and went up to his room, which was shared with a few of the other boy orphans. He walked in, Harley, his eight year old 'brother' sitting on the floor playing with Legos.
"Leo!" Harley smiled.
"Heya, Harl." Leo said. Jake Mason, who was turning eighteen the next month, was sitting on his bunk as usual. He'd only arrived three months ago, when his parents died in an accident. He'd lived through it, but broke a lot of bones. He decided to wait a year before starting college.
"You shouldn't have snuck out again." Jake said, not greeting him.

Leo sighed. "Yeah, yeah."
"I'm serious. This place sucks but just stop running away."
"I was staying at a friends, not running away."
Jake didn't say anything back.
"Look, Leo!" Harley showed him a car he'd made out of the Legos.
"Cool, good job Harl."
"Yeah. I wish I could show it to Bekendorf."

Charles Bekendorf had moved out of the orphanage after finishing high-school the summer before. He moved into an apartment, beside his girlfriend. It wasn't far from the orphanage, but he rarely visited. He was probably one of the most loved kids in the home. Kind but tough. No one called him Charles, though, only ever Bekendorf.
"He'd love it, I'm sure." Leo assured Harley.
"You think so?"
"I know so."

The orphanage wasn't so bad. He was an orphan since he was eight and had been in many different foster homes and orphanages. This was the first one he could tolerate. After moving in, he met Piper and didn't want to leave New York. He'd still run away when things got too much, though. That's all he ever knew to do- run. That way the sadness couldn't catch up.

He walked down to the kitchen, a few of the other kids running around. He got some food, hoping no one would notice he had gone. He already missed Piper, though. Sitting alone made him think. Think about the past. Think about stupid Jason Grace. And how he kissed Drew.
He shouldn't have been getting so annoyed about it. He hated Jason. He always had and he always would.

Eventually one of the other orphans, a fourteen year old, Nyssa sat beside him. She had just started her freshman year and was the only other foster kid in the same school as Leo. They'd be taken to school in one of the carer's cars everyday, though Leo usually ran away and walked instead.

More of the kids sat down, all were younger than Leo, apart from Jake. The youngest was a two year old, Issac Schuster. There was also Shane, Christopher and Heloise who were all four or five. Leo loved his family, really he did. He just hated being an orphan.

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Word Count: 998 (oops)

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A/N: hi! Uh didn't really know what to write in this chapter and I've already said before I have NO CLUE how the foster system/orphanages work. Like at all. I know it's different but honestly it's easier to just write it like this than explain everything. It's just for fun:)

Anyway all the orphans mentioned in this chapter are kids of Hephaestus cause I thought it'd just be a cute lil' — thing. 'Easter egg'?

Charles Bekendorf is a camper who first appears in Percy Jackson & the Sea of Monsters. He was head of the Hephaestus Cabin.

Jake Mason is first mentioned in Percy Jackson & the Last Olympian, when he takes Bekendorf's place as head counsellor of the Hephaestus Cabin.

Nyssa Barrera is first mentioned in the Lost Hero. She is a temporary counsellor of the Hephaestus Cabin.

Issac Schuster is a son of Hephaestus who only appears in 'the lightning thief' video game.

Shane & Christopher are background campers who only appear in the Lost Hero.

Harley's first appearance is in the Lost Hero, as another Hephaestus camper.

Heloise is a daughter of Hephaestus, who went to camp in the 1940s. She appears in Camp Halfblood Confidential.