Jɪɴx ➪ 𝙡. 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙯

Instincts

chapter nineteen; Instincts 

"STOP SAYING that." 

Leo blinked in confusion. 

He thought what she needed was comfort and a wise variety choice of words. And he thought he was doing an exceptional job at doing just that. 

Apparently he wasn't. 

"Stop doing what?" He asked. 

Jinx drew in a shaky breath. "Stop saying it'll all be fine and swearing on that guy's scrolls." 

Leo tried not to take any personal offense to Jinx referring to Archimedes as "that guy". He also tried his best to put himself in her shoes, but he just couldn't do it. Leo couldn't understand why someone like Jinx, who could stop time in their tracks would be so unsettled by this situation. 

"We're demigods, this type of stuff happens all of the time." 

"No. Not to me. This doesn't happen. I usually run away before it happens."

He opened his mouth to speak but then felt his insides stopping their motions. And then just like that it was over and all was right in the world. 

Leo looked at Jinx to ask her if she had felt that too, but he noticed her tear-stained cheeks and frowned. 

"A male and female demigod." The spirit started. 

"Stop time again."

Jinx looked at him curiously, "what?"

"Do it. But don't stop me." 

He didn't get any sort of warning when she did it. The only way he knew she did it was because of the sudden drop of temperature. 

"Stop doing that." Leo told her. 

"Doing what?" 

He pointed to her face, "you were crying." 

She touched it, trying to wipe her eyes. "I wasn't." 

"Yes you were."

Leo took a step forward and she stood straighter. 

"Your eyes are rimmed red and puffy and-"

"Shut up."

"Why? Because I'm right?" He took another step and she put a hand up. 

Jinx looked away, "don't." 

"How about you don't?"

She rolled her eyes and Leo almost felt like laughing. He had never really had the courage to do something like what he was doing, but he felt annoyed. Annoyed that Jinx thought she had to stop the entire universe from it's course to allow herself to feel things. 

"Don't what, Leo?" 

It was one of the few times she had said his name on purpose. He didn't want to understand the weird fluttery feeling in his stomach.

He sighed in annoyance. "Don't stop time and handle it by yourself." 

"What are you talking about? You were there when I stopped time." She crossed her arms and he narrowed his eyes at her. 

Leo snorted. As if he would believe that. He wasn't dumb, in fact he was insulted that Jinx would say that to him. 

"I didn't do it." Jinx said, like she was trying to make sure he knew she wasn't lying.

Leo raised his arms in frustration, "yes, you did! A second ago you were completely fine, now you have tear-stains on your cheeks and your entire face is blotchy and swollen." 

She instinctively goes to wipe her face again, avoiding his gaze. He could tell that she preferred not to talk about this. Not to mention that right now was probably not the right time. 

"Only Zeus knows how much you've been crying and hiding your feelings from all of us. In fact, you hardly talk to us, any of us. Not Hazel, or Piper -who you've formed a weird friendship with- or Percy -who has late night talks with you- or Coach, who's your partner in crime."  Tentatively, he stretched out his hand and nudged her face to look at him. "Or even me." 

Leo deadass did not know what he was doing and was just going along with his instincts, which were normally correct... Sometimes. 

So, with that being said, he followed his gut-feeling and leaned in.  

He's never had any actual practice. 

Nothing he could count as actual practice. But he did it. 

Leo Valdez kissed Jinx di'Angelo and was ecstatic about it. 

Except, Jinx was taken off guard and the next words that were said were by neither of them. 

"-These will do, if the others die."

Leo jumped from Jinx, remembering their dire situation. He made eye contact with her and could see the resolution growing. 

"I do not feel like dying today." 

"It would be an utter shame to die on a day like this." Leo agreed. 

"We do not need you, Leo Valdez." 

"Oh, hey!" He smiled awkwardly. "You always need Leo Valdez!"

Jinx shrugged, looking around the room for something that would help. "Well, not always. But I guess having one is just as fine. Isn't that right, Manikin?"

The Manikin possessed by the spirit turned its rusty head to face her, leaving Leo to try to figure something out. 

He was smart. He could figure it out. 

But the wolf-headed possessed helmet kept his attention on Leo. "I have been in your mind, Leo. I helped you start the war."

Leo couldn't help the sudden rush of disappointment he felt when Annabeth yelled at him for accidentally starting a war between the Greeks and Romans. 

"That was you?" He faltered, his thoughts coming to an abrupt stop. "You made me fire the ballista?" Leo asked. 

"Leo." Jinx said in a warning tone. "Don't feed into his bs." 

"You call that helping?"

"I know how you think," the Wolf Head said in a haughty tone, if it was possible for a spirit to take that tone, Leo didn't know. What he did know was that this was the  'guy' who made him a big mess-up. 

"I know your limits. You are small and alone. You need friends to protect you. Without them, you are unable to withstand me. I vowed not to possess you again, but I can still kill you."

"Don't listen to it. We are totally unstoppable." Jinx tried to reassure him, attempting to do what he did earlier. But he could tell that she wasn't good at it and that deep down, in all of her encouraging words, there was a waver that revealed she was scared and didn't believe her own words. 

The armored manikins that Jinx had taken a liking to conversing with moved into both of their directions, pointing their swords at their faces. 

If Leo nodded his head, he'd be pricked by the point of it, that's how close they were. 

He looked at Jinx from the side of his vision. 

"Time travel?" Leo asked. 

Jinx sheepishly shrugged her shoulders, "nope. Need to recharge the batteries." 

Leo sighed and Jinx closed his eyes. 

"We aren't going to die."