safe || leo valdez x oc

forty-six: atlanta truly is a tragedy

ARUNA

silently, aruna opened the door to hazel's cabin. the girl sat on the edge of her bed, weeping slightly. she looked at aruna, her eyes wide with shock as aruna closed the door behind her. hazel stopped breathing as aruna leaned against the wall.

"you okay?"

hazel felt frozen. since when did aruna care? she'd been shocked that aruna had defended nico so strongly, but for aruna to actually come and check on her? it truly was a sight to behold.

"sorry. that was a dumb question."

hazel managed a small smile. she gestured to the desk chair in front of her, and aruna sat in it. she seemed a little awkward, like she was obligated to be there, but she wasn't. aruna wanted to make hazel feel better.

"so... you know my brother." hazel stated, her voice meek.

aruna shrugged. "do i know his favorite color? no. do i know what kind of music he listens to? also no. do i know that he hates people and likes to judge them? yes."

hazel smiled a little. "i guess that sounds like him. to be honest... i don't know much about him either."

"he doesn't like carrots."

hazel stared. "yeah, he- how do you know that?"

"i offered him one a little after dinner, and he treated it like it was a cockroach." aruna said. hazel chuckled softly.

"i know that leo is a dickhead sometimes," aruna sighed, still mad at him. "and jason is oblivious all the time, but... i guess they mean well."

hazel smiled. "you guess?"

"like. uh..." aruna paused. "i mean, they aren't evil by any means. they are good guys. but... well..."

"boys are stupid?"

"yeah, boys are stupid." aruna smiled. "the only non-stupid boy i have ever met was probably will solace, but he's gay, and even then, he has his moments."

hazel sniffed. "i don't know who that is."

"oh, he's the one who reattached my hand after it was severed off in a riot!"

hazel gaped. aruna clicked her wrists together, sending the metal of one bracelet to morph with the other, and make a single large bracelet. she held her hand out to hazel, showing off the hideous scar. hazel oogled at it, her golden eyes wide.

"he's a son of apollo." aruna explained as she clicked her wrists back together. "he also regrew leo's tooth that same night, and fixed all our cuts and bruises."

hazel grinned. "you seem to be adventurous."

aruna shrugged. she suddenly felt nostalgic, remembering how it was only a few months ago. "yeah... leo came to my cabin with a birthday cake." she explained. "i don't celebrate my birthday, but he wanted to do something special. it was handmade and everything, and he brought it after curfew, and tried to give me a good birthday. and, like an idiot, i convinced him to run away from camp with me for the night, and go to the city. then, well, the riot happened, and we got thrown in jail and had to call our friends to bail us out."