The Argonaut (A PJO/HOO Leo Valdez Fanfiction)

• the argonaut •

It was times like this Leo would forget the past.

Feeling the wind in his face, blowing back his dark curls and making his eyes tear up at the pressure. Holding on to the rails, tilting a bit to the point that if he let go he would fall down to the deck below and smash into pieces. Hearing the songs imbedded into the breezes that came from up north, like the melody of sirens and nymphs mashed into a single whoosh.

Leo felt many feelings he didn't dare to feel before: freedom, relaxation - actual happiness.

He looked out into the open sea as they sailed. It was all a deep blue, and the waves rocked the Argo || side to side as if it were dancing. He doubted Hazel could keep a straight face with her seasickness.

The sky was perfect for a dreadful day, its bright scheme of color with clouds gathered in little groups. The sun shone low in the sky, the white mass of energy standing out and casting Leo's face in an orangey glow. He wondered if it was Apollo, smiling at him with a purely-white grin.

It all seemed so lovely. It was hard to think that this was going to be destroyed if they don't get back to camp in time. Percy and Annabeth had just came back from Tartarus, and it was not a good sight for him. They were cut and bleeding, breathing ragged and eyes dilated as if they've gone insane. Just enough to add to his pain of worthlessness.

What was his purpose on the ship? Sure, he had designed and built the whole thing, working day and night, almost killing himself several times in the process. But that was about it. The only reason they had him on deck was to do repairs and fly the godsdamn thing. Afterwards, they would ignore him, like he was a spare part that was so useless to a machine but is still there in case of emergency. He wouldn't be able to handle that again.

There was always a Plan B. Running away.

He gripped the rails tighter, a frown deepening as he remembered all of those foster homes he went to after his mother died. The first foster home wasn't as homey as Esperanza's workshop. He ended up running away.

Aunt Teresa was his second foster parent, and a mean woman she was. She was worse than Tia Rosa, his aunt, because she used more hurtful words than diablo to describe him. He still remembered that black whip in her hand, stained with dry blood. He remembered that evil cackle and her dark eyes, making her look like a spawn of hell.

He had two attempts of running away, and was able to succeed on the third time. He never forgot her. He never will. The scars on his back make that obvious.

Usually, his answer to his problems was running. Away from the hate, away from the torture. Away from the pain.

Camp Half-Blood was nice, but it was not his preference. Sure, it was possibly the only safe haven for demigods (well, there was Camp Jupiter but he knew he wasn't exactly welcome there are the eidolon incident), but he didn't feel warmth or happiness.

His siblings were sweet and nice and he especially loved Harley, but they had their own lives. Why would they care? His friends would dispose of him until they needed him to build a non-flare cell phone.

And Jason...oh, Jason. He wanted to get away from that dashing smile, the adorable cut on his lips, his perfect blonde hair and his bright blue eyes. He wanted away from that honest and military personality, the warmth of his hugs, the laughs that make butterflies churn in his stomach. He didn't want to be next to unrequited love.

Being on the ship was his only true way to feel freedom. Standing on the mast, looking out into the ocean blue, making it okay to cry, to weep, to actually feel sadness for once without his mask.

It was almost the end of sunset, the sky turning dark against the scheme of orange and yellow. It was so beautiful.

He smiled. It didn't matter what his friends said, it didn't matter what his past was like, it absolutely didn't matter what Jason thought about him. He was undefined, divided by zero, free to make his own choices and choose his path. He would not fail the world, even with broken bones he will fight with everything he has.

The Argo || was not just a ship. It was his best friend. The only person that can make him feel at home. He wouldn't go back to camp. He will fly and sail this until his dying day.

He was not Leo Valdez, the worthless captain of a ship full of warriors.

He wasn't Leo Valdez, the Bad Boy Supreme, Super Hot Fire, or Super Sized-McShizzle.

He wasn't Leo Valdez.

He was an argonaut.