Blood of Olympus FanFic {completed}

26: LEO

CH 26-LEO

"Come on, Jason," Leo said, running to keep up with Jason's long strides. "It wasn't her fault, man."

Jason turned around, causing Leo to wham right into him. "Sorry-"

"Do you have a crush on her or something, Leo?"

"No! Of course not!" Leo scoffed. More like scared of her.

"If she hadn't been so rude to Piper, none of this would've happened." Jason turned and kept walking.

Leo sighed, and jogged along besides him. "But don't all girls fight with even their best friends?" he asked.

"Piper didn't do anything except be the kind girl she is," Jason said. "Annabeth initiated the fighting. She must have."

Jason was really starting to scare Leo. He was even giving Percy the cold shoulder, just for standing up for Annabeth. When he and Hazel had left, after Hazel had a dream telling her to visit the mist (whatever THAT meant) and she had dragged Percy along, Jason had seemed almost angry when Percy kissed Annabeth good bye, as if he didn't have his girlfriend. Which he didn't. But whatever. Hazel was now the only member of the crew who seemed to have not changed at all, which was comforting. But who knew what Hazel was really feeling. Certainly not Leo.

"I know man," Leo said, although he didn't. "But Beth, she really feels bad, I can tell."

Annabeth had seemed reluctant to kiss Percy in front of Jason. It couldn't have been more obvious that Percy couldn't care less what Jason thought of him, but even Leo could tell it bothered Annabeth.

"She obviously doesn't care what I feel," Jason said, quickening his pace, "so why should I?"

"Jase," Leo said, internally priding himself on the use of a nickname, "Where are you even going?"

Jason turned abruptly to face Leo, and the scariest thing happened. Even Gaea wasn't as scary as this.

"I don't know," Jason said, teetering from one foot to another, his complexion becoming pale. "I don't know," he repeated, all his features sagged, in utter defeat, "Leo, help me, I don't know where I'm going!" Jason's eyes were wide with fear and hidden emotion, and for the first time saw Jason as Jason his friend.

Not Jason the leader, or Jason the praetor. Just Jason Grace, Leo Valdez's best friend.

Leo felt like an absolute girl as he hugged Jason and kind of awkwardly slapped his best friend's back.

After about five seconds, Leo took a step back, and Jason's face was red as if he was about to sob.

Oh Gods, he thought, It'd been bad enough when Annabeth was crying, but now Jason?

"No, Jase," he said. He took a deep breath. Leo Valdez, coming though! "Look. You and Piper are my best friends, and I'd know it if anything happened to either of you. So don't worry."

"Alright," Jason said, and Leo had never heard his friend's voice sound so cracked and desperate. "I think I'll go to my cabin now."

So much for counseling. "Sure, see you later," Leo said. "Get some sleep."

"I'll try," was Jason's answer.

Sighing, Leo wandered to the railing, wishing he had someone to stand by him. Calypso was his first thought, obviously, but then, he had become such good friends with the crew that either one of them would've been welcomed. He just hated being alone.

He knew it was probably time for him to start working on his quest- oops, THREE quests. He felt it was kind of unfair for him to have three quests: fixing the crystal, then Festus, then finally visiting Calypso, though all he wanted to do was the third option. But whatever. He was a good procrastinator.