Just Let Me Leave (Jercy AU)

Chapter 22: A Few More Minutes

{I'm gonna edit the ending of one of the chapters, so just ignore the random updates from like 12 chapters ago ahaha}

Y'all, getting to this update has been so chaotic.😂 First the first 200 or so words I had was deleted, and then I couldn't find chapters 12 and 13. And then the entire freaking book was out of order. I'm still not entirely sure what happened, but I put all the chapters back where they belong and 12/13 and the original draft of this one reappeared so I mean, I guess all is well.

[TRIGGER WARNING: implications of homophobia]

He was right.
*****

A few hours had passed before Leo finally decided that he should head home. Piper delayed his departure, though, asking if he had time to stick around for a few more minutes. Nodding, he returned back to his seat in the living room, assuming he'd been there for at least another fifteen minutes. It wouldn't be the first time Piper asked for "a few more minutes" and didn't finish until half an hour later.

"Okay," Piper took a deep and rather unsure seeming breath, "um, I don't really know how to explain this without sounding like a...total idiot, but I, uh..."

Another breath.

"My mom...never left my dad and me. She's probably sitting at home...," she paused, "right now."

Jason was highly confused. "Why have you been living in our guest room since that night then?"

"I...Jason, you're still pan, right? Like you haven't changed your mind or anything?" Piper asked hurriedly, obviously worried about something.

"Pipes," Leo joined in, "I don't really think that's how sexuality works."

"I know, it's just...," she quieted immensely, "I think I might...like girls, too."

Jason smiled warmly at her, while Leo simply muttered a, "Wow, way to multiply the number of people in school that want to date you by two," which received a short, breathy laugh of relief from Piper.

"Who else have you told so far?" Jason inquired, feeling some of his tension disappear upon finding that nothing too severe had endangered or hurt Piper.

"Your sister knows," she told Jason, "because I needed to ask about staying here."

"Did something happen?" Leo's head perked up as he spoke. He was typically a lover and not a fighter, but if someone had done something to Piper, he would gladly let them feel his elvish wrath (as Reyna had dubbed it upon watching him argue with some senior during his freshman year).

"I also told my parents, and ah...," she looked away from the two boys, "now I'm here."

"Oh, Pipes," Jason softened, immediately going to hug the girl. As she buried her head in his chest, Jason looked at Leo and beckoned him over with a tilt of his head. Leo came around to the other side of Piper and joined the now group hug. Piper reached her arm, rather awkwardly, to pull Leo in.

"I love you guys," Piper muttered into Jason's chest.

"Good," Leo replied for the both of them, "because you're stuck with us for a while."

She just smiled in return, and the three sat there for a few moments before finally breaking apart. "My parents said they'd let me know about their stance after they've 'thought about it'."

"You know you can stay here however long you want," Jason said.

Piper nodded. "Yeah, your sister's been pounding that into my head since I told her."

"If it make you feel better, Pipes, just remember that Thalia probably would've kicked me out before the first week ended," Leo offered his light-hearted consolement.

"You wouldn't have lasted a day, Valdez," another female voice spoke from the entrance. Thalia.

Leo tried to defend himself. "Hey! I've spent the night in your house several times, and you've only sent me back home, like, twice."

"Spring of 2012," Thalia reminded him.

Leo rolled his eyes. "Doesn't count, you're not the one who sent me home."

"Whatever you say," she sighed, walking over and taking a seat in one of the chairs, "so you told them what's been going on, Piper?"

Piper nodded, before adding a mostly playful, "Yeah, you can stop lying to your brother and his friends," at which Thalia smiled.

Jason was surprised Piper, as well as Thalia and Leo, had been able to make any kind of light-hearted remark after the moment they'd just had (well, excluding Thalia, but she assumed she had a general idea of what'd happened). Maybe he was just pessimistic, but Jason thought that he, personally, would need just a bit more time to grieve with his friends.

Although, as of recent, Jason was beginning to think he was emotionally the weak link of the group. He wasn't entirely sure why that had become a possibility now, considering he was always the emotionally stable friend, the shoulder to cry on. Maybe it was Chris, bringing up everything he'd ever regretted in his life. Comparing them to some things he, on the contrary, had absolutely no regret about.

Jason had apparently missed the end of the conversation, as the first thing he heard upon snapping back into reality was Leo's "Bye, Jase!" as he walked towards the front door. The blonde quickly rose him a wave over his shoulder, allowing his friend to think he'd been paying attention.

"I'm gonna head up to sleep," Piper said, standing from her seat. "The past few minutes have drained me of all my mental energy."

Both siblings bid her goodnight, and after she disappeared behind the nearest wall. Thalia began walking towards the kitchen, so Jason decided he would copy Piper's actions. Right as he was about to leave the living room, Thalia spoke from the other side of it.

"So what were you thinking about that whole time?" She asked, leaning against the kitchen doorframe.

Jason turned around to face her with a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

"You spaced out for a few minutes," she explained. "I just assumed you were thinking...is everything good with you?"

The boy nodded. "Don't worry about me, Thals, I'm okay. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she sighed a bit at Jason's abrupt end to the conversation.

And Jason turned, heading up to bed.

So, I don't really have anything interesting to say. Hope y'all liked the chapter though whoops.

High school tryouts are tomorrow, I'm prepared to flop.

Have a nice day, beautiful people.😂