Kerosine Dreams (Leo Valdez x Reader)

Until Next Year

Surprisingly, the walk back didn't take long. Maybe just over an hour. However, the map hadn't taken them back to camp, it took them to the beach of long island sound. Waves crashed softly against the shore and the moonlight lit everything in a dream like kind of way.

Leo looked to the map and could feel his face flush as he read the words scribbled on it.

'I know you two don't hate one another. You should talk about it. -Thalia'

"Hey, I know it's late and all, but do you wanna sit here until the sun comes up? If we try to go back to our cabins, the Harpies will definitely catch us." Leo asked.

Y/N looked to him in question, very obviously exhausted. "Harpies?"

Leo had forgotten she hardly knew all there was to know about camp. "Eh, you don't wanna know. Creepy...old bird ladies."

"Waiting for the sunrise it is!" Y/N's face scrunched in horror at the thought of the harpies.

Even if the pair had gone back to camp and somehow managed to sneak into their cabins, there was no way they would sleep. They had just spent the entire night fighting off monsters together, ones Leo had never even seen before or could have imagined. Y/N was still convinced this was all just a dream. How could snake ladies and chimeras and centaurs, and Greek gods actually be real? It wasn't possible. Couldn't be.

"Hey, let's make a deal." Leo piped up through a sleepy, hoarse voice. "I'll give you my life story if you give me yours."

"Sure." Y/N yawned.

"Ok," Leo knew he'd have to go first. He took in a deep breath and was going to get all of this out in one breath. "Born, raised as fire baby in a workshop, crazy babysitter, a.k.a Hera who like to put me in more fires. Soon burned down workshop killing my mom, ran away, foster home to foster home, then to some random school where I ended up with other demigods and a satyr. Fell into the grand canyon, got saved, brought to camp half-blood, went on crazy adventures, somehow am still alive, swore my life to a girl who left me, and am now chilling here in retirement cause the real world isn't really for me."

Y/N's mouth fell agape, her eyes fuzzy as she tried to process all of the information in her sluggish mind. She would have asked questions, but was stopped by Leo. "Questions later, your turn."

"Uhhh," Y/N croaked. "Always on the run? Since day one practically? I learned how to hide from the monsters. It was especially easy at school because there were so many people. I had no idea why no one else could see them...no one believed me, so I was always alone. I can't remember a time I even had someone I could call my friend."

"I'm really sorry you couldn't get to camp earlier." Leo's heart went out to the girl. He, better than anyone, knew what it was like to struggle to make and keep friends. Demigod or not.

"Whatever," Y/N brushed it off. "Question time! I'll only ask three."

Leo sighed in detest, but knew he'd have to answer anything thrown his way. After all, he did give quite the sum up of his life.

"Numbero uno, what's it like having the fire powers?" She smirked playfully.

That wasn't exactly the question Leo was expecting. He was ready for questions about his mom, how she died, or even Hera. But it was a simple, lighthearted question instead.

"Cool, I guess?" He laughed. "Scary to begin with, a big responsibility, but it makes me good for something." Leo sighed a little sadly.

"Two, favourite place in the world?"