The Wants of a Young Demigod Heart (Nico di Angelo, Leo Valdez x OC)

Look Out New Jersey!

Merrily POV

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I don't know why I agreed to sing for Leo last night. Who the heck let him in? I'm pretty sure it wasn't me! I must've been possessed or something. And he's such a creep! Ho did he know where my room was? It's not exactly in plain sight! Like sheesh.

But I must say, that night, I think I got the best sleep I've ever had in awhile. I sleep until about ten o'clock in the morning before I head downstairs. Leo is pking his fork at a delicious looking waffle. I can see Ryan eyeing it. Leo finally looks up after Ryan has been staring for several awkward seconds.

"Do you want this?" Leo snaps.

"Yes." Leo slides his plate over to Ryan. "I don't understand how you didn't eat any of this!" Ryan exclaims, digging his fork into the syrup covered waffles.

"I did eat some," Leo protests. "I ate a slice of bacon!" Chey walks in holding a mug of hot chocolate. For once, she looks perfectly at ease with the world. She perches on the counter and just looks disinterestedly at Leo and Ryan, who is holding Taylor. Nico stumbles in the room, his hair extremely mussed. Even though I couldn't really tell, Chey was blushing hard. She nearly toppled off of the counter. Then she notices me.

"Oh, hey Merrily, how'd you sleep?" she asks me. I shrug. I'm fairly certain the curse hadn't worn off quite yet. It was awkward in the kitchen for about two seconds when Abigail burst in, looking like she'd just rolled out of bed. Then again, I'm sure we all looked that way. Leo's hair is a tangled mess and he has dark circles under and around his eyes, like he'd had a restless sleep. Nico's hair is standing up all over his head and his circles are dark, if not darker than Leo's. Chey's hair is even more tangled than usual, but she looks as though is she slept pretty well. Ryan's hair was all pushed to one side and was falling asleep at the counter.

My grandmother walks in. "Oh dear!" she exclaims. "You all look terrible! Give me your clothing sizes this instant!" We all freeze. Say what now?

"Our what?" Abigail asks confusedly.

"Your clothing sizes," Grandma says. "I'll run out and get you some new clothes."

"Why would you do that?" Nico gapes. It's like no one's ever given him new clothes before. Weird. We cough up our sizes. Well, none of us actually know our clothing sizes, except Abigail, so she gives them to Grandma and she runs out excitedly, like she's gotten five new grandchildren. Zeus knows she doesn't need any more.

While she's out, Leo and Abigail clean the kitchen in silence. I go to the living room and catch up on what I've missed in Friends and Once Upon a Time. Chey and Ryan go to the basement to play video games, and Nico sits on the couch, not quite next to me.

I beckon for him to move closer.

"Nah, I smell terrible," is his obvious lie. I frown, but decide that if he doesn't want to sit next to me, that's his problem. Soon, we both become engrossed in the shows. I've missed quite a bit, and so it seems like no time at all when my grandmother comes back loaded down with shopping bags.

"How much did you buy?" I burst out. I check my watch in surprise. I wasn't singing anymore. Nico looks at me in disappointment.

"One outfit for each of you," Grandma replies proudly. "Now, I'll go collect towels and such for all of you and I bought brushes and shampoo. Merrily, you first, you reek, and I want you to help me make lunch."

"Thanks Grandma!" I say brightly, enjoying the fact that I can now speak normally. Grandma hand me my brand-new clothes, shampoo and directs me to the towels.