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

Beautiful

Leo POV

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You know what, why am I here? I am perfectly healthy, so I see no reason to need a checkup. Dr. Kacy (Merrily's aunt) pores over her clipboard. She was fairly irritated that I had no parental figure around to come with me, but she's made do. Merrily and her grandma are waiting outside. 

"Come on, let's get you on the scale." I slide off the table and follow Dr. Kacy to the scale in the hallway. I step up onto the scale and watch in horror as the numbers jump all the way up to 87.4! Damit! All that stupid eating has made my weight go up! I had been trying to get down to 75, but that's all down the hole now. I notice Dr. Kacy do a double-take and then purse her lips in disapproval. At this horror no doubt. Then she drags me to the ruler and takes my height (5,9). It's not as bad as it was a year ago when I was 5,7, so that's nice. 

"Where are we going?" I ask because we're not going back to the check-up room.

"You have to get your eyes checked," Dr. Kacy explains, rather shortly. I wonder what I did to her.

*20 minutes later*

"I don't need glasses!"

"Leo, you have 10/20 vision in your right eye and 15/20 in your left. How are you even alive?"

"I'm fine!" I insist. I do not need glasses!

"You are not fine."

"Besides, I don't have the money for glasses," I remind her, thinking I might just get out of this. 

"On the house, and my mother-in-law likes you so much, I wouldn't be surprised if she threw in contacts as well," Dr. Kacy says.

These words make me feel happy and fairly irritated at the same time. Dr. Kacy smiles faintly at me and then leads me back to the checkup room. "Let's take your pulse."

I scowl as she places the cold stethoscope on my back, thank goodness. "Do you eat a balanced diet?" The question catches me off-guard and I feel my heart start to race. I try to slow it down, but instead, it starts to speed up! Stupid heart.  

"Uh, yeah," I lie.

Dr. Kacy takes the stethoscope off my back and moves to fix me with a hard look. "You weigh eighty-seven pounds. That's not healthy."

"Eighty-seven point four," I remind her. 

"Oh, because that makes it so much better!"

"See, I told you!"

"I was being sarcastic!" Dr. Kacy throws her hands in the air. "I'm going to get Merrily and her grandmother."

"No, no please don--" The door closes silencing my pleas. I scowl at the door and lift up my shirt. Nothing but fat there. Don't they see I have to lose weight? 

Merrily, her grandmother and Dr. Kacy walk in. Merrily strides across the room and sucker punches me in the stomach.

"Ow!"

"You weigh less than I do!" she shrieks hysterically. "How could you not tell me?"

"It's fine, I'm fine!" I assure her levelly. 

"Young man." Dr. Kacy's firm voice silences the room. "You are not fine. If I had to guess actually, I'd pin you down with anorexia, or even bulimia, likely anxiety and maybe even depression."

"I don't have all that!" I'm starting to panic. I'm fine, I'm really okay! Before I know it, I'm starting to cry. Because I want to believe that I'm okay. That I'm healthy. But the numbers and facts say differently. Next thing I know, I'm wrapped in Merrily's grandma's arms and I cry into her shoulder.

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After that, Merrily's grandma insists we go home, after stopping by Chickfila. This time, I don't even try to argue, even though my brain is telling me that this is all wrong. But I push the Voice away and focus on trying to finish the six-count chicken nugget meal. Dr. Kacy suggested I start slow and small. I eat my way through the nuggets and about a quarter of my fries before I start to feel sick. Dr. Kacy says it's okay so Merrily polishes off the last of my fries while I sip at my water. 

Mrs. Evans and Dr. Kacy leave Merrily and me alone. The rest of the family is out and Seth is playing video games and kicked us out of the living room. So we head to Merrily's room (we always seem to end up here) and lay on the bed. Merrily doesn't say anything, which I'm thankful for, and just curls into me. 

Now that I know I have an eating disorder, I can slightly see some of the effects, yet there's still a part of me that wants to continue with the not-eating, the purging and the self-harm (although that wasn't brought up at the doctor's). 

I think Merrily and I fell asleep like that, because the next thing I know, Noah's shaking me awake. 

"Grandma's got you glasses, Leo!" he screams. Merrily flips him. "Ow." To be honest, even I saw that coming. We go into the living room and Mrs. Evans hands me a glasses case and a contacts case. 

"Oh... Mrs. Evans, you didn't need to get me--"

"Go try on our glasses young man, and you're keeping those contacts," Mrs. Evans tells me firmly. I oblige and Merrily follows me into the bathroom. I open the glasses case and pull out a pair of glasses with wide, black rims. 

"Put them on!" Merrily coaxes. I hold them up reluctantly. I'm kind of scared to see what the world will look like. I slowly slip the glasses on and...

WOAH. Is there toothpaste in the sink? 

"What's it like?" I turn to look at Merrily and...

TRIPLE WOAH. 

I can see every golden strand of hair on her head, rippling down her shoulders. I can see the detail in her irises and every freckle on her nose. The freckles seem to dance across her face, each one unique and intricate. Her cheeks are a rosy pink as is her nose. 

I can't think of another word to describe her except... "Beautiful..."

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Hey guys, school sucks! You know, I'm actually knocking out a lot of my writing during Chemistry class while one of my coolest friends takes notes for me. She's on here at Sharpestpen (the link thing isn't working), so go on her profile and spam her so she'll put up the first chapter. Also, the glasses Leo has are at the top of the chapter.

I hope everyone's doing good and now, for the...

*breaks fourth wall*

Merrily: Why did you say that?

Leo: I don't know! *hides under blanket*

Me: who knows

Nico: She knows.

Me: So let it be written, so let it be done

David: What?

Me: Is this why fate brought us together?

Chey: She's ignoring us.

Nico: NO ONE IGNORES ME

Me: In this economy?

Merrily: *whacking Leo on head* WHAT DID YOU MEAN

Leo: I DONT KNOW

Me: And thus, I die.

David: CheyPaigeFanfic does not own PJO or HoO.

Merrily: TELL ME

Leo: *crying*

Nico: PAY ATTENTION TO ME

Me: Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen.

Merrily: *still hitting Leo* Please vote and comment!