The Hard Way (A Female Percy Jackson/ Young Justice Crossover)

18

Leo hadn't spoken to Percy in days, not since Halloween. At least he hadn't left her side though... Surely that counted for something. She had tried talking to him first, multiple times, but he shut her down with increasing levels of frustration each time. He could barely even look at her anymore. When all her apologies failed, she asked what she could do to fix things, but he never even acknowledged the question. He'd reached the point of not responding—she didn't even deserve that much. Somehow she had managed not to cry, probably only because of what she had poured into her orange juice that morning in lieu of eating breakfast. All she wanted to do was undo what she had done to him—if she could go back and un-spike his drink she would... It just didn't work that way. And he had no interest in listening to her apologies. Gods forbid he ever so much as consider forgiving her. No, he probably couldn't even bear to hear her voice anymore. What more could she do? She understood that she'd done something awful, and she would never make the mistake of repeating it... But she couldn't help her own impatience when it came to wondering how long it would take to atone in his eyes. She'd to anything to get rid of the awkwardness between them, but apparently only time could do that.

A different place might have done some to ease the tension between them, but they were currently crammed in the back of Jordan's parked car, where only the mortals talked and demigods stewed in silence.

Leo was staring out his window, watching the bowling sign as it flickered neon white against the darkening blue sky thick with clouds. They were parked outside Duncan's workplace which doubled as the venue they had chosen to celebrate Roy's birthday. Percy hadn't known about it before the morning of, but she was sure it wouldn't matter. She was just excited to see him turn eighteen, so that maybe he'd be able to move out of Dinah and Oliver's house, if only to spend more time having fun with his friends and her.

The two mortal cousins first sparked up a joint before they went inside, even though they were already late. Since they weren't worried, Percy didn't bother with rushing inside either. She took her hits and offered it to Leo.

He refused, putting a hand up in a stop motion and making a face.

"I like drugs all that much," He told her coldly, his first words to her that day. "They make me feel like I'm not in control, and I really don't want to feel like that." Then he muttered under his breath in greek, "One of us needs to keep our head about us..."

There was an obvious cold undertone to her friend's words and he narrowed his eyes at each person in the car, as if judging everyone. It didn't seem fair of him to judge the others for her mistake. Maybe he could justify it toward her, but she couldn't wrap her head around why he was suddenly seeming so icy toward the mortals too. It was more than just rude, almost like he was trying to insult the guy letting them live in his house rent free.

"Props to you." Jimmy took back the joint from Percy as he spoke, half dismissing the statement. "It's basically my self prescribed anxiety medication."

"You're a stronger man than me," Jordan joked, looking at Leo with a wide smile which was not returned. When the mortal saw the demigod's sour expression, he turned back to his cousin awkwardly.

"And I'm better at bowling," the younger cousin added with a smile. "Serioiusly, are you ready to get annihilated in the lanes."

"'The lanes?'" Jordan coughed out the window and knocked the ash of the joint before handing it back to Percy again. She found herself smiling at the familial banter, gently reminded of her own loved ones. "Did you just say 'the lanes' or am I actually having a stroke?'"