Of Greeks And Romans (Leo Valdez x Reader)

VI

Leo

"Just one more screw..." Leo stared intently at the bottom of the Argo II. Just a single bolt before the hull of the ship was finally done. He slipped his nimble fingers into the pocket of his tool belt, still in wonder that the thing could give him whatever he wanted. Sure enough, a single 316 stainless steel screw was in between his fingers. He pulled out a simple screw driver and held it up to the hole he had made just moments before.

A crash broke him from his stupor. He flinched, dropping the screw, which happened to land in his eyes. Then, to make matters worse he sat bolt upright. It would have been fine were it not for the fact that he was laying on his back under neath a massive ship. He smacked his head and let out a little yelp. "Wha-"

Leo slid out from under the ship, a hand on his already throbbing forehead. He looked up. It was Jason and Piper. Jason looked a little guilty, with a small smile on his mouth. "Uuh... Hey Leo. Sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you like that. He smile, all surfer-dude handsome with his blond hair andsky-blue eyes. The scar on his mouth and the sword at his side gave him a rugged appearance, like hecould handle anything. 

Piper stood next to him in her jeans and orange camp T-shirt.

"Yeah," Leo said, rubbing his forehead. "Thanks about that." In all honesty, he couldn't really be mad at them. They were his best friends after all, and probably two of the only people he actually talked to at camp half blood. Mostly, he spent his time holed up in this place.

He looked around. Bunker 9 was probably the coolest thing about being a son of Hephaestus. His inner mechanic screamed that this was where he belonged. Currently, the Argo II took up 80% of the room. The hull was practically finished, but Leo would have to move it outside soon to get working on the mast and sails. Thank goodness that massive doors to get in the bunker would be able to fit the entire ship.

Jason and Piper also admired the ship. "Wow, man," Jason said with a grin. "It's looking great."

Leo slipped the screw driver he was holding back in his pocket. "Only the work of a certified genius," Leo said smartly. "What are you guys doing here anyways?"

Jason and Piper exchanged a glance, and Leo felt a little self conscious all of a sudden.

"Well," Piper started. "We haven't seen you in a couple of days. Are you sure you're all right?"

"I only have two weeks tops before this thing has to be finished. I'm going to be spending all of my time in here to get it done."

Piper sighed. "It's 10 pm. Don't you at least want to come to the campfire tonight. Even the rest of the Hephaestus cabin is going to be there." 

Leo frowned. "I'd feel bad relaxing when there's still so much to do. It just wouldn't be fair." He subconsciously fiddled with a small object in his pocket. The metal was warm to the touch, probably from how much Leo held onto it when he got worried.

"You deserve a break, man," Jason said. "Seriously."

Leo looked down. Of course, he would love to go to the campfire with Jason and Piper, it just wouldn't feel right. Not without... not-

"Is this about Y/n again?" Piper asked. Leo could tell Piper was charm-speaking him, so it didn't come as a surprise when his head started nodding.

"Her choices aren't your fault, Leo," Jason said. "She's probably home. Safe."

Leo shook his head. "I can't shake the feeling that she is in trouble some how. I know that look she gave me when Khione took her. She didn't want to go. This isn't what she wanted."

Jason looked at Piper again, and Leo could tell they were pitying him. It frustrated him that they still wouldn't go look for Y/n, but what could he do. She could be anywhere for all they knew. It would be easier to find Annabeth's boyfriend, Percy Jackson. They already knew that he would be at the roman camp that Jason used to go to.

Jason gave Leo a pat on a back. "Listen, I know you're worried. If something did happen to her, then we will find her when we go to stop the giants and Gaea."

Still, Leo couldn't help but feel miserable. "What if she is working against us."

Jason and Piper didn't say anything else, and they could tell that Leo was in a pretty bad mood anyways. Jason gave him a pat on the back before the two of them left. Sometimes, it just hurt Leo to see the two of them together. It worked out so nicely for them. Yet for Leo, it seemed like the only thing that ever happened to him were bad things.

Back when he lost his mom, it took him ages just to cope with that. He ran away from too many foster homes to count. But when he came to wilderness school, Y/n, Piper and Jason were his best friends. Even if the memories he had of Y/n and Jason were just a trick of the mist, they were still his best friends. Now, Gaea was the reason he lost his mom and she took away Y/n too.

Leo kicked his foot into the table, wincing at the pain that followed. The table jolted, staggering back. It seemed that Buford's short nap was cut short. Buford was the mechanical table he had fixed back in December. One time, he accidentally polished the stupid table with the wrong polisher, and Buford ran away with the only part he needed to complete the engine. He barely managed to avoid blowing up the bunker and half of the woods as well.

Sighing, he slid back under the ship and screwed in the last screw. Finally, that part was done. Leo felt a bit of satisfaction as he sat back up. At least there was one good thing to come from all of his hard work. In two weeks, he and his friends would be out of here. Honestly, Leo was just excited to show them all of the fancy things he added to the ship.

Leo stepped back to examine his master piece before he heard the whistle of clicks and whirs coming from the mast head. The golden dragon head seemed to watch him from where he was placed. Festus was already wired to the entire ship, and it felt nice when Leo was finally able to incorporate him into the project.

"I know, buddy," Leo said in response to the clicks. The dragon communicated in Morse code, and it reminded him once again of his mother. He pushed back the thoughts. The dragon clicked again and Leo grinned. "You're gonna get fat at this rate. I spoil you too much with Tabasco sauce." 

The dragon clicked out again. "Yeah," Leo said. "You're right. I deserve a break."

Leo pulled off his grease stained gloves. He already felt guilty for dismissing Jason and Piper like that. They were right, though. He had probably been working on the Argo II nonstop for the past six months. There probably wouldn't be much time for relaxing in the future. 

With a deep breath, Leo pushed open the door to bunker 9 and slipped outside. 

Time for a campfire.

⚜⚜⚜

This one is a little shorter than usual, but I wanted to add something a little different in there. Have you all been waiting to see what is happening with Leo? He still seems to be pretty worked up over your departure from the last book.

I'll be making more connections through the book as to what is going on at camp half blood, so be prepared for that.