A/N: Because I need more Percy/Leo. And I was listening to Cancer by My Chemical Romance.
Disclaimer: I own neither the Percy Jackson series nor Cancer by My Chemical Romance.
xXx
It started with a headache. Leo didn't often get headaches, but it wasn't really a huge deal. A sharp pain had suddenly streaked through his head on his nighttime commute back home. It soon faded to a dull ache, the kind that wasn't really painful so much as it was annoying. However, it was enough that riding his bike became nauseating. Deciding to walk the rest of the way, Leo soon felt better. Passing it off as a fluke occurrence, Leo didn't even bother to tell Percy when he arrived home.
The next headache happened two weeks later. He was in the middle of sketching a prototype for a client when the pain pierced through his skull like a pick axe. It made him cringe for a moment before he resolutely ignored it. In about fifteen minutes he dry swallowed two aspirin. The severity of the headache died down and didn't bother Leo for the remainder of the day. He didn't mention this one to Percy either.
His third headache occurred about ten days after. It was a Saturday night, and Leo and Percy were getting ready to go out to dinner with Grover, Annabeth, Jason and Piper, some of their close friends. They hadn't seen each other in a while, due to everyone's busy schedule. The headache was so severe, a wave of nausea arose immediately and Leo had to lie down in order to stop feeling like he was about to vomit. "Percy?"
"Yes?" Percy stuck his head in the doorway of their bedroom, hands busy attempting to knot his necktie properly. "Are you okay Leo?" He asked, taking in the way Leo was curled on their bed, hands pressed against his stomach, eyes closed tightly.
Opening his eyes, Leo gave a weak smile. "I don't think I'm going to come tonight. I really don't feel well," he said. Leaving his necktie alone for a moment, Percy walked over and placed a hand on Leo's forehead.
"No fever at least. Do you want me to stay?"
"No, no. You should go. Tell everyone I say hi. Would you mind turning off the lights for me? I don't feel like getting up." Flicking off the lights, Percy pressed a soft kiss to Leo's forehead before leaving.
xXx
"Okay Nyssa, I need you to get to work on order 2041. Christopher's going to be helping you out. The prototype sketch should be in the folder and- Excuse me," Leo's face tanned face paled a bit as he turned from explaining a job to an employee to run to the nearest bathroom. Just making it, he leaned over a toilet bowl and vomited up the bagel and black coffee he had for breakfast. As he was about to get up, another rush of queasiness arose. Crouching on the ground next to the white toilet, Leo wryly thought 'you better hope that I'm not pregnant Percy'. With that stupid thought, he felt well enough to stand and rinse out his mouth.
Walking back to Nyssa, Leo felt the now familiar throb of a headache begin. This one was actually less severe than usual, so that was an unexpected happiness. 'It's a bit depressing that when a headache isn't as bad as normal, that's actually a reason to be happy', Leo mused. The rest of the work day continued without any unexplained bouts of sickness. Leo would have told Percy about his throwing up, but Percy wasn't home that night. It wasn't as if Percy had abandoned him, it was just that his job as a police detective had him working most hours. His friends always said that it was his hero complex that caused him to be a detective, something that he vehemently denied. Leo had to admit, it was probably true. Percy loved helping people, even at his own risk.
When Percy arrived home, Leo had already left for work the next morning. It was hard sometimes, not seeing each other. When they did manage to, they were usually exhausted. It was one of Percy's favorite things when they had the same days off. However, if he was on call, it tended to not end well. There was one year, the year of their third anniversary, when Percy was on call on the day of their anniversary. He ended up having to leave in the middle of dinner, and not even for something important. It turned out that a new recruit had just entered something into the computer wrong. Leo was none too pleased, but he had accepted long ago that Percy would place his job first. He didn't really mean to, but it ended up feeling that way to Leo.
The week passed by uneventfully, without any more sudden feeling of illness on Leo's part. The headaches happened about every other day, but that was commonplace now. The oddest thing happed on Sunday, a day the Percy had off. He and Leo were spending the day relaxing around the house, neither doing much of anything. Percy was reading a novel by Neil Gaiman, something which took a while due to his dyslexia. Leo was busy typing an email to Piper. Placing the laptop on the table in front of him and standing up from the armchair he was seated in, Leo felt a wave of dizziness overtake him. The floor seemed to tilt and the walls were spinning. Attempting to take a step, he wobbled like a drunkard. "Leo?"
As soon as the spinning began, it ceased and Leo's balance was restored. He smiled at Percy. "Not sure what just happed there!" Percy frowned in response, placing his book down and walking over to him. Placing his hands on Leo's face, he looked at his eyes. "I'm not drunk or high Percy. You don't need to use your cop training." As he was speaking, Leo felt the same sensation arise in his stomach as it did the day he vomited at work. Breaking Percy's grasp, Leo ran to the bathroom down the hall. He dry-heaved over the toilet, nothing coming up but spit. The pain in his throat and his head became overwhelming. He felt like crying.
Percy had followed him, eyes growing wide as he saw the state his boyfriend was in. Sitting down next to him, he began to slowly rub his back. "Leo, I'm taking you to the doctor's." Leo gave a weak nod, his grip tightening on the sides of the toilet.
xXx
"So your symptoms are frequent and painful headaches, nausea, vomiting and difficulty in balance. This is correct, yes?" The doctor said kindly. When Leo nodded, she jotted a few lines down on her clipboard. "You're going to need to have some tests run. However, I need you to see a neurologist. They will do a neurological exam and a MRI on you. I can refer you to Dr. Solace. I believe he has an appointment open later today. If you would just hold on a moment… Okay, you are scheduled for 4:30. His office is on floor 7, neurological wing."
"Thanks," Leo said. As the doctor left the room, he began to slowly change from the uncomfortably thin gown back into his normal clothing. When he finished, he left, walking to the room where Percy was waiting. He was still reading the Neil Gaiman book from earlier. "Hey."
With a smile that made Leo feel slightly better, Percy closed his book. "Hi. How was it?"
"Well, I'm not pregnant." A women nearby looked up before subtly shifting away from them. Percy merely smirked. "I have to see a neurologist though. My appointment's at 4:30, so we might as well stay here." Percy's smirk faded and he placed a hand on Leo's arm, pressing him down into a chair.
"Has something been happening that you're not telling me?" The question was urgent, though he lowered his voice. Leo glanced away, not really feeling up to fighting in the doctor's waiting room. "Leo. Tell me."
With a sigh, Leo told him. "I've been having headaches and I threw up at work this week." Percy swallowed hard, reigning in his first impulse, which was to yell at Leo for not telling him. "See, I knew you'd be mad. I just figured it wasn't that important. I didn't want to bother you."
Percy pressed his lips together. "It is important Leo! It's your health and I'd like to be informed. I know you have this stupid inferiority complex Leo." As Leo began to try and deny it, Percy shook his head. "No, I mean you have this idea that you're not good enough or something. You are amazing Leo and I love you. I need you to tell me when you feel like crap because I care. Do you think I'm going to leave you because you don't feel well? I just- I don't understand it Leo."
They were both silent for a moment, Leo with his eyes averted and Percy looking at him. The woman near them stood up and moved across the room. "I know Percy. I'm sorry. It's irrational, but sometimes I can't see why you'd want to be with me. You're this police detective. You save people. I'm a metal worker who works at an auto mechanical shop in my free time because I like it. I promise I'll tell you next time I'm sick." With a sigh, Percy nodded. Leo hadn't seems to really get the gist of it, the fact that he wasn't inferior, instead picking up on the fact that Percy was mad that he hadn't told him he was ill.
"Come on. Let's head up to floor 7." There was still half an hour until 4:30, but Leo figured they could wait there.
xXx
"Okay, you can sit up now." Dr. Solace had finished the neurological exam first, testing everything from Leo's balance to his vision to his coordination, along with many other things. The MRI had just been finished, which involved the most boring thirty minutes of Leo's life. Lying completely still for that long was excruciatingly dull. "Hm. Yes, I see that. Mm-hm." Dr. Solace talked to a low voice to the technician who had performed the MRI. He traced something on the scan with his finger, nodding. "Mr. Valdez? You can choose to call in whoever brought you here, or I can tell you the results alone. It's up to you."
"I'd like to have Percy in here with me." With a nod, the technician went into the hallway, bringing back Percy. Gesturing to the chair next to the table Leo was seated on, Dr. Solace grabbed a clipboard off his desk and turned to face them.
Looking into Leo's eyes, he began to talk. "I hate this. It's hard for me to say and hard for you to hear. We'll need to do some more tests to determine its exact nature, but Mr. Valdez… You have a tumor in your brain."
xXx
Leo and Percy both took the next two days off. They were filled with a flurry of tests. The biopsy revealed that it was a cancerous tumor. It hadn't developed as a result of cancer from another part of his body spreading to his brain. Stress and fright overwhelmed Leo, causing him to spend hours fiddling with a small metal sculpture that he refused to show Percy. He was officially diagnosed with an anaplastic meningioma tumor. Percy spent vast amounts of time on the internet, researching everything possible about them. Dr. Solace scheduled a surgery for Leo in two weeks' time.
Meanwhile, the headaches continued, as did the vomiting. The day before the surgery, Leo began to panic. "Percy. Percy, everything's blurry. I can't-" With that he started to quietly cry. "I'm not ready for this Percy. I don't want to die." Percy sat next to him on their couch, wrapping his arms gently around him. What could he say? According to his research, anaplastic meningioma tumors were the most aggressive and most likely to reoccur out of all meningioma tumors. He couldn't Leo that he was going to be okay, because he didn't know.
"I'm scared too, love."
xXx
"Surgery on this tumor is risky. It will not be possible to remove the entire tumor without damaging your brain. Therefore, what can be removed will be, and then radiation therapy will be used on the rest. The risks of the surgery do include infection and bleeding. After the surgery is performed, you will have to stay in the hospital for three days so we can monitor your brain." Dr. Solace explained. Leo nodded and kissed Percy swiftly before heading into the operating room. Percy was left to sit alone on an uncomfortable chair, thoughts of death and tumors swirling in his brain.
xXx
Leo looked so small on the hospital bed; Percy nearly turned around and left. His curly brown hair looked limp and his eyes were closed. Piper and Jason followed him in, Piper gasping at the sight they found. "Leo? Oh gods, I- Leo." At the sound of her voice, Leo's eyes opened. He smiled at them, fatigue evident around his eyes.
"Hi guys. Nice of you to visit," turning his head slightly, Leo directed his voice to Percy. "Would you pour me a glass of water?" As Percy busied himself in the corner, Leo shifted back to Jason and Piper. "Come on, I don't bite. How are you two?"
Piper and Jason sat down at the two chairs placed conveniently next to Leo's bed. Piper couldn't stop looking at him. Even when she tried to look away, her eyes were drawn back. He didn't look very bad, just paler and more tired than usual. "No need to be so silent. I'm still Leo. Thanks," he said to Percy, who silently handed him the water the requested. "So…"
"Piper's pregnant." Jason blurted out, effectively making the awkward silence even more awkward. Piper punched him in the arm.
"Hey, I was going to tell them! Sorry guys. But, yes I'm pregnant." Leo gave her a thumbs-up.
"Nice work there. I'm guessing Jason's the dad? Or you know, on second thought, maybe not." Piper laughed, while Jason looked horrified. "Oh, did he not know?"
Piper laughed again. "No, no he's the dad. I haven't gotten my ultrasound yet, but I'm pretty damn excited." They passed an hour talking about this and that, catching up, before Piper and Jason had to leave. Leo looked exhausted and Percy could tell his head was aching.
"Do you want me to leave?" Percy asked him, expecting that he would. Leo looked shocked at the idea, shaking his head frantically. "Okay, okay I'll stay. How are you doing love? Any idea how the radiation's been working?"
"You know you sound British when you call me love, right? Anyway, I'm doing… I'm doing. Dr. Solace seems to think the radiation hasn't been working that great. Problem with this kind of tumor is that it can reoccur without any warning. I've been offered to try chemotherapy. It's not a definite solution, but it's being tested for aggressive meningioma tumors. I'm thinking of trying it."
Percy reached out and squeezed his hand. "If it's what you want to do Leo. It's completely up to you, and I support you in whatever choice you make. Shit, my phone." Grabbing it out of his back pocket, Percy glanced at the screen. "It's the department. I'm on call tonight. We're dealing with a serial killer. I have to go. Love you." With this, Percy snatched up his jacket and bag, kissed Leo and left.
"Love you too!" Leo called after his retreating back.
xXx
"Leo?" It had been three weeks since Leo started chemotherapy and he was still in the hospital. The lights were off in his room, so Percy prepared to stay and maybe nap. A snuffling cry brought his attention to the fact that Leo was awake.
Percy moved to turn the lights on "No, Percy, don't-" It was too late. Leo looked awful. Percy tried to hold back a gasp, but failed. Most of Leo's hair was gone and his bones protruded. The bags under his eyes were pronounced. "I didn't want you to see me like this Percy. I'm dying, I know it."
"No, Leo-" Leo cut him off with a slow shake of his head.
"Dr. Solace told me. I asked him. I have maybe two weeks left. I've started having seizures and my peripheral vision's fading. I want- I want you to bury me wearing blue Percy. I need you to call Piper and Jason. I Iris-messaged Hephaestus yesterday. I asked if Apollo could help me." Percy looked at him, hope in his eyes. "The gods can't stop death. No one can. Even Hades isn't allowed to… Can you lie next to me?"
Dropping his bag and jacket and kicking off his shoes, Percy gently crawled next to Leo, making sure not to disturb any wires. His arms encircled Leo's slim frame. It felt like he was hugging a skeleton instead of life-filled Leo. Percy began to cry silently, tears soaking a patch of the white pillow under Leo's head. "I don't want you to visit me again Percy. I'm not sure I can handle it. I know I should tell you to move on after I'm gone, but I love you too much. The worst part of this is how I have to leave you behind."
"Shh. I'm going to keep coming back Leo. I love you too, remember?"
xXx
True to his word, Percy returned to the hospital whenever he could. It was a sunny Wednesday afternoon when he got a call. He was on desk duty that day, filling out paper work for the prosecutor who would be handling a murder case. "Percy Jackson, how may I help you?"
"This is Dr. Solace. I'm sorry to be the one who tells you this. Leo has passed away." Percy didn't remember hanging up. He just remembered the yawning chasm of emptiness that opened when he heard those words. Percy took the rest of the month off. He hated himself for not being there for Leo. Arranging his funeral was torture, so he eventually delegated the task to Piper, only making sure that Leo was buried wearing blue. He put Nyssa in charge of Leo's metal working company, though he technically owned it. The pain finally dulled to a level where he could bear to see Leo's stuff, so he started to look at it again. As he was sorting through Leo's bedside table, he found a small brass dragon. It was placed on top of a folded piece of paper. Opening it, Percy took in the sight of Leo's familiar scrawl.
Dear Percy,
If you're reading this, I've passed away. I was planning on giving you Festus on your birthday, but obviously I can't now. I've been working on him since my diagnosis. He's mechanical and pretty cool if I do say so myself. I'm going to miss you so damn much. The underworld's going to suck without you. Don't you dare do anything stupid though. I'll wait for you.
Love,
Leo
xXx
A/N: This is my first real angsty story, so I would love feedback. I'm not an expert on brain tumors, but I did quite a bit of research. A line or two are paraphrased from Cancer by My Chemical Romance. The line about wanting to buried in blue and how the worst part of this was leaving Percy. Both said by Leo. So I don't own those. Reviews=awesome.