A/N: Heeeello peoples~! Here is a metaphor-filled lazel story, free of charge! :P I'm not completely satisfied with it, but I still like it, and I hope you will too! This story's starting off with a sonnet that's composed of awesome-sauce. Really, it is. Savor it. Go on. So without too much ado, here it is!

In the Depths of Your Lovely Sunny Eyes

In the depths of your lovely sunny eyes
at times I see pain and sometimes joy
and there's a strange kind of grace
when they twinkle like stars in the skies
and the usual feelings between a girl and boy
seems small against what I see on your face,

from the message in your smiles and cries
and it's as nothing can destroy,
our love, our commitment, as if no menace
or whatever anyone tries,
or any kind of evil trapping ploy
can act against us while we do still embrace

and the feelings that we do possess, seems divine
as if it's God's will for you to be forever mine.

-Gert Strydom

***To Steal the Sun***

Leo had his hand wrapped around Hazel's waist as she ran her fingers through his curly hair. Their lips were pressed together and her body pulled closer to the mechanic's. She moaned his name into the kiss, and he did the same. He pushed her onto the bed on her back and pressed his forehead to hers, panting. She grinned up at him, smiling, and he did the same. She would push him off her, he'd roll to the side, and they'd lie there, laughing and telling jokes, reminiscing of the past and sharing their dreams of the future. Hazel would talk about his quirks, and he of her own, and they'd just keep laughing. They'd fall asleep holding hands, each content with loving and being loved by the other. Her beautiful golden eyes imprinted on the inside of his eyelids, the brightness nearly blinding him. He, Leo Valdez, had never felt this whole, this happy, in his entire life.

And then he woke up.

Reality hit him like a bucket of cold water. Leo shot up, and ran a hand through his hair. Really, this was getting ridiculous. He had these dreams constantly. Some were romantic, some not. Other than feeling like a huge pervert sometimes, he felt lonelier than ever. It was bad enough being the odd one out on the ship, the one who basically ruined everything from the start. But sleep was supposed to be his only sanctuary, where he could relax from the stresses of being a demigod on this earth-shaking expedition. Now he was plagued by his Hazel-centered dreams every night. He wished they'd just stop taunting him. He had already accepted that Hazel was with Frank, and although she might've liked Sammy, he wasn't him. And there was no chance she would ever see him as anything more than the dopey little repair boy who resembled her past sweetheart. That didn't mean he stopped his feelings for her from deepening. Every time he saw her with Frank, his heart ached. He knew they all had pretty crappy lives, but Leo couldn't stop thinking of how easy Frank had it. His mother died, so he spent a while sulking about it in his family's mansion. Oh, boo-hoo. Really, this whole situation made him pretty cynical. Everything seemed to irritate him. He hated the way Piper always said everything unsurely, looking to Jason for affirmation. She probably didn't even breathe without worrying what Jason thought. He hated how Jason was so dense and didn't notice how miserable his supposed "best-friend" was. He hated how clueless Zhang was about everything. Like his hatred for him. Sometimes Leo wondered, as he glanced towards the smiling face of Frank, always around the golden-eyed girl, always basking in her sunlight, that he saw a glint in his eyes, a glint of malice. As if he alone knew the depth of Leo's misery, and couldn't be happier about it.

He pushed himself out of bed with a grunt and quickly tossed something on. He glanced at the clock; 1:53 am. No better time than the present, he supposed. Oh wait. Ha-ha. Of course there was. He sluggishly exited his room and closed his door carelessly before heading towards the deck. The feel of the fresh, crisp night breeze against his face calmed him a bit, but it only took a quick breather to remind himself that his problems were still there, real as ever, and not going to be blown away by the cool wind lapping at his face. He headed towards the steering, and wrapped his hands around the wheel. He usually just let his mind wander, or made small talk with Festus, but he wasn't in the mood for conversation. He didn't want to think about anything, he just wanted to steer. Steer, steer, and steer, steer them to their deaths. Would they even survive this quest? It was a somber thought, but he couldn't help himself. They lost Percy, they lost Annabeth, he ruined the relationship between the two demigod camps before it ever had a chance, and the remainder of their ragtag team was demoralized and up against a ruthless, vindictive goddess who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.

Everything seemed be simultaneously going wrong, and Leo was caught in the crossfires. In the midst of darkness, he was in dire need of sunlight, to pierce through the heavy night, to save him. But the sun was unattainable, its fiery warmth just out of his reach, so close, yet so far. And after all, you can't steal the sun. Though to him, there were two identical suns, golden suns that shone like diamonds, suns he would gladly stare at until the impending end of his days. And those two miniscule suns belonged to the girl who his heart did as well. Hazel Levesque. She was a greater source of warmth than the sun could ever be. But her heart didn't belong to him, she was with Frank. She was with Frank. He could easily just be done with the both of them; he could kill Frank with a snap of his fingers, literally. He could scheme and plot ways to somehow sabotage their relationship, but he couldn't, he wouldn't. Why? Because she was happy. That single statement made him feel like he'd received a blow to the stomach. She was happy, Zhang was happy, they were all happy. So why should left-over Leo ruin all the fun? His feelings were to take a backseat. They always did. He was snapped out of his musings by a couple of Festus' squeaks and creaks. He quickly replied to his robotic friend. "Huh? Who?" Festus didn't have a chance to answer, however, when Hazel gingerly walked forward out of her room, heading towards Leo.

"Hey Leo." Hazel said quietly, clearly nervous about something.

Leo wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, let alone her, but he quickly put on a mask nonetheless. "Hey Hazel, what are you still doing up?"

She gazed at the floor before responding. "I uh, wanted to talk to you."

Leo raised an eyebrow. Oh, she wanted to talk to him now? A small part of him wanted to hope, maybe they'd hit it off. Pssh, yeah sure Valdez. And maybe you won't keep destroying everything you come in contact with! Hazel looked up at him nervously.

"I had a dream about you, Leo."

At that, his attention was roused. Dreams? Like his? Almost too quickly, Leo asked "About what?" Hazel seemed really interested in the floorboards.

"I had a dream that you, erm. Well you…you killed Frank."

At that, Leo felt his heartbeat slow. Oh gods. Normally, a "scary dream" could be brushed off, but demigod dreams had to be taken seriously. Leo swallowed nervously. "What else?" Hazel pursed her lips before continuing.

"Well, you tricked me into giving you the wood. You confronted Frank and fought, and you did a number on him. Then, while he was on the verge of death, you incinerated the log right in front of him. I know you and Frank aren't the best of friends, so I just wanted to, you know…check on things."

Leo's shocked and interested expression soon morphed into that of bitterness. He knew he was letting his mask falter, but this was just what he needed right now. Was she worried about him? No, she just wanted to make sure that the crazy fire-wielder didn't off her boyfriend. Leo scoffed in irritation and turned back to the wheel.

"Don't worry Hazel, I'm not going to kill Frank in his sleep or something, so why don't you just go back to bed?"

Hazel frowned. "Leo-."

Leo turned and put his hand up to cut her off. "Save your breath. I know how much you just love talking to me, but it's late. Goodnight." He said tersely.

Hazel hesitated for a second before walking up to him. "Leo, I don't get why you're acting so distant all of a sudden, but I'm not going to let you just brush me off. What's the problem?"

There was the stubborn, strong-willed Hazel he knew. But he was so tired of all of this. Why even come out here to talk to him when she'd just frolic away with Frank tomorrow morning? He didn't need her pity or fake concern; he needed her to leave before he lost whatever semblance of calm he had left. Leo sighed in frustration, eyeing her with annoyance.

"Hazel, just leave. What do you want me to say? That I'm plotting Frank's death as we speak? Just go, alright?!" Hazel winced a bit at his tone but didn't leave her spot.

"Leo, you can't keep everything to yourself. You'll go mad! On this quest, with all the prophecies and danger lurking overhead, you should be able to share what's on your mind with the rest of the seven."

Leo laughed disdainfully. "Ha-ha, that's funny. With all you guys so preoccupied with each other, who would I talk to, Festus?" the said masthead creaked in response. "And you mean the five, right? As in, the five survivors of Leo's frequent screw-ups. I'll 'go mad' you say? Sweetheart, I lost my mind a long time ago."

He turned back to the wheel and gripped it tightly. "Now run off back to Frank. Go on now, shoo-shoo!" Hazel glowered at the Latino demigod. She huffed in frustration with a loud groan.

At a loss for words, she sighed "Why are you acting like this?" he turned to look at her again.

"Hmm, I don't know. What do you think, Hazy? After all, life has been peachy for me and I've been super cheerful and sunny since I blew up New Rome!" Hazel looked at him with those deep golden eyes of her. Sorrow emanated from their shimmering depths.

"…I can't stand to see you like this, Leo. You always think of yourself so lowly and I don't understand it. You're amazing. And for some crazy reason, you still fail to see that. I know things have been bad, but you have to move on and let them get better."

"Let them get better? Well they've had years to yet I'm not seeing any changes! Me, amazing? Amazing my ass. If I'm so amazing, why do I destroy everything I come near?! If I'm so amazing, why did I kill my mom?! If, I'm so amazing, why aren't you-…why aren't you…?!" he choked up.

With me. He thought. Hazel grabbed him by the shoulders. He expected her to launch off into a series of lies of how it wasn't his fault or how his powers are a gift and he doesn't realize he's more than that. She didn't, though. She just stared him in the eye, and the sadness, coupled with some other hard to read emotion in her sunny orbs made him almost regret being so harsh on her. But it was what he felt was the truth!

"Face it Hazel; I'm a failure. I've accepted it, why won't you?"

Hazel didn't respond. Leo felt his face getting hot. Great, start crying in front of the girl you like. Smooth. He thought grumpily. A few more tension filled moments passed before she slowly wrapped her arms around him and held him in a tight embrace. Leo felt his heart beat rapidly and was about to reciprocate the hug when he paused. Why did she do this to him? Did she get some sort of sadistic kick from it all? She had to know how he felt. He didn't want her damned pity only for her to return to that douche. This was merely a taste of the sunset; before he knew it he'd be encompassed by the all-too familiar night. He pushed her away roughly. She staggered back, shocked, and hurt was evident on her face.

"Leo."

He pressed his mouth into a straight line."Goodnight Hazel."

She ran back towards him and held her arms rigidly to the side, gritting her teeth.

"Would you just…just stop already?! Stop pushing everyone away! Stop pushing me away! You won't let me help you! You seem so lonely yet you avoid me! And you know what? I think I know why! I think you're scared of me!"

Leo was backing up now. "Hazel stop." She kept approaching him and he kept backing away. He couldn't help but wonder if there was truth in her words. Did he cower in fear of the sunlight he so deeply craved? But why? He was scared. Scared of what he'd feel. Scared that the crumbling walls he had built would finally be broken, that the rays of light would pierce through the looming clouds overhead. He didn't know how that sunlight would feel on his skin. Or how long the sunlight would last, as every other good thing in his life was short-lived and cruelly taken away from him. She leaned in close to him, inches from his face. He was panting.

"Hazel, please. You don't understand…" he said desperately, voice shaking.

"What are you scared of?" she breathed.

He looked at her frantically, feeling her breath on his face. Everything raged within his chest, his mind in a state of anarchy, and he could only manage one answer.

"You."

She didn't even have time to blink before Leo threw himself at her, crashing his lips against hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, and let one hand rest behind her head, entangled in her curly mass of untamed hair. She yelped in surprise. He knew he'd probably never hear the end of this, and maybe she'd hate him for forcing himself on her like that. But he never stood a chance. Hazel lightly pushed him away, but he didn't move. Instead, he pulled back and simply embraced her, burying his head in her curly locks. Her arms hung limp at her sides. After a few minutes, she pushed him back and forced him to look at her. He expected to see anger or confusion or something on her face, but she held a blank expression. Then she clenched her fists and shut her eyes for a while, exhaling sharply before opening them to look back at him. Her next action would turn his world upside down. Hazel sighed.

"Damn it, Leo."

Then she grasped his face in her hands and brought his lips to hers. Leo's eyes widened. This is not how he expected things to go. Not that he was complaining, of course. And she swore! Hazel Levesque swore! The world must really be coming to an end. It wasn't a long kiss, but to Leo, no dream could have possibly matched this reality. Too many thoughts swam threw Leo's head, and when the brief lip lock had come to an end, he couldn't help but flash her a goofy smile regardless of how inappropriate its timing was.

He raised one eyebrow at her, smile still on his face. "Damn?"

She grinned and shrugged. "Damn."

Leo snickered at that."Well damn then, Hazel! What vulgarity! How could you ever say such a thing?" he said with feigned shock. Hazel shrugged again, smiling softly at the mechanic.

"You make me do crazy things."

Leo felt a genuine smile work its way onto his face, and he turned towards the railing on the ship, looking towards the horizon. Hazel came over and intertwined her fingers with his. They rested themselves on the railing, and leaned in towards each other. Although Hazel probably found him to be a convenient source of heat, the warmth in his chest was unlike anything he had ever felt before, and he knew it was due to the child of the underworld standing beside him. They didn't say anything, despite all the questions he was dying to get answers to. They watched the skyline together, each finding shelter from the cold temperature in the other. And although the skies were still dark and grim, for the first time, Leo felt he could see the sun on the horizon.

.

.

.

The Latino demigod woke up the next day after dreaming about being pummeled by Narcissus' nymph posse. Although it wasn't a positive dream, Leo was just glad his Hazel-centric dreams had finally come to an end. He made his way to the mess hall, and found all the other demigods there. Piper was listening intently to Jason going on about something, biting her lip and smoothing down her single braid every few minutes. She would tentatively ask questions, apparently hoping to not say the wrong thing. Jason didn't seem to notice her discomfort, however, and went on with his story, stopping between every other sentence to take a bite of his pancakes. Piper's hesitation suddenly seemed endearing at most. Jason turned to see his friend take a seat and high-fived him, grinning.

"Hey Leo! Looking more like yourself today!" Leo smiled in response.

"Feeling more like myself, Sparky."

Jason chuckled and went back to telling his tale to Piper, who turned to wave at the mechanic. Leo waved back, grabbing himself a bowl. Maybe Jason wasn't as dense as Leo thought. He sat down and looked up to see Frank trying and failing to spark up a conversation with Hazel, who seemed disinterested and simply nodded every once in a while. She looked up to meet Leo's gaze, and he gave her a playful smile and winked. It had its intended effect, as she smiled back, flushed.

"Hazel, did you hear what I said?" the smile was wiped off her face and she turned to look at him, startled.

"Oh, uh yeah."

Frank frowned and looked from her to Leo, who was noticeably putting in an effort to look inconspicuous by fiddling with some mechanical parts. Leo glanced up carefully to see not the usual smug malevolence on Frank's face, but jealousy and suspicion. He smiled inwardly, pretending like he didn't feel the demigod's intense glare on him.

As Leo raised his head once more to look around the table, he didn't see the downtrodden motley of half-bloods he had previously, but instead the vivacious and courageous band of demigods known as the Seven. He didn't know how things would be between he and Hazel, and the odds of their success still seemed slim. His problems remained standing tall, and his mistakes seemed to be impossible to reverse. Leo caught Hazel's eye once more, and she beamed at him, her striking eyes twinkling with joy. Maybe, if he had the sun shining overhead, he could do this. With her warmth, he could survive the long cold nights. With her rays of life, he could be rejuvenated. With her, he could do anything. And although a few sparse clouds still seemed to try and block him from the sun, he had a feeling they would soon disperse. Noting could keep him from her, even if he wasn't allowed near. He was like a sunflower, its need for the fiery star monumental. And maybe, just maybe, it was possible to steal the sun.

.

A/N: Well there it is! I worked fairly hard on this, so please review and tell me what you think! I've been reading Lazel fanfics since the end of MoA, I needed something to satisfy my lazel cravings! Lol I remember when there was only one page of stories =w= So I decided to try my hand at one! Upon finishing MoA, I started typing up a fic that had a word count in the 20k's. But looking at it now…ehh. Maybe I'll upload it eventually. Please review! And I have an idea for a companion fic for this, if this story's popular enough I'll get 'er done! :D Till next time!

-TheArstyGamer