I'd like to take a moment to announce the fact that I am FINALLY posting a story about my Heroes of Olympus OTP, Leo and Piper. In Any Other Story has been labored over since April, so I'm thrilled to finally be posting it! I actually just finished it tonight so I could post it before it became even more AU with the release of Mark of Athena (TWO DAYS!) Please let me know what you think of it, even if you're not a super fangirl of LeoPiper like myself :D Also, note that I planned this fic out before the release of Demigod Diaries, so I did not know initially that Piper and Jason were going to be "officially together" at any point.

I disclaim. Enjoy!

He is just a boy and she is just a girl, and that's how most stories begin, isn't it?

[he wishes it could be that simple, but most stories don't factor in the possibility of Mist-induced memories and a bitter rivalry as old as time itself.]

He is a boy and she is a girl and at some point he realizes he's in love, and in any other story this would end in happily ever after, wouldn't it?

[but que lastima, querido heroe, he hears Tia Callida say, nothing will end happily for you.]

He still remembers the first time he saw her.

He is fifteen, still a boy, really, and has just arrived in the middle of nowhere at the accurately named Wilderness School, because he's a "delinquent juvenile" and needs to develop "strength of character" and "moral fiber."

Right.

He is searching for his dorm, map in hand, heart pounding in anticipation of meeting his roommate, and as he passes by the girls' section of the building he catches a whiff of sickeningly sweet perfume and hears what he presumes to be the "popular" girls picking on a new student. One of them trips her, and the poor girl's luggage scatters across the hallway, the girl herself sprawled on the carpeted floor.

"Halfblood,"they call her. "Shouldn't you be back on the rez?"

"She probably broke some ancient tribal code, and the chief sent her here to clean up," another chimes in.

If there's one thing he can't stand, it's racism-something he's all too familiar with, being a Latino himself.

[much later on he'll try to tell himself that was all it was, just pity, just sympathy, or empathy, rather, because he's felt the sting of racist slurs too. but the dreamer inside him likes to think it's destiny, pure fate that he helped her, met her, talked to her that day.]

Without thinking, he rushes to the girl's defense.

"Leave her alone," he shouts at Barbie Number One. "She just got here, shouldn't you let her settle in for a few days before you start ragging on her just for who she is and where she's from?" This to Barbies Number Two and Three. "Go file your nails or whatever, you've got no business here."

The Barbies look slightly shocked- he wonders if he's the first to ever stand up to them- and retreat behind cold glares and curled glossy lips.

He turns around and the girl is gathering up her scattered luggage. "You shouldn't have done that," she says. "It wasn't necessary. I can take care of myself."

"Doesn't look like it," he replies, stretching out a hand to help her. Surprised, she takes it and he hoists her to her feet.

[already he likes the feel of her hand in his, and like any other story, this is just the beginning.]

"I'm Leo, Leo Valdez," he introduces himself.

She giggles a bit and looks up at him, and he sees her face for the first time, beneath layers of choppy chestnut-brown hair. She's surprisingly pretty, with a warm smile, tanned skin, and kaleidoscope eyes with little flecks of green, brown, and gold.

[he'll have those eyes memorized, someday.]

"Piper," she says, shaking his outstretched hand. "And thanks, I guess."

[already he knows that he's falling, falling, falling slowly and lawlessly, because she's way out of his league and that's all it takes to give his heart a little nudge.]

He grabs her luggage and walks Piper back to her dorm, despite her protesting. Seeing how lonely she looks, he waits for her to unpack and promptly asks if she wants to come over to his dorm to hang out. Piper smiles and agrees, so the two walk together down the hall.

Leo doesn't really talk about his past, and neither does Piper- neither seems really inclined to share, so he sticks with the unspoken agreement and cracks jokes the way back to his dorm.

It's there that he meets his roommate Jason, and he does his best to ignore the blush on Piper's cheeks when she shakes his hand.

[he tries to tell himself that that didn't mean anything, and in the end it won't, because later he'll find out nothing about Jason was real.]

They become a trio, Jason and Piper and Leo, and throughout the weeks they spend together at the Wilderness School, there are adventures aplenty and for the first time since his mom- well, in a long time- Leo feels accepted, like he's part of something. Walking between Jason and Piper he feels like he could do anything, be anyone. They are Jason and Piper and Leo, and they are best friends.

[he dares to believe that nothing will change that, and if this were any other story, happily ever after would start right here.]

But this is his story, not anyone else's, and as the weeks go by, it's no longer Jason and Piper and Leo but just Jason and Piper. He no longer walks between Jason and Piper but is pushed behind them, and eventually there are more blushes for him to ignore, more whispers for him to pretend not to hear.

[and if this were any other story, he likes to think, it would be Piper and Leo, and those blushes would be for him, those whispers meant for his ears and not Jason's, because somewhere along the way he realizes he's liked her since the day they met.]

A few days later, Jason and Piper walk down to breakfast holding hands, and he wishes he were surprised. He forces a smile and congratulates his two best friends, then, in typical Leo- style, turns to Piper and asks when the baby's due. She glares at him, as does Jason, and he almost regrets the words.

But over the next few days, he'll find that teasing his two best friends about their relationship makes it a whole lot easier to watch.

[maybe, just maybe, it's because the teasing makes everything seem a bit less real, and he's all for that, because honestly reality hasn't been kind to Leo lately. ]

Then, one day, evil espresso drinks- the venti, or wind spirits, rather- sweep across the Grand Canyon, taking with them life as Leo knows it.

They know who Jason is now- or really, who he isn't, and though it hurts to think that the best friend he was so thankful for never really existed, he can't help but feel a bit of guilty pleasure at the fact that any relationships are long forgotten, and it's just Jason and Piper and Leo again.

He almost believes that this time it will be Jason's name knocked off the end- that maybe this time, things will be different.

[and in most stories, they would be, but this is Greece and doesn't ancient history love to repeat itself?]

But things aren't different-things will never be different, so long as who they are and where they are remains the same. There are obstacles, sure- but in the end, he knows it'll just be Jason and Piper again. And- well, as much as he wants to, Leo can't bring himself to pursue Piper when she and Jason are both so confused.

Fake memories do tend to do that to a person.

"I just don't know what to do," Jason tells him one day. "I- I like her. I really do. But I don't remember her at all and she seems to remember me, so I feel uncomfortable around her now and…and I just…I just don't want to hurt her."

[he wonders if Jason realizes that not talking to Piper is hurting her just as much. but this is Jason and he's the classic hero and aren't classic heroes always clueless about these things?]

He finds Piper crying in the woods one day, and she looks so broken and hurt that Leo wants to punch his best friend in the face for doing this to her.

[and Leo's never been good with girls, but now's as good as time as any to learn, right?]

So he comforts her and she rests his head on his shoulder and just cries.

"I wish he would talk to me, Leo," she says. "I wish he would just tell me how he feels, even if he doesn't feel the same way as I do…I just want to know."

He doesn't say much, just strokes her hair a bit and tells her everything will be all right. It's an empty promise but it's just what she needs to hear.

[and it's funny, how natural this feels. in any other story, perhaps he'd kiss her right now. but she's Jason's Piper and he just can't bring himself to step that far.]

"I wish…I just wish things could be different," Piper tells him. "I wish Jason and I were just…normal. Because then everything would be okay, right? We'd just be a normal couple, and there'd be no fake memories or haunted pasts to get in our way. We'd…we'd be in love, just like anyone else."

[he ignores the sound of his breaking heart and wishes that they were anyone else- but for a different reason.]

He knows how lost Jason is and how hurt Piper is and knows he can't do anything- so he doesn't. And a few days later, they're sent on a quest, the three of them together, and it's easy to pretend that it's just like old times, just Jason and Piper and Leo again. The next days are filled with sword fights and Cyclopses, losing hope and regaining hope, campfires and nights spent flying through starry skies on his bronze dragon.

[and when he starts to fall asleep as he pilots them through the air, it's Piper's arms around his waist that keep him centered.]

But no amount of pretending can cover up the truth- Leo wonders how many times he's going to learn that lesson. So now, he has to watch the girl he loves fall for his best friend- for the second time. It's like watching your least favorite movie over and over again, an awful case of déjà vu.

[if you love something, let it go, whispers his mother's voice in his ear, and he knows she's right.]

And he tries- di immortales, does Leo try to get over her. He teases Piper and calls her Beauty Queen as if they're brother and sister. He tells jokes and pulls pranks and embraces his inevitable role as Jason Grace's Funny Sidekick. He hits on Khione, who's so far out of his league that she's literally a goddess. He even flirts with Jason's sister, for Hades' sake- never mind that Thalia's sworn off men for all eternity.

[and in any other story, this probably would have worked. but he's Leo and he's in love and so when night falls and Piper curls up with her head in Jason's lap, all he thinks about is how that should be him.]

And suddenly they're back from the quest, Jason and Piper and Leo- they've saved the world, or Hera, at least, and there are celebrations, and he finds himself the leader of his cabin. You'd think that would make him a hero, right? No- because Jason is the hero, Jason, the son of Zeus, the golden boy, the one who got the girl.

[but heroes aren't perfect, not in Greece, and Leo's about to get a first hand account of that.]

Reyna, her name is. Jason tells him about her one day, the girl Jason thinks he remembers from his home- his home at the Roman camp. Leo feels resentment growing inside of him when Jason tells him that he thinks this Reyna person was- well- his girlfriend.

"You have to tell Piper," Leo says, looking his friend straight in the eye.

"I- I can't." Jason falters.

[and he tries to tell himself that Jason is his friend too, not just Piper, that he should be supporting Jason too, but he's Leo and there's always been a fire in him and when Jason's planning on just blindly hurting the girl Leo loves- well, it might just set him ablaze.]

"Why can't you tell her, exactly?"

Jason sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Look, I figured it all out. This- with me, and Piper- this is all part of the plan. To reunite the camps, you know? I'm Roman, and Piper's Greek- if we're together, then it's going to make an alliance so much easier."

Smoke escapes between Leo's clenched fists. "So that's all she is to you, then? A strategy?"

"Why the Hades do you even care?" Jason shouts.

"Oh, that is it-"

"Guys!"

And suddenly Piper is between them, Piper, the peacekeeper, like she always is, telling them to calm down, to relax, to work this out verbally and not physically.

[it's Jason and Piper and Leo again, he vaguely acknowledges, only this time, Piper's the glue to a barely-there friendship, and in any other story, this would be the end of things.]

"Just don't tell her what I said," Jason says, later, once they're calm and alone again. "Please. It'll only hurt her."

"Jason-"

"Leo, I need you to do this for me."

Leo runs a hand through his hair and sighs, knowing he's lost the battle. "Alright. Friends again?"

"You bet."

[because the last thing he wants to do is hurt Piper, and if Leo's constantly at odds with Jason, and she's heartbroken to boot, that's not going to fix anything, right? and in any other story, the secret would stay a secret, and Piper would never know.]

"Piper, just listen to me. I'm sorry you had to find out about Reyna like that- but I swear I don't remember who she is or what she was to me. All I know is I'm willing to risk that. I want to still be with you," Jason says. Leo shrinks further into the walls of Cabin One and tries his best to turn invisible.

[and he wonders, could he be any more of a third wheel?]

"Jason, I- I don't want to confuse you. Please understand, I want to be with you." Her voice cracks slightly. "But…I just can't do this right now." Piper looks up at Jason one last time, tears clouding her eyes, and makes her way out of the cabin.

As soon as she leaves, Jason collapses onto his bed and stares at the ceiling. Leo takes that as his cue to leave.

He catches up with her as she nears the entrance to the woods. Reaching out, he grabs her hand and turns her toward him.

"Leo, not now-"

"Don't push me away, Piper. You know you want to talk to someone-I think I'm as good as any a man for the job, right?"

She forces a watery grin, and the two settle down on a nearby bench. Leo turns to her.

[he's ashamed of himself for being almost happy with the situation, with Piper as upset as she is, but he's just glad that she knows she can trust him.]

"You knew about Reyna. How?"

"Jason…Jason was talking to Annabeth in the Big House the other day. Asking for advice. He mentioned Reyna…and he's been sort of distant lately. I can put two and two together…I'm not stupid, Leo."

"I know you aren't. So…what made you decide to break up with him?"

She rests her head softly on his shoulder. "I couldn't keep hurting myself like that…it was almost exhausting being with him when he was so distracted. And Hades, Leo, it was so hard leaving him like that- because I love him. I really do."

[how can she, he wonders, after all he's done to her? but he keeps quiet, because Leo knows firsthand what it's like to love someone so much that you pretty much stop making sense altogether.]

"But…I knew I had to say no. For me."

Leo shakes her off of him and turns to look her straight in the eye, black-brown on hazel-green. "You know what, Beauty Queen?"

"Don't call me that."

He ignores her remark. "I am so freaking proud of you, di immortales. It's good to see you like this."

"Like what?"

"Confident. Strong enough to make a decision for you even if you still like Jason. Just-you. Just Piper." Not Piper and Jason.

She smiles at him- a real smile- and places her hand over his. "Thanks, Leo."

He stands up, and grabs her hand- thank the gods he can do this now without feeling guilty-pulling her up beside him. "What do you say we hit the mess hall? Emotional conversations make me hungry…"

She laughs.

[how he's missed hearing her laugh.]

They're not quite together, in the usual sense of the term. He doesn't feel ready to kiss her yet, she still calls him her friend, and he still feels a little bit guilty every time he sees Jason. But they're most certainly a little bit more than friends.

Something's changing between them, Leo thinks. Now days, Piper is almost always by his side. The Aphrodite and Hephaestus tables are nearby- it's not unusual to find Piper sneaking over to his table now and then.

[he loves knowing that she'll break the rules for him, even though he knows Chiron won't give them much more than a knowing glance.]

It's not quite Jason and Piper and Leo again- really, it's just Leo and Piper, and though he misses having Jason as a friend, he knows the son of Zeus needs some time to work out his life on his own.

And for now, he's more than content with Piper and her laugh and the way her head falls onto his shoulder and how every so often she'll take his hand in his or let him pick her up and throw her over his shoulder, both of them laughing all the way back to the cabins.

[this is the happy ending, in any other story. for the first time in his life, things are actually working out the way Leo wants- he should have known it wouldn't last.]

He's almost done with final adjustments to the Argo II when she walks in. He knows she's there before he even turns around- when you're close with a person for enough time, you don't miss much about them.

"Hey Pipes, what's up?"

"I- I need to talk to you."

There's a note in her voice that tells Leo immediately that something isn't right. He sets down his tools and walks over to join her at the doorway of Bunker 9.

"You don't look too good, Beauty Queen-"

"Jason asked me out."

He almost doesn't hear her- he wishes he didn't hear her- but he's Leo and he's her best friend so he has to listen, even if he doesn't like what he's hearing, right?

"Piper…I don't understand-"

She shifts back and forth, almost nervously. "He…it's because we're going back to New Rome tomorrow. Going back…he wants to know where we stand. He- he said he loved me, Leo. That he wants me on his side when the Greeks and the Romans meet. That he's always wanted me on his side.

"Piper-"

"I believe him, Leo!" she almost shouts. "But, I…I'm sorry." Piper leans over, softly pressing her lips to his cheek. "You're the best friend anyone could ever ask for, and I'm sorry I'm disappointing you. But…Leo, I love him. And this just feels right."

[in any other story, he'd be bold enough to chase after her. but there's a reason Leo works with machines and not people, so he watches her walk away and doesn't even know what to think.]

She closes the door, and Leo returns to his work, tightening a screw here, resealing the wood there.

Jason and Piper again. He should have known it was coming- you can always tell when the thing you're dreading the most is about to happen, right? It's that feeling you get right before you say something you know you're going to regret, right before you hand in a test you know you bombed.

Jason and Piper again, with his name knocked off the end. He wishes with everything in him that it could have worked out in any other way, that they could be anywhere but here. Because when he wakes up tomorrow, he'll still be Leo, the son of Hephaestus, Repair Boy and Jason Grace's sidekick, and their memories will still be Mist-messed-up and they'll still have a lost son of Poseidon to find and century-feuding camps to reunite.

Nothing ever changes, really. Not in Greece. Not when you're living out ancient history and the very course of your life is determined by the whims of temperamental deities who can hold grudges for a very, very long time. Not when you're a halfblood.

He wishes he had gotten the chance to kiss her.

[maybe, just maybe, that chance'll come some day, once there's finally peace and this rivalry's finally resolved. he knows they'll do it, because they're Jason and Piper and Leo, and together, they can do anything, right?]

[so maybe, for now, he'll just let Jason and Piper alone and just be Leo. because just being Leo isn't so bad, is it? he likes to think of himself as pretty dang awesome, thank you very much.]

Que lastima, querido heroe, nothing will end happily for you, Tia Callida whispers again. But for once, he'll ignore her.

Because he is just a boy and she is just a girl and that's how most stories begin, and that's what this is- just a beginning. He is Leo and he is in love and that makes him a bit of an optimist, and he's choosing to believe his happy ending's still waiting for him, somewhere.

[and in any other story, it would be- so what's to say it won't happen right here?]