"It's going to rain any minute now."
"No shit, Grace, really? I mean, the sky is dark and the forecast predicted afternoon showers, but I never would've thought that it would actually rain soon!"
"Uh… shouldn't we worry about getting soaked? Isn't rainwater in New York toxic or something?"
"Leo, no one cares."
"I sort of do?" Frank piped up hesitantly. The others glanced at him in surprise.
"See? Frank sides with me!" Leo cast them a smug look. It was so rare for the two of them to agree on something that Percy and Jason seemed stunned for a moment.
"I really don't feel like hopping on a taxi. Nico's place is close. Maybe we could stay there for a while." Jason suggested after a beat.
"Nah, he's out with that med student or whatever. Always is these days, it seems." Percy replied, dismissing the idea with a wave of his hand.
"Maybe…"
"Calypso, Annabeth, and Piper will not be happy if we try to hang around in one of their offices." Leo shut Jason down before he could even voice the thought. At times like these, Frank reflected, it felt almost tangibly awkward to be the only single guy in the group.
Their argument was interrupted when the first drops of rain began to fall. The quartet ducked into the nearest building, The Diamond Café.
"It burns! It's acid rain!" Leo wailed dramatically, causing the cafe's few occupants to stare at him in confusion.
"Shut up, Valdez. Those of us born in New York can take a little pain. I'm sure you and your Texan ass have never so much as been mugged by a hobo before." Percy joked, elbowing the shorter boy.
"Why am I always the abused one?" Leo mock-pouted.
"Um… can I help y'all?" Frank turned towards the source of the girl's voice, and his eyes widened. She was extremely pretty, with skin the color of warm cocoa and curly cinnamon brown hair falling to her shoulders. Her eyes were gold, shining with an innocence that belonged to the naïve. But her shy gaze had a hint of steel in it, and it was only when she raised her eyebrows with a expression of guarded amusement that Frank realized that she had told him something.
"Sorry— what did you say?" Frank felt his cheeks burn. His "friends" were snickering behind him. Traitors.
"I said, I'm sorry, but we can't have loiterers here. It's a policy." She offered him a patient smile once more.
"Oh! We were just going. I'm sorry… I mean, I didn't mean to—"
"Hey, it's fine. My mom owns this place, so I think I can make a few exceptions. Besides, I'm not one to condemn you to that rain." She peered out the window. "Ugh, looks pretty bad. Maybe a thunderstorm."
"Do you have an umbrella or two we can borrow? We'll return it tomorrow, we promise."
"Sure thing. Give me a moment." Frank watched the petite girl maneuver around tables as she disappeared behind the door reading, "Employees Only".
"Aw, you like her, you scoundrel, you." Leo nudged him, cackling like a hyena.
"She's nice, I guess. Not that you'll ever tell Annabeth unless you have to be decapitated." Here, Percy gave Leo a warning glare. "Anyways, have at it, man. Make sure she's not asexual or something. Remember Rachel Dare? Annie won't ever let me forget it, even though we're just friends now."
"And don't forget how Jason's smokin' sis, Thalia, totally rejected me? Those asexual girls are hiding everywhere." Leo added.
"She told me to tell you that it's okay if you still cry about it at night." Jason laughed at Leo's poisonous gaze. Frank stifled the urge to mention Khione.
"Okay, here you go." The girl reappeared with a black umbrella in hand.
"Actually, I don't think I'll fit under that." Frank admitted. It was true; his bulk probably wouldn't have a place beside three other guys. The woes of a bodybuilder. "Is it okay if I wait out the storm here? I can make it back to my place by myself."
"You just want to—" Leo began, but Jason clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Okay, see you around, Frank. Let's go." Jason firmly pushed both his cousin and his best friend outside, opening the umbrella swiftly. Feeling a surge of respect for the blond, Frank turned his attention back to the girl, swallowing a lump in his throat.
"What's your name?" He blundered, just as he realized that she was wearing a name tag. "Sorry, Hazel." It was a nice name, and it matched the girl perfectly.
Her laughter sounded like the tinkling of bells. "And you're Frank, right? I heard your friends talking to you."
"Yeah, that's me." They stood in awkward silence for a moment.
"I don't mean to pressure you or anything, but my mom won't be too happy when she finds out that I'm letting someone sit around here without buying anything." She blushed. "Maybe, if it's okay with you, you could help in the kitchens? You could share dishwashing duty with me."
Frank didn't have the guts to tell her that he was so clumsy, his grandmother needed to replace all of their plates after letting him try washing the dishes a few months back. "That's fine with me." It was worth it. He saw her shoulders relax as the tension left them.
"Thanks so much. Follow me." Hazel led him into the back, where an older woman that looked a lot like her was baking cornbread.
"Who's this here?" The woman, who Frank assumed was Hazel's mother, eyed him suspiciously. Why had he gotten himself into this? He didn't even know these people!
"This is my friend, Frank. He's helping me wash dishes." Hazel smiled sweetly, and if Frank didn't know the truth himself, he never would've guessed that she wasn't being entirely honest.
"It's always nice to have a little extra help." Hazel's mom sighed, wiping her hands on her apron. "I'm Marie Levesque. Call me Marie, it helps me forget that I'm getting older."
Frank nodded politely, while Hazel frowned. "Don't say that, Ma. You're not getting old."
"And unicorns are native to Seattle as well. Don't try to make me feel better, Hazel. It's nice of you, but I'm not hiding behind denial. Now, shoo, the two of you." She waved them away good-naturedly, and Frank decided that he liked Mrs. Levesque.
"Don't worry about breaking anything, it's all plastic anyways." Hazel instructed as he stood in front of the sink. He shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. "I'm really sorry about my mom." She added in a softer voice.
"Don't be, it's fine. I'd rather be doing this anytime than be stuck under an umbrella with three of the most annoying guys east of the Mississippi." Frank felt almost exceedingly proud of himself for using such an American expression.
"Where are you from?" She glanced at him while passing him a cup. The phrase he'd used must've sounded noticeably awkward.
"I'm Canadian." He braced himself for a smart remark that never came. When he first moved to New York City a little over a year ago, his first argument with Leo had been about how it was "zed", not "zee", no matter what the annoying imp-boy thought.
"That's pretty cool. I've never been out of good old 'Murica. I'm from New Orleans."
"Uh, where's that?" He focused on scrubbing a pan, embarrassed by his lack of knowledge.
"Louisiana."
"Oh."
"So, what's your favorite color?"
This went on for a while, and soon, Frank felt like he knew quite of bit about Hazel Levesque. Her favorite color was green, her father had left before she was born and lived in "The Land Down Under", and she used to have a horse named Arion. She was dyslexic, and had gone to a summer camp in California for a few years. She even, and Frank shuddered to think about it, had been trapped in a cave-in when going on a tour in Alaska, and had spent a couple of hours alone in the dark before her half brother rescued her.
"You're lactose intolerant? So you can't even have ice cream?" Hazel looked sympathetic.
"I tried it once… I don't think I'll do it again." Frank confessed. She giggled, eyes glowing with that odd golden color. They had just finished cleaning off spoon when the door swung open and a slim boy, around fifteen years old, slipped into the kitchen. A boy who Frank recognized all too well.
"Nico!" Hazel squealed, dropping her rag to hug him. He grinned at her, an unusual gesture for him.
"How do you know each other?" Frank demanded. Wait. Her half brother… was Nico di Angelo! And then it occurred to him that Jason and Percy must've known her all along. Why didn't Hazel say anything, then? Unless they saw her so regularly that it was unremarkable for them to show up… he was going to stop thinking now.
"She's my half sister. We have the same dad." Nico explained reluctantly, warily meeting his eyes.
"So, where's Will?" Hazel smirked, looking mischievous for the first time since Frank had met her.
"Oh, shut up." He prodded her. "He's in his car. I was just stopping by. Not that you need any company." Now it was Frank who had to endure a teasing smirk.
"I'll take it the rain's stopped, then?" Hazel inquired.
"Yeah. It's pretty wet out, though. Anyways, I don't want to keep Will waiting. See you around, Diamond Girl."
"Till another time, Death Boy." As Nico passed Frank on his way to the door he muttered something to him so quietly that Hazel couldn't hear.
"Take care of my sis, okay?"
"It's not like that!" Frank hissed, but he was already gone. Crap.
"I suppose you can go now, right?" Hazel sighed.
"Can I come back tomorrow?" Frank wondered hopefully, praying that he didn't come off as overeager.
"If you want to…" she looked puzzled, as if she couldn't figure out why he would want to.
"I like your company. AndIthinkyouarereallypretty." Frank mumbled.
"What was that last bit?"
"I like you, Hazel." Frank felt his cheeks burn. Was he back in elementary school? He was sixteen, dammit. Okay, so what if he was shy? He knew that he would be lucky to find a nice girl, even back when he first started high school, and it was enough that he could even talk to her without stuttering like an idiot. He shouldn't be so insecure. And now was a good time to stop thinking again.
"Oh! I—I don't know what to say." But beneath her hands, which were covering her mouth, Frank could've sworn that he saw her beam.
"You don't have to say anything. I'll be back tomorrow." He smiled and waved, not knowing that six months later, they would hug goodbye. And that a year after that, they would kiss goodbye. But for now, she waved back. And that was fine with Frank.
A/N: I decided that Frazel wasn't given enough credit, and therefore decided to quickly type an awful one-shot. Hope this isn't too OOC or weird… anyways, thanks for reading, and as always, stay awesome, guys ;)