You Are In Love

xxx

Small talk, he drives
Coffee at midnight
x
No proof, one touch
You felt enough

xxx

You Are In Love © Taylor Swift
Percy Jackson and The Olympians © Rick Riordan

Leo wakes disheveled, shaken awake by none other than Jason Grace. They had been celebrating Christmas together, counting down and then opening the small gifts they prepared for each other with the seven and Nico. It wasn't much, but it felt like home.

Jason looked at Leo bright eyed, and immediately Leo knew Jason wanted, needed coffee right at this moment. College together strengthened their bond. Leo glanced around at everyone else strewn about the house. They slept over, but Leo knew they'd be fine. This wasn't their first Christmas together.

Jason grabs the car keys and Leo follows him, slightly swaying but otherwise just fine. He snags his bag and locks the front door to Jason's house.

The drive there was silent with Jason's tapping on the steering wheel and Leo's humming to Christmas carols, the spirit not quite washing off despite the sleep. "You know sparky, you're going to ruin your reputation as the golden boy if you stay up late for these night runs."

Jason raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"Yeah you know, big headline news! Golden Boy Turns Out To Be Night Owl! Sounds pretty awful ain't it?"

Jason chuckled, "And you're going to lose your Mischievous Prankster reputation the more you quietly follow me on these night runs."

"Ah but that's the difference, I ain't going quietly." Leo makes a point to loudly jiggle their house keys, earning an exasperated look from Jason.

Leo paid closer attention to Jason's demeanour, his eyelids were droopy despite his inability to sleep 'or rather refusal to sleep', he has nice panda eye bags to go with Jason's nearly complete grumpy college sophomore look.

But Leo knew Jason finished off all his college projects last week, and Jason had called the professors in advance about each assignment.

He knew clearly Jason really wasn't staying up for college.

But he was fine with it. Jason knew not to cope with it alone, and Leo was always going to be around to accompany Jason whenever wherever, always everyday. It has a nice ring to it, see? Besides, where would Jason the Superman be without his sidekick? Granted the actual Supes didn't need a sidekick but still.

They got coffee and Leo began tapping away at his thesis at a side table with a clear view of the city streets at night, he thinks he could finish it.

Well if Jason weren't there to distract him, but he tries anyway.

And Jason finds Leo's continuous routine of tapping and scribbling sounds comforting, accompanied by Leo's many snide remarks once in a while whenever he hits a roadblock and needs to brainstorm. The chilling air also adds dimension to soothe his nerves but still.

Jason finds Leo's self rambling cute. Once he even caught Leo talking to himself about nuts and bolts.

Not that Leo was ever going to find out about that.

"...so then I don't get what does angels and demons have to do with pillows and food fights and..."

*SNAP*

"I am listening about your rambles about Supernatural."

Leo grins and withdraws his outstretched hands and Jason laughs before Leo resumes his actual ramblings about mechanical engineering with Jason nitpicking why a supersonic thruster powered sleigh would definitely not be an in-sales for the market.

xxx

And for once, you let go
Of your fears and your ghosts
One step, not much
But it said enough

xxx

Leo wakes up in bed beside Jason, greeted immediately by a warm kiss and burnt toast.

He makes a point to eye Jason who holds up both hands in surrender with that look in his eyes that said "That really was an accident,"

"Quit stealing my job Supes! What am I gonna do if you keep burning everything I'M supposed to fry?" Leo managed the strangled remark and makes a move to wash up fresh and clean. But his second step off the bed ends haywire as he manages to yank Jason down into a flurry of tangled limbs and fluffy duvets.

Thankfully Jason put the tray down first.

"You could start by frying someone else's circuits instead of your own." Jason rumbles.

Leo erupts in laughter.

Jason stops to stare at the warm sight of Leo tangled in sheets wearing his over-sized white button up, laughing in the sun's warm rays. Jason never thought he'd been blessed since the day he found out he was a big three kid. But right now he feels even Apollo is on his side, if he could make Leo Valdez look so angelic and innocent.

xxx

One night, he wakes
Strange look on his face
Pauses then says
You're my best friend
And you knew what it was
x
He is in love

xxx

He could hear it in the silence. He feels it on the way home. He can feel it with the lights out.

He's in love. He loves the way their shared silence was comforting. He loves the way the words home roll out of his mouth and immediately includes him. He loves the way he doesn't have to see his unruly brown curls in order to know he was there. Jason loved every bit of loving Leo, and frankly Leo could say the same.

Jason and Leo. They were an unlikely pair.

But if you asked them about the other, they'd probably erupt in anger about the other's habits. It would be easy-peasy for an argument to fire and for neither of them to be willing to confront the other for days on end.

But they'd also probably talk about the stupid dates they had. How Leo dragged Jason off into the rain to get drenched because of this one song. How Jason would pick up Leo no matter where he was just to get coffee a few blocks down from home. How Jason would miss his coat buttons whenever he was late and Leo had to rebutton the coat for him on the car.

How Leo's hands would naturally tie a perfect tie on Jason even though he could never get one to look right on himself.

Jason would probably never tell Leo about that photo of him that he keeps in his wallet, and Leo would probably never tell Jason about that snowglobe he bought on a whim because the couple inside looked like them.

Then they'd smile and giggle, the universe dancing in their eyes.

And you'd know, they're in love.

xxx

You can hear it in the silence
You can feel it on the way home
You can see it with the lights out
x
You're in love

xxx