Note: For some reason, I couldn't shake the idea of a collage Au for these two and well, this is the production. I spent at least a week or so writing and rewriting this because nothing really seemed to fit at first. I also held off on posting this until I had a little over half of the second chapter written so that should be posted in a few days (read: tomorrow).

Cold Fire

Chapter 1

Leo

He always preferred machines to humans; mechanical creations were logical and easily fixed, but people were not - once a person was broken, there was no fixing it. One could try, but they'd never heal properly; there'd always be pieces missing, for a person breaking was similar to a glass breaking - they could be pieced back together, taped or glued in place, but in the end, it would never be the same. Machines,on the other hand, could be rebuilt. New pieces could be added to replace the old. Sometimes all they needed was a bit of oil, maybe a bit of duct tape, and they'd be good as new.

You couldn't duct tape a human heart.

His reclusive father had spoken those same words the one and only time Leo had actually met him - on the day of his mother's funeral, no less. But the occasion on which they'd been spoken didn't matter, for they were true, truer than any string of words Leo had ever heard uttered.

People just weren't fixable. You could hide the damage, slap a band-aid over it and call it a day, but the problem was never resolved. Some wounds just never healed - and he knew that better than he would like to admit. When it came to the pain of being broken, he knew first hand just how difficult it was to get back up and dust yourself off. The it was easy to mask; he'd just slap a smile onto his face and crack a few jokes and no one could tell the difference. As far as his friends were concerned, he was the happiest of them all, but there was a saying that said the most broken people smile the brightest, and he was a living testimony to that.

Naturally, he preferred the easier thing to work with.

The garage was hot and stuffy. He hated working in there with the door closed, but Piper always insisted on keeping the door closed unless it was absolutely necessary. She claimed she didn't want anything getting in and leaving behind 'surprises', but Leo suspected the real reason she never let them open the door had nothing to do with the droppings of wild animals - it had to do with the fact that the garage was an absolute mess. There were tools strewn everywhere, engines and parts scattered about, and scrap piles everywhere. The floor was permanently stained with oil, and the entire garage constantly smelled like grease and gas. And he wouldn't have had it any other way. There was a sort of organized chaos to it all that put him at ease; he practically grew up in a garage, after all.

His latest project took up a large portion of the garage in the form of Jason's 1969 Ford Torino. The car had originally belonged to his father, and while Jason wasn't a huge fan of older cars, a car was a car - a free car was even better, but as great as it was, it wasn't in the best condition. It'd been sitting in a shed for years before he'd gotten it; the paint was chipping away, the engine needed to be completely rebuilt, the tires were bald and flat, among many other problems. Jason wasn't exactly ecstatic about the car, but Leo was. The second Jason pushed the car into the driveway, he'd been on it like a bee to honey.

That was nearly a year ago. He'd planned on having it finished sooner, but college was a demanding thing. Very rarely did he have free time. It was the same for all of them, particularly for Piper, who was either interning or in class. She barely had time for her fiance, much less sleep.

He'd always found it interesting that during middle and high school, the group was inseparable. They did everything together. All of them practically lived at each other's houses, in one way or another. Leo'd lived with Piper since he was thirteen, but that was for a completely different reason that had nothing to do with their friendship.

After his mother died, Leo bounced from foster home to foster home. Most of them never lasted more than a few weeks, if he was lucky. More often than not, he'd run away before he could be sent back. Then, after five years of moving from house to house, Piper's father, the famous Tristan McLean had taken him. Why his father never stepped up to the plate, he wasn't sure, but at this point, after only seeming him once in the twenty two years Leo had been alive, he didn't care. He'd managed without him.

The group still stuck together. Despite the fact that Piper's father told her they were all welcome to stay at his place (it certainly was big enough), they'd all insisted on living on their own. With Tristan's help, they managed to get their own places in a new apartment building near the collage. New as it was, space was limited and most of them had paired, or grouped up, in the case of the girls, to help pay their utilities. Piper, Jason, and Leo had originally intended to live in the same apartment, but the landlord, Gleeson Hedge, who was also the coach of the college's football team, was adamant in his rule of 'no boys and girls living in the same apartment', despite the fact that all of them were over the legal age. Of course, this rule didn't pertain to anyone who was married, but none of them were married (yet), and it had thrown a wrench in their plans.

In the end, things had worked out considerably well. Jason and Leo stuck together, with the addition of Frank, who was just about as miffed as the rest of the guys at the idea that they couldn't live with their girlfriends, however, the rule said they couldn't live together - sleep overs weren't completely out of the question. They were weekly things usually on Friday or Saturday night, and most of the time they weren't planned. Everyone just piled into one apartment for whatever reason and ended up staying. All of them had at least one extra key to each other's apartment, though they weren't entirely needed. Most of the time, they left their front doors unlocked.

They all had a key to Piper's father's place too, but he was the only one who made use of that; after all, Tristan had always let Leo use the garage as a work place.

"You know," Piper said, effectively jolting him out of his musings, "if you just asked Dad, he'd probably buy you place for a shop."

He knew that. Tristan had offered several times, but he just couldn't accept, not every everything he'd done for him over the years. His mother had taught him at a young age that there was only so much you should take from a person. Besides, Leo liked to think of himself as independent, and he just wouldn't feel as accomplished if he did open the shop by himself. Of course, all of this would happen after he repaid Tristan.

"I know, but I wanna do it on my own, ya know? I'm a big kid now, remember?"

Piper rolled her eyes. "Could've fooled me."

Leo gave her a cheeky grin and turned his attention to the motor in front of him.

"Don't tell Jason I told you this, but Jason's getting a new car soon, and he was thinking of giving you the Torino."

He nearly dropped the wrench he was holding. "Really?!"

She nodded. "He wanted to surprise you, but I figured I'd tell you so you can start planning for modifications now."

She knew him so well. "Thanks, Pipes," he smiled at her. It was a real genuine smile, but she would never know that.

"Just don't put rockets on it..."

He couldn't help but laugh. A few years back, he and Percy had a brilliant idea to put rockets on Percy's Camaro - well, it seemed like a brilliant idea at the time, but it was, in fact, a very bad idea. Even if Percy had crashed it into a tree, they still thought it was pretty cool. The others didn't share their sentiments.

Piper gave him a wary look. "I'm serious, Leo. Percy could have died."

"But he didn't," Leo felt the need to point out. "'Sides, he thought it was cool."

"Which is exactly why you are not putting rockets on that car." Piper pointed at him accusingly. "I still don't understand how you even managed that."

"Magic," Leo joked. He knew better than to get into a detailed explanation how how he actually managed it. Piper would listen to the first few sentences and then everything would just go in one ear and out the other. She never really did have an appreciation for mechanics, and as smart as she was, she frankly didn't understand them. None of his friends did, aside from Annabeth, though it wasn't exactly an area of interest to her.

She just shrugged in response. "Anyway, I came in here to tell you that Percy actually managed to get an A in a class. We're going down to Dionysus's tonight to celebrate."

Leo gave her a skeptical look. "Annabeth did his final for him, didn't she?"

Piper shook her head. "She helped him study, but no, he did it himself. She just found a way to keep him entertained long enough for him to be able to focus."

He really needed that, all of them did. Most of them were ADHD or Dyslexic, or in Percy's case, both.

"What time?"

Piper shrugged. "Whenever, it doesn't really matter. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover are already there and Jason and I are going in a few minutes. Frank and Hazel should be coming around seven. Will and Nico said they might be coming, but Nico hasn't been feeling well so there's a good chance they won't."

Leo tried not to let the relief show. He wasn't sure what it was about Nico Di Angelo, but there was something about him that made him uncomfortable. "I'll probably come over after I finish putting the carburetor back in."

"I'll make sure to save you a spot at the bar." With that, Piper left.

Leo glanced down at the engine and sighed. He hated going to the bar with them. He always seemed to end up by himself while everyone else had a good time. Sometimes he was thankful for that, especially when Percy or Grover did something embarrassing. It was probably by his own fault, considering that he never really tried to put himself in the middle of the chaos, but he also hoped at least one of them would notice and try to coax him into it. Unsurprisingly, it rarely happened.

Back in the day, it wasn't like that, but then again, no one was dating anyone either. It was no surprise when Percy and Annabeth had gotten together; all of them had been expecting it since day one. Piper and Jason wasn't that big of a shock either, at least not to Leo. Frank and Hazel had be a bit surprising, considering that at the time, it seemed like Hazel was going for Leo, but in the end, she'd chosen Frank over him. The most surprising of all had been Grover and Juniper, a pretty girl with amber hair that he'd met at an environmental protest. He just came back with her one day and announced that she was his girlfriend. And despite his protests, it was obvious to everyone that something was going on with Nico and Will.

Naturally, he was the only one who was left single.

Of course, being single had it's bright side; he had no obligations to anyone - he was free to do what he wanted, when he wanted, with whoever he wanted. He didn't have to worry about remembering things like anniversaries, didn't have to spend money on Valentine's Day gifts, and best of all, he didn't have to deal with the drama and conflict that came with a relationship.

Still, after twenty two years of not experiencing it, he couldn't help but wonder what it was like. The idea that someone would accept him, love him, despite all of his faults was a foreign one to him - one that he couldn't comprehend. Piper had once tried to explain it, but he still didn't understand. He didn't think he ever would.

With the carburetor in place, Leo closed the hood of the car and seized a rag from the workbench behind him. He had a bad feeling something was going to happen tonight, like it always did when they went down to Dionysus's. Most of the time, they were kicked out due to Jason and Percy's ever continuing battle of drinking contests, which almost always seemed to result in a physical fight later on. With a heavy sigh, he resigned himself to another chaotic Friday night.

Dionysus's was named after the Grecian god of wine, but that's where any sort of similarity ended. The small dive bar was located a few blocks from their apartment, and while it didn't look like much on the outside, it was completely different inside. The bar itself, which served more than just wine was located right inside the entryway. Off to the right, there was a raised platform for bands to play. Tonight it was empty and light rock was playing over the speakers. Off to the left, and through an archway was a sort of game room. There were several pool tables, a shuffleboard table. An air hockey table was shoved against one wall. On the other side of the room, there were a couple dart boards and several old school arcade games like Pac Man and Galaga, and a retro pinball machine. Like the rest of the bar, it was lit with a bright purple light.

His friends had gathered in their usual spot, the largest booth in the very back, closest to the game room. He never understood how they managed to cram ten people, eleven on the rare occasion that Jason's sister pops in, into one corner booth, but they some how managed. Due to Will and Nico's absence, there was a bit more room than normal, something he was thankful for; he'd be able to enjoy his drink without being elbowed in the side every time he tried to take a sip.

When he reached the table, he discovered that Percy was already lit. He swayed in his spot, giggling like a child, as Grover motioned wildly about something. Jason was well on his way to being as far gone as Percy, even though he'd probably been there for no more than a half hour, but instead of giggling, he just mumbled as Piper rolled her eyes beside him. Despite their claims, neither one of them were heavy drinkers. In fact, aside from Hazel, who hardly drank at all, they were the two biggest lightweights. The rest of them had moderate tolerances. Then there was Annabeth, who's tolerance was just downright terrifying at times.

Annabeth had once explained that it was probably due to the fact that she had some kind of European in her (maybe German? He wasn't really paying attention at the time), but Leo had always suspected she was just one of those people who could handle alcohol.

He himself was on the slightly higher end, but he was nothing compared to Annabeth. The only person he'd met who could out drink her was Thalia, Jason's sister, and even she had trouble sometimes. Annabeth was just unconquerable; which was why she always sat out during their drinking contests.

Piper scooted over, offering Leo a place at the table. For once, half of his backside wasn't hanging off the end. Percy gave him a drunken wave, nearly knocking over Annabeth's glass in the process.

Frank and Hazel, who had gotten there before he had, gave Percy a wary look. They were well acquainted with how wild he could get. Leo wouldn't be surprised if he tried to swim in the fountain in the park across the street, again.

"He's already gone," Leo pointed out.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and nodded. "I told him not to start before everyone got here, but he didn't listen."

"But Annie! They were taking forever!" Percy whined. Grover cast him a sideways glance.

There was an unspoken rule among the group to never refer to Annabeth as 'Annie',or to shorten her name in general, but occasionally one of them would get away with calling her Anna or An, but never Annie. No one was really certain why she didn't like it, but they respected it; none of them were particularly fond of being Judo flipped.

But Annabeth let it slide this time. Percy was just too drunk to be reasoned with.

"You still should have waited. What is the point in celebrating with your friends if you weren't going to wait for them to show up?" Annabeth's tone was soaked in strained patience.

He pouted at her and Leo idly wondered how she managed to resist it. He knew Piper had trouble sometimes; she claimed he looked like a cute baby seal. Leo didn't exactly see the seal part, or the cute part for that matter, but he had to admit sometimes it really was hard to ignore. Sometimes he wondered if he purposely made his eyes water, just for effect.

"They were taking too long," Percy said again. Leo though he heard a tinge of accusation in his tone.

"Well they're here now," Grover cut in, "and you're drunk."

Percy laughed at him.

Grover had always reminded Leo of a goat. He just had that kind of face. Sometimes when he laughed, especially when he was nervous, it sounded like he was bleating. He wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he was hiding horns beneath the knit cap he always wore.

"Let's play air hockey." Percy said.

Jason stared at him from across the table. "Why so I can beat you?"

The entire table groaned. Jason and Percy were competitive enough when they were sober, but it was nearly ten times worse when they weren't. It took Percy a couple tries to slip out of the booth - he nearly landed face first in Annabeth's lap the second time - but once he was out, he stumbled towards the game room with Jason on his heels. Annabeth sighed dramatically and slipped out after them.

"I better go make sure they don't try to kill each other with the puck."

Grover followed after her.

"You're not going?" Hazel asked Piper.

She shook her head. "Last time I tried to stop them from one of their crazy contests, I got hit in the face with a cue ball."

Hazel grimaced.

"Percy ended up hitting him in the crotch with the 8 ball right after that," Leo felt the need to point out. He'd thought it was the funniest thing he'd seen in a while, but Piper and Jason didn't share his sentiments. Percy, on the other hand, couldn't stop laughing long enough to apologize.

"Come to think of it," Piper said thoughtfully, "Hazel, you still owe me a rematch in darts."

Hazel looked uncomfortable. The last time she'd played, she'd accidentally hit Frank in the backside. "I did promise but..."

"I'll stay out of the way," Frank said. He squeezed her hand reassuringly.

Reluctantly, Hazel followed Piper away from the table. When they reached the entrance to the game room, Piper let out a shriek and ducked as a streak of black sailed over her head. She glared into the room. Jason's slurred apology could barely be heard over the sound of Percy's laughter.

"I swear, being in the same game room with them is deadly," Frank shuddered.

Leo laughed. It was true though; every time they were in there, someone managed to get hurt. Most of the time, it was Piper and Frank - until Annabeth grabbed a pool stick. No one was safe then. The owner, Mr. D, probably bought at least three new sets in the last month. While he didn't get into the chaos much, that didn't mean he was safe from Annabeth's wrath; he'd had his fair share beatings with them before. She'd broken a couple on his head before.

"Sometimes I wonder how Percy's alive." Frank muttered, thinking the same thing as Leo. "Any of us, for that matter."

Leo nodded in agreement.

Though she didn't look like it at first glance, Annabeth was terrifying. She was considered a master of at least two types of martial arts, but her physical prowess wasn't what was so scary; it was her intelligence that really scared them. She could easily think of the worst way to ruin your day and carry out her plan with ease - and no one would ever see it coming.

He and Frank sat in awkward silence. Leo was never one for starting conversations and Frank wasn't exactly talkative, at least not with Leo. He suspected Frank was still wary due to the issue with Hazel in high school, though he didn't understand why. It was obvious Hazel had chosen Frank over him; in his mind, Frank had nothing to be worried about. Leo like girls, a lot, but he'd never stoop so low as to try and steal someone else's girl, past feelings or not.

Finally, after five or so minutes passed, Frank broke the silence. "So...since everyone else is in there, why don't we play a game a pool? Before Annabeth breaks all the sticks."

Playing pool certainly beat sitting in the corner for the rest of the night. He seized Percy's left behind cut and took a sip. He grimaced. "Ugh, whiskey," he choked out. "Yeah, pool sounds good."

"Go secure a couple sticks, I'll get us some drinks. You like rum, right?"

Leo nodded. He was thankful he didn't ask if he wanted tequila. He may have been Hispanic, but that didn't mean he liked the stuff. In fact, he couldn't stand it.

Frank slipped out of the booth and went to the bar. Mr. D wasn't exactly pleased to see him, but then again, Leo didn't think Mr. D was pleased to see anyone.

Resigning himself to the fact that he was probably going to get hit with a hockey puck, he pushed himself out of the booth.

He didn't see her until it was too late.

She'd had her back to him, and he was still staring at the bar when he walked right into her. She lost her balance and hit the floor with a loud yelp. It took him a moment to recover from his initial shock, but just as he stepped forward to help her up, she rolled over. Her face was twisted with furry. "Can't you watch where you're going?"

For a moment, he could only stare at her.

She was absolutely beautiful. Leo had seen a lot of pretty girls, been rejected by most of them, but she was in a class of her own. Her skin was smooth and pale without fault, much like porcelain. Her caramel hair cascaded over her shoulder in a loose ponytail and despite the angry fire burning inside them, her dark eyes were nearly as breath taking as the rest of her.

She looked like the models that Leo sometimes saw at Tristan McLean's parties - damn near perfect.

Leo was usually good with the ladies, or so he liked to think. Even in the face of a pretty woman, he could think of something to say, but at this moment all he could mutter was "Uh..."

Very intelligent, Valdez, he chided himself.

She didn't find his brilliant reply to be funny, even in a pitying way. If anything, it seemed to irritate her further. "Are you going to stand there like an idiot, or are you going to help me?" She had a heavy accent, though what it was, he couldn't exactly place.

Leo only blinked.

Muttering something in a language he wasn't familiar with, she pushed herself to her feet and stormed off. His gaze lingered on her. He caught the tail end of an insult, something that rhymed with the word 'tick', as she shoved the door to the bathroom open and disappeared.

"Leo Valdez," Mr. D drawled from the bar, "Lady Killer extraordinaire. Well done. No wonder the ladies throw themselves at you."

He barely registered his words. Frank had to shake him before he finally returned to Earth. "So...about that game of pool..."