Disclaimer: Don't own PJO, sadly. This is a Leo Valdez oneshot, and I'm proud of it. This is long, so part one and two. Hope yous likes.
(Diana's POV)
I sat at the strawberry fields, helping them grow with my best friend and sister, Katie Gardner.
"Hello! Diana!" She said, waving her hand in my face.
"Huh? What?" I asked, snapping out of my thoughts.
"What is up with you?"
"I'm just… thinking about something."
"Specifics," she said and I gazed over at the forge. She looked where I was and nodded her head. "I see. The man, the legend. You have got Leo Valdez on your mind."
"What else is new?" I asked sarcastically.
"Why don't you just ask him out?"
"Let me think. He has hit on every girl at this camp since he's been back, including you, and hasn't even given me a second look. It's like he's only got a thing for girls who won't give him the time of day."
"So don't give him the time of day," she said and I looked at her with a 'duh' face.
"I've already thought of that. The more I do it, the more anxious I get. I'll always be feeling like, 'Have I been doing it long enough?' It just eats away at my insides. So I've got a new plan."
"What would that be?"
"Get over him. Move on. Get on with my life. Forget him. Tell him, 'So long, see ya sucker, bon voyage, arrivederci, later loser, goodbye, good riddance, peace out, let the doorknob hit ya where the good gods split ya, don't come back around here no more, hasta la vista baby, kick rocks, and get the hades out of my life.'"
"You have been watching way too much My Wife and Kids. But I guess that'd be the best plan. Oh, hey, Leo."
"You're not tricking me."
"Tricking you about what?" I heard Leo's voice. I turned and there he was, grease marks on his hands and small ones on his face that looked like war paint. The sun was behind him and made him seem to glow like an angel. "Tricking you about what?" He repeated.
"Nothing. Just in an, 'I made you look' type of way," I said.
"Oh. Katie. I came to tell you that I accidently lost a mini-dragon that I was messing with in your garden. I don't know where it went. But it won't hurt the flowers… I think."
"Sorry, Leo, but I'm busy. Maybe Diana could help you," Katie said.
"Who?" Leo asked. I sighed and my eyes rolled into my head. Is he serious?
"The girl sitting here. Next to me." Katie obviously seemed angry with him too.
"Oh," He said with an awkward voice. "Sorry."
"Just forget it," I said without looking up. "But, Katie, I'm doing the same thing as you. Why do I have to go?"
"Because we can spare you. You're not doing much. You have a lot on your mind," she said.
"Seriously? That's your reasoning?"
"Yeah."
"Can someone please help me with this?" Leo asked.
I stood up and faced him. "How about this?" I asked and started taking off my gloves. "I don't wanna help you, and I don't wanna grow strawberries anymore." I threw down my gloves and started to walk away.
"Where are you going?" Katie called.
"To shoot arrows until Capture the Flag! Don't follow me!" I yelled and stomped to the arena.
After an hour, it was time for dinner. I didn't feel like it, but I stormed back to my cabin.
"Hey, Killer," Katie said when I entered.
"Not in the mood," I said and tossed my bow and arrows at the bed.
"He made you really mad."
"Who?" Our brother, Christian, asked.
"None of your beeswax, Christian," I said and he walked away. I started angrily shuffling around the cabin, looking for my stupid barrette. "Anyway, of course he made me mad! The kid didn't even know my name! I mean, it's like, seriously? How would you feel if all of a sudden Travis forgot your name?"
"I don't like Travis!"
"Oh, yeah. That was a secret. Well, not really. Everyone knows but YOU AND TRAVIS! Aside from that, it's just irritating," I found my barrette and started for the door. "Now I don't need any help getting over it. I'm done!" I slammed the door and rushed to the dining hall.
I was fixing my hair while I walked and not really paying attention. When I walked in, I bumped into someone. I looked up and saw Leo. I sighed and crossed my arms.
"You dropped your hair…thing," he said as he bent down. He picked it up and held it out for me.
I hesitated, but took it from him. I muttered thanks, which he probably didn't hear, and walked to my table.
After dinner it was time to play. Athena was leading a team as usual. Tonight the Hermes cabin was too. On the Athena side was my cabin, Apollo, Nyx, Hecate, Ares, Zeus, etc.
Hermes had Dionysus, Aphrodite, Eros, Iris, etc. And a certain cabin that I'm itching to beat now. You guessed it, Hephaestus. I was bringing my A-game.
*Half an hour into the game*
I was doing border patrol near the lake. Nothing had happened so far, but then I heard a shuffle in the woods. I readied my bow, and was light-footed enough to get behind the person. And you know what excited me? I had the privilege of taking down Leo Valdez personally.
I willed roots to shoot up from the ground and wrap around his feet.
"What the?" He asked as I ran around to in front of him.
"Hey, what's-his-face," I said.
"Diana, right? You mind letting me go?"
"I laugh at that. Nope. You're going to be a prisoner—trophy, if you will. A warning."
"What—" Before he could finish his question, a vine shot up from the ground and wrapped around his mouth. Then more and more until he looked like a cocoon without the top. He actually tried to struggle out of it, but failed miserably.
"Come on. You're going to do me a huge favor," I said and pushed him along. The earth helped him move along without falling over, though I wasn't sure whether to than it or yell at it.
A few more people came around before the game was over, but they ran at the sight of what happened to Leo and the fact that they couldn't see me and I could pop up from anywhere. Punks.
Our side won thanks to an Ares camper, and it was time for bed. I started back for my cabin, when I heard grunting. I turned around and remembered what I did. Good times.
I walked back over to him and he stared down at me, still struggling.
"Funny," I said. "Almost tempted to leave you there."
This made him even more freaked out and panicked. For gods' sakes, he could've just burned the stinking vines. I guess panic makes people forget.
I groaned. "Fine, I'll let you go. Just shut up!"
I breathed in and out. The vines relaxed and dropped.
"There. You're all better," I said and turned.
"Hey, what's your problem? Why do you hate me so much? I barely know you."
"Just stay out of my way and we won't have any problems. Later, loser." I started to run and soon made it back to my cabin. I hung up my armor and stuffed my bow and arrows under my bed.
"I saw what you did," Katie said as she walked into the cabin.
"You mean tie up what's-his-face? That was funny, right?"
"For a Demeter child, you sure are hostile."
"Mess with me, I get hostile. I hate it when people see me like Mother Nature in cartoons. Flip-flops, singing, flowers in my hair and birds chirping on my arms. When I go out for blood, I get blood. He's just lucky I wasn't out for it."
"Hades hath no fury like a woman scorned," she said and walked back to her bunk.
"Someone dumped you?" Christian asked.
"What? Christian, get out of here. Why are you in my business?"
"It's hard not to be sometimes."
"Well try harder," I said and walked to my bed.
Soon all of my siblings were in their beds and I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned and moved my pillow, but I couldn't sleep.
Finally I sat up and snuck out of the cabin. I obviously took my bow and arrows, because I was going to the woods. I climbed up on a tree and just sat.
"Nice tree." I heard someone say. In half a second I had an arrow notched and pointed at their face. I'm beginning to think that Aphrodite likes this channel, because it was Leo. He put his hands up. "Don't shoot."
"Give me one reason not to."
"That would be murder of another demigod. And I'm needed to save the world."
I sighed and lowered the arrow. "What?" I asked coldly. You know the sad thing? He's probably going to like me now that I don't give a crap about him.
"I came to get out of the Leo Cave—"
"Lame."
"—and I saw you sleeping or something on this branch, so I climbed up. I'm amazed you didn't hear me. But I needed to talk to you."
"About?"
"Not much of a talker. I just need to know why I'm enemy #1 to you. I don't think I did anything. I just met you this afternoon."
"That's just it."
"Pardon?"
"Seriously? Today is the first time you've noticed me, and you've seen me around. I've actually hung out with you before. I was right there when you shamelessly flirted with my sister. I've been right there a bunch of times you came around. You didn't even bother to learn my name."
"But you don't know mine."
"Of course I do, you idiot!" I spat. "I was pissed off at you, and I still am!"
"Oh. Sorry."
That is it. That is it!
I stuck my hand out and he fell out of the tree.
"Flame on!" I called down. I jumped from the branch and stared down at him. "I knew about that too. Jerk."
I started walking deeper into the woods. I hoped that he didn't follow me and I was right. I'd hoped he wasn't stupid enough to follow someone who just pushed him out of a tree.
(Leo's POV)
*Next Morning*
Before breakfast, I caught up with Jason and Piper.
"Hey, guys!" I called and they looked my way.
"Yeah, man?" Jason asked.
"Do you guys know a girl?"
"You must be confused. See this," He said and put his hands on Piper's shoulders, "is a girl. So I know plenty."
"A specific one. Diana?"
"Yeah. We've all hung out with her and Katie Gardner before. You were there," Piper said.
"Really?"
"Yeah. You were hitting Drew at the time."
"Oh. Oh. Oh," I said in that TV way. First is nonchalant, second is realization, third is realizing something bad.
"What happened?" Jason asked.
"She sorta, tied me up with vines during yesterday's game. And she pushed me out of a tree last night. Something about me being a jerk and not knowing her name."
"You jerk!" Piper said.
"What?"
"She's always around! At the very least you should've known her name!"
"Shh. Here she comes," I said and our gazes turned to her. She noticed and looked at us.
"Hey, Jason, Piper," she said with a sweet smile that quickly turned to a sneer when she looked at me. "What are you looking at, Valdez?" She turned and walked into the dining hall.
"You see?"
"She has all reason, man," Jason said.
"My guess is that she liked you, and then when you didn't even know her name? You're lucky she didn't kill you," Piper said.
"She tried. Twice," I said. "But she liked me? Wow."
"You screwed that up," Jason said.
"Maybe not."
"Dude, she pushed you out of a tree."
"Right, that reminds me. Did you tell her about 'flame on'?"
"Maybe…"
"Of course you did," I said and walked into the dining hall. I saw Diana look up at me so I waved. She shot me a death glare and Katie whispered to her, taking her attention.
(Diana's POV)
I heard someone walk in and my reflexes made me look up. Of course it was Leo. He noticed me and waved. So all of the sudden he cares? I glared at him until Katie whispered to me.
"Maybe he likes you now," she said.
"And maybe Grover loves litter."
"Negative Nancy. Hey, where were you last night?"
"I slept in the woods. And just so happened to Leo out of a tree."
"What?" She whispered. "Explain."
So I told her the short story of last night, and everything we both said.
"That doesn't mean you push the boy out of a tree!"
"That's what I do. That's also what he deserved."
"No need to go all Buffy the Vampire Slayer on him."
"Girl, I'm about ready to go Godzilla on him. It'd be so much easier if he didn't talk to me."
"Hey, Diana, can I talk to you?" Are you freaking kidding me? Who writes this stuff? (A/N: I do. ;D)
"Hey, Leo," Katie said.
"Hey. Diana? Did you hear me?"
"Yes, I freaking heard you…" I mumbled and went off grumbling to myself.
"So, can we talk?" He asked.
I slammed my hands on the table and stood up. "NO!" I yelled and all of the talking stopped, but I honestly didn't care. "Don't talk to me, don't follow me, and leave me the Hades alone! Now get out of here!"
"Sit down, sit down!" Katie whispered urgently.
"Ouch, Diana. That's harsh," Christian said.
I am at my breaking point. "I! Don't! CARE! I'm harsh! Okay? Can everyone get that through their thick skulls? I'm not this person who's all nice and can be pushed around! As for you, Valdez, I don't care for you! I don't want to see you! I don't want to hear from you! You think that you can just not know my name, and then I push you out of a tree and everything's cool? It's not! I. Am. DONE!"
"Diana, I think that it's time for you to go back to your cabin," Chiron said.
"Trust me. Nothing would make me happier." I said and high-tailed it outta there.
(Leo's POV)
I stood there dumbfounded. How could I make someone so angry and not even know it? It sort of made me feel like I was an actual jerk. The entire hall was silent and everyone was looking at me.
Katie stood up and mouthed the words 'follow me.'
We both walked out of the dining hall and I looked at her.
"Seriously, Leo? You had to?" She asked.
"Why are you blaming me? I guess it was a bit rude to not learn her name—"
"You guess? A bit?"
"—it was a lot rude not to learn her name, but I didn't know that she liked me. She did like me, right?"
"Yeah. A lot. And she can't figure out why you only flirt with people who'd sooner push you off a cliff than date you."
"She pushed me out of a tree."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"I—"
"The point is," she interrupted, "you need to apologize."
"I tried that. Just now."
"That? You basically told her to talk to you, the morning after she pushed you out of a tree."
"I thought that wasn't important."
She hit my arm. "Would you stop being difficult? You need to apologize, apologize. Do something big. Leave her notes, get her a new flower, ask her out in front of the camp. Wait. Do you like her anyway?"
"I guess. I mean, she's pretty and everything and I'm sure she's not on 'kill' mode all the time."
"You know your problem, Valdez? You're a Hephaestus kid. You have no people skills and really NO girl skills. But to talk to my sister, you need a place where she has to sit and listen. She's not going to do it out of her own will. But, the major problem? It she's confined, she might be more tempted to kill you."
"She won't. She already knows that if I die, the world will end."
"Egotistic much? Is there any place that she'll have to sit and listen to you?"
I thought about it. "Yeah. I got one. But we're gonna need Jason and Piper."
Oh, how I love cliffies. Wonder what's gonna happen? Should I actually make them get together? Should I keep them apart? Make two different endings? Review and watch Spongebob via Youtube. Lates!