"Leo, can you please stop messing with the squirrels?"

He looked up, seeing Percy standing over him with his hands on his hips, looking like a scolding mother seconds away from pointing at him with his index finger and saying, "No! Bad Leo!"

Leo rolled his eyes and ate a Dorito from the bag in his hands. "What? They looked hungry!"

The son of Poseidon sighed and looked up at the heavens, as if asking the gods whatever possessed him from thinking it was a good idea to bring Leo to his hometown. "Okay, but I think trying to chase them down while throwing chips is counter productive."

"Oh, come on! Who doesn't like Doritos?"

"That's not the point."

Leo sucked his teeth and mumbled, "Geez, what a kill-joy," before taking a piece of metal and a rubber band out to tinker with. The heat of his hands melted the contraption into a working helicopter. He looked around and smiled excitedly at Central Park, taking in the sights and sounds while running around like a little kid that just entered Disney World.

Percy looked back towards the busy New York City street for the ten thousandth time, no doubt looking for his girlfriend who went to buy hotdogs from a fast food joint she saw on the way to the park. He wasn't even trying to hide the hope in his face that practically screamed please, I can't deal with this hyperactive demigod for a minute longer without throwing him in a pond.

Leo saw a cooling station and ran into the water, releasing his helicopter while getting soaked head to toe.

Percy shook his head in exasperation and smiled. When he heard that the majority of his friends have never been to the Big Apple, he couldn't help it! He offered for himself, Leo, Annabeth, Calypso, Hazel, Nico, Jason, Piper and Frank a well deserved vacation during one of their monthly Argo II meetings. Calypso looked terrified of the thought of being around so many people so soon after she escaped from isolation. Before she said anything, Leo whispered reassurances that must have put her at ease with rejecting the invitation, because she decided to stay. Nico said he had work to do for his father and Hazel and Frank said they'd come a week after Percy, Annabeth and Leo got there. Jason and Piper also had work to do, but promised that they would try to make it.

Leo came up behind Percy and poked him in the back, making him tense.

"Peeeercyyy?"

"..."

Poke.

"Percyyyyyyyy!"

"..."

Poke Poke Poke Poke Poke.

"Percy Percy Percy Percy Percy-"

"Yes, Leo?" Percy grabbed his hand with a vice grip.

"... Hi!"

Leo dashed away laughing, leaving an annoyed demigod glaring after him.

Annabeth came up to him giggling in that knowing way she always does, holding out a chili cheese dog for Percy to take. "Thanks," he said.

Annabeth looked toward the son of Hephaestus making a new contraption with twigs from a tree, taking a bite out of her food. "He can be a handful can't he?"

Percy nodded and turned to her. "Did you hear from Jason and Piper yet?"

Annabeth said no, that they were really busy running their camp and might not even make it. Percy frowned at that but started talking to her about other things. Their future together, what they planned to do for college, how many children got claimed by their parents. They never broke eye contact from each other, in their own little worlds, like nobody else existed. That is until Annabeth's head snapped to the side and gripped Percy's arm firmly.

"Percy," she said, voice tense. Percy looked over to see what caught her attention and immediately went rigid.

Leo was talking to someone. This wasn't unusual, he had a tendency to make friends wherever he went by nature. But this was different. He seemed to be in an intense conversation, like he wanted to yell but he restrained himself. Even from the distance they were at, Percy could tell that they weren't having a friendly talk. The man looked big and burly, like a hairy refrigerator, and was wearing a white wife-beater t-shirt with stained joggers. He was standing over the teenager, face red as a tomato and eyes crazed and possessive, like Gollum from the Lord of the Rings.

Leo's posture was hunched over and shaking like the man he was conversing with had power over him. He was looking at the ground in fear and the twigs he was tinkering with were on the ground, forgotten. But perhaps the most worrying part of all, his hands were balled into fists at his sides, unmoving.

His hands were still.

Dread filled the couple who were already jogging over to the scene. The only time Leo's hands were still was when he got off Calypso's island the first time. And even then it wasn't still for long. The man's voice raised in anger and Leo hunched even more, backing away from the guy who looked about twice his size. They caught up to Leo just as the man was leaving.

Percy put on his best shit eating grin. "Hey, what's going on here?" But the man kept walking, not even acknowledging the boy. Percy dropped the facade and stalked over to him, intending to grab his arm to demand to know what he did to his friend. Leo's voice stopped him.

"It's okay Percy."

Percy turned around to face the trembling boy with concern. Whoever that man was and whatever was said really freaked Leo out. Percy saw Leo fight demigods and gods. He saw him stand up to monsters and spirits and curses. Percy has seen Leo Valdez happy, sad, scared, worried, excited, sick, intimidating, and in love.

But he has never ever seen the demigod so withdrawn.

But in a moment, it was gone, and the jokester was back.

"Why so serious?" he asked in his best Joker interpretation. And Percy almost fell for it, because it is that convincing. But if he learned anything from being friends with the him all these months, it's that looks can be deceiving when it come to Leo Valdez.

"Who was that guy?" Annabeth asks. She didn't fall for the mask either. Leo's doesn't falter though.

"He was just somebody that I used to know~" he sang, Gotye style. Annabeth rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling.

"I'm serious, fire-boy!" She looked in the direction the man went, smile dropping completely. "You looked…"

Terrified. Intimidated. Worried.

"...off," she settled for. Leo rolled his eyes and walked away.

"Don't worry about it. Leo's a big boy. He can handle himself." Leo said. Percy jogged up to him and gripped his shoulder.

"Dude, are you sure you're okay?" Percy said. His sea green eyes stared into deep chocolate brown, trying to find the truth.

"I'm fine," Leo said, a little quieter than normal but otherwise undeterred.

He continued walking, calling over his shoulder, "Percy! Let's get to your place already! I want to eat your mom's blue food!"

Annabeth and Percy looked at each other and decided to drop the matter for now. But they would be keeping an eye on him. He said he's fine, but they knew otherwise.

Leo's hands were static, stuffed in his pockets.