LEO

Leo woke up to the sound of the infirmary door being slammed open and the figures of Reyna and Frank carrying Jason's prone body into the room. He sat up in his bed, feeling hollow and drained and just plain depressed, and watched as the two demigods gently placed his close friend on the bed beside the son of Hephaestus. Leo rubbed his face.

"What happened?" he asked brokenly. Frank and Reyna spun on him with deer-in-the-headlights expressions, and Leo managed a small expression of amusement.

"You banged the door open, there's a storm going on outside – which shouldn't be possible – and Jason's laying a meter away with blood running down his arm. Give me a little credit."

Frank made a small noise of pleased fondness before they were joined by Annabeth, Nico and Hazel. Piper, who was dozing in an armchair near Percy's sleeping form, snapped awake and pulled out her dagger before recognising Reyna and Frank.

"What're you…?" she started, before her eyes settled on Jason. Her face drained of colour and she clumsily darted around the beds to her boyfriend's side. His rain-soaked hair was forming a wet circle on the pillow and the blood from his arm had started staining the white sheets. Nico came up from the back of the room with a flask of nectar and poured a few drops on the cut. The blood stopped and began clotting, which made Piper relax. It was a very deep wound and if they'd waited for it to bleed itself out Jason would've had a killer headache when he woke up.

"What's going on?" Piper asked as Leo slunk up beside her, looking dazed. She unconsciously put her arm around him as the others gathered around the bed holding the son of Jupiter.

"I don't know," Frank replied. "He just came to my cabin in a fit, yelling about getting everyone else. Then he led us all here and started saying something about the earth and the world and Gaea falling. Then he blacked out. I don't know what he was getting at."

Hazel wrung her hands for a moment before Nico returned. No one noticed he'd even left, but they all saw the cup of ice-cold water he was carrying. The son of Hades walked up to Jason's bedside and dumped the liquid all over the teen. Jason gasped in his sleep and shot upright. Leo noticed the water running down his chest was slightly gold.

"I diluted some nectar," Nico explained as he saw them all looking. He shrugged, his face blank. "You're welcome."

Jason shivered suddenly and Piper went over to an empty bed and ripped the sheets off at the same time Leo produced a thick, sea-green hoodie from his tool belt. He blandly shoved it over Jason's head, his eyes glazed.

"There you go, Perce," Leo mumbled, his face kind of half-awake, his brows furrowed. "Stay warm."

Hazel made a small choking noise and Frank shook his head sadly. Nico looked away and Piper hugged the mechanic tightly, still holding the bed sheets. Annabeth stared broken-heartedly at Leo before wrapping her arms around him too. Jason looked down at the mattress.

"Leo, it's me," he said. "Jason."

Leo snapped his head downwards to the boy on the bed, his sleep-ruffled hair not black, but blond, and his eyes sky-blue instead of sea-green. Leo blinked several times.

"Gods dude," he said finally. "I'm sorry. I'm so used to Percy…"

Being in the hospital bed, was the rest of the unsaid sentence. Leo put his hand back in his belt and pulled out a dark purple hoodie, handing it to Jason. The son of Jupiter complied and pulled off the one he was wearing. As he handed it back to Leo, the mechanic caught the scent of salt water and a smell that was just so Percy it made his chest tighten.

Jason put his arms through the sleeves and flipped the hood off his head to see seven demigods staring down at him.

"What?" he asked. Frank waved his hands in the air.

"Mars almighty, Jason!" he cried. "You barge into out cabins and drag us to the infirmary at three in the morning, then you pass out and bleed all over the place, then you wake up and all you can say is 'what?'!"

Jason jerked back from Frank as comprehension dawned. He started getting really excited, flapping his hands in the air and wordlessly expressing his happiness. Nico grabbed his arm and tugged it.

"Spill, Grace," he growled, "before it's your guts that are coming out."

Jason calmed down and looked at Leo, before his eyes flickered to Percy. Leo stiffened and stared at Jason as though the blond had just told him to go and poke one of his eyes out with a spoon.

"No way," Leo hissed, his chest pounding again. Jason looked at his sympathetically before getting off the bed. He wobbled at first and Leo lunged at him as he rounded the corner to Percy's bed, missing by an inch. Jason knelt down next to the son of Poseidon and Leo rushed over too, only to stop and stare at the illuminated depths of Percy's sea-green eyes. He was awake.

"Hey, Jason," he sighed tiredly, his voice emotionless. Leo could see dried tear tracks snailing down his cheeks.

"Percy, hey man. Can you, you know, sit up?"

Percy looked at him, and his face expressed a thick air of 'What is the point of life anymore'. But he sat up anyway, avoiding Leo's eyes. Jason noticed, and so did Piper, who'd come over to Percy's bedside and flicked on the light with everyone else. Nico looked at Percy sadly, which Jason didn't seem to miss.

Jason seemed to realise that everyone still wanted an explanation. He cleared his throat and started.

"Right, so, you know that 'To storm or fire the world must fall' part of the prophecy?"

Leo and Percy winced, their eyes dulling. Jason flinched at his bluntness, but ploughed on.

"We thought it meant that storm or fire would kill their world, as in each other, but it doesn't."

Leo and Percy jerked up as though they'd been stung. They looked at Jason with wide eyes. No one else breathed.

"The World, guys, don't you get it? The World is another phrase for the Earth. And the Earth is…"

"Gaea," Reyna supplied, looking slightly dumbstruck. Frank's jaw dropped and Hazel absentmindedly closed it for him as Nico froze in realisation. Piper was the first to break the silence, diving at Leo and squeezing him so tight he couldn't breathe. Annabeth slumped onto Percy, her eyes tearing in relief. He put a hand over her back, his face blank as the words soaked in. His eyes darted around and his gaze locked with Leo's, who was looking at him. Percy flicked out his arm and grabbed Leo, pulling him down into a hug with Annabeth and Piper. Jason looked ecstatic and promptly dove on top of the pile, laughing. Percy yanked Leo and held him close, his other arm protectively around Annabeth, Piper hooked under Leo's elbow and Jason just squashing the lot of them.

Hazel gave a high and airy laugh and clambered on too, giggling as Jason's rumbling laughter made his chest heave. Percy started chuckling as well, the noise slightly hoarse because of the rawness of his throat. Reyna and Nico watched with raised eyebrows while Frank was smiling.

Percy gripped Leo tightly and held him even closer, Annabeth's hand entwined with his and Piper smooshed with Jason on top with Hazel lying all over everyone.

"Thanks, Leo," he murmured.

"Nah man, thank Jason," Leo replied, grinning at the blond demigod squashing the air out of his lungs.

"This is making me sick," Nico commented from behind, and Leo wiggled his head around to smirk at the two half-bloods standing stoically at the bedside.

"You just need some huggin'!" Leo sang, and Nico glared at him.

Finally Percy pushed Jason off with a laugh, and Piper slid away with him, taking Leo to the floor as well. Hazel dropped to the ground, a wide grin on her face. Annabeth snuggled her boyfriend contentedly.

"Gaea's gonna fa-all! She's gonna fa-all!" Leo giggled, rolling on the floor. Hazel staggered to her feet and threw her arms around Frank, who picked her up and spun her around. Nico ducked to avoid his sisters swinging feet.

"Right, right, this is all great and everything," Reyna interrupted, "but we got a war to fight."

Percy gave her a look.

"Not at three in the morning we don't," he replied, smirking. Annabeth pulled his hood over his face and smacked him playfully. Leo sniggered on the floor and Reyna gave him a kick. He curled inwards and groaned dramatically.

"My innards!" he moaned loudly. Nico rolled his eyes.

"You, Valdez, who came up with the plan to topple Gaea, are going to have something much sorer than innards if you don't stop rolling on that floor," Nico threatened. Leo shot up and jumped on the bed with Percy.

"Protect me!" he yelped. Percy put an arm around him and smiled at Nico.

"Come on, Nico." He motioned to the bed. "Gimme' a hug. It's a happy occasion."

Nico scowled, his cheeks turning slightly red.

"You have a battle to fight in a few days and it's a happy occasion?" he seethed. Percy nodded.

"Reyna?"

Nico turned around too late. Reyna shoved him, a shit-eating grin on her face as Nico toppled onto the pile of smiling demigods. Percy and Leo hauled him onto the bed and squeezed him breathless.

"I'll kill you, Valdez," he choked. Leo just petted his hair.

"Mmmhmm, okay."

Fluff chapter. Just pure, undulated fluff. Big battle's coming up! Whooo! This story's nearly over.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PERCY!

Oh guys, worries seem to be surfacing about this being Leo/Percy. Nope nope nope. They're just really close friends. I mean, Leo brought Percy back from the brink of insanity and was there for him. It's Percabeth here, my friends.

I hope you liked it!

Jasmine Out!