Lost in the Forest AU

Kinda like Big Bad Wolf in the beginning as Leo is a little shit saying crap like "you shouldn't be out in the woods alone" and Nico wearing a black cape. Lol yeah.

Big thanks to HowlingRain for this prompt! :D

The story was going to be "Internet Friend" AU but… I wanted to do a prompt from you guys and when I saw I automatically was like "yes I can do this".

Nico's POV

It was freezing outside and snowing, the snow melted the second it hit the earth so it was mushy and wet as well.

I was beginning to dread going to see Hazel and Frank.

Why did they have to live out in the middle of the forest? Seriously, can't they just live in town like normal people?

I sighed and picked up the cape that used to belong to my dad. It was a bit long to me, it was only supposed to reach about the knees but it reached all the way to my ankles and when I was younger I tripped on it so many times.

I fastened the clasp that held the two ends together and threw up my hood. Mumbling about how stupid it was that I couldn't just cancel on her without her worrying and sending out an army to look for me, I left my house.

The first thing that greeted me was the freezing bite of harsh wind, the second a sickening squish. I had stepped into a mud puddle before going 2 steps. I let out a sigh and kept walking stopping by my gate to kick the mud off my boots.

I began walking down the main road into the forest.

I followed the path but sooner than later I found myself lost and completely turned around. I had no idea which path led where and how to get back to town.

Normally these roads had high traffic, but since it was 30 degrees and snowing and wet no one was out and about.

I let out a sigh and leaned against a tree when I heard a voice.

"You shouldn't be wandering the woods alone."

I whipped rounding pulling out a dagger I had in my belt. The voice chuckled. "I'm not going to hurt you pretty boy."

"Reveal yourself!" I demanded.

Then a tall lanky boy stepped out from behind the trees. His grin was wolfish but his ears were as pointy as an elves. "Hello. Need any help?" His smile was charming and a bit sinister, his eyes held something I couldn't read and he was wearing a white shirt stained in a few places and simple pants. Wasn't he just freezing?

"No, I am fine." I say putting the dagger away. I had decided he probably was a werewolf which would explain the lack of anything to keep him warm and the smile. They weren't uncommon but had been known to be thieves and kill sheep.

"I know you are lost. You've been past here about 3 times in the past hour. Let me help." He began walking toward me his head tilted to the side.

I sighed. I might as well accept the help because who knew when someone else would come along. "Fine."

"Where are you headed?"

"The Zhang manor."

The boy thought for a moment and nodded. "I know where that is, follow me." With that he began walking down the path. When I didn't follow he stopped and turned around. "Well aren't you coming?"

I nodded and began walking beside him. A short while later he asked. "So what's your name?"

"Nico di Angelo and yours?"

"Leo."

"What is your last name?"

"I don't really have one, I am just Leo. Why are you going to the Zhang manor?"

"To see my sister and her fiancé."

Leo nodded and kicked a pebble with his booted foot. "That is interesting. Why were you out here all alone, don't you know that it is really very easy to kidnap someone from here?"

"Now why would you know that?"

Leo looked at me a smile beginning to spread on his face. "I have just seen it happen once or twice. One more slightly prying question, you seem like the kind of person to be very rich, why didn't you just take a horse?"

I grimaced at the thought. "When I was a kid I fell off and broke my arm after the horse stepped on it. I really haven't trusted them since."

Leo let out a muffled snort. I glared at him.

"What? It is funny!"

I rolled my eyes and kept walking. Leo had stopped and ran a bit to keep up.

We walked in silence for a while when a very tall girl with long black hair tied into a side braid and a much shorter girl with choppy brown hair stepped out of the trees and onto the path.

"Hey Leo!" the shorter of the two chirped happily. "Bringing home another stray?"

Leo shook his head. "Nope helping this one find his way to the Zhang manor."

The taller girl began circling Nico making him feel a bit uncomfortable. She was looking at him like he was a steak. "What is he?"

"His name is Nico." Leo said.

The tall girl rolled her eyes. "I said what is he."

Leo looked at me and shrugged. "I don't know, Rey ask him not me."

"Well? What are you, Nico?" The girl, Rey maybe asked.

I shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "I am human."

"No you aren't."

I blinked. "What?"

"You don't smell fully human, you are definitely part human, but not full. It doesn't matter, I am pretty sure you aren't a vampire. I will allow you to pass." she said. "By the way, my name is Reyna and the short girl is Piper. I am the leader of their pack, it is nice to meet you."

I nodded. "Same for you."

Leo looked at them. "Well? His sister and her fiancé is waiting, can we go?"

Reyna nodded and stopped staring at me, she took Piper's hand and walked back to wherever they had been hiding.

Leo let out a laugh. "Sorry about that, Reyna is just a bit overprotective. She just likes to know her pack is safe and whatnot. She is like the mom of all of us."

I shook my head. "That was terrifying. I thought she was going to rip my head off and leave me to rot."

Leo snorted. "Reyna wouldn't do that. She'd hide your body where no one would hide it, she doesn't like mess littering the road, which is partly the reason you don't see very much debris on it. C'mon, let's go before Jason shows up. He really likes to talk to people and we'd be stuck here for hours and Jason would force you to tell him stories."

I laughed a bit and started walking down the path. "You're going the wrong way." Leo called. I blushed slightly and tried to hide it and turned around.

We had walked for a short while when the silence grew boring. "So aren't you like freezing? I know werewolves don't get cold very easy but it is still drizzling and gross out here."

Leo shrugged. "I wasn't born werewolf, my dad was some sort of fire dude so my body temperature runs higher than even werewolves."

I made and o face. "Interesting."

"Reyna said you didn't smell fully human, do you know anything about that?"

I shook my head. "No clue. All I know is that my dad never really talked about my mom. I do know that Hazel's mom was a witch but that is because I lived with her for 3 years before her death. Now dad is seeing another woman called Persephone, who is just really into gardening."

Leo made a face. "Who is your dad?"

"Hades di Angelo. The only reason Hazel kept her mom's name was because they weren't married when she was born."

"Hades… Why do I know that name?"

I shrugged. "I don't know."

Leo sighed. "It doesn't matter, plus we are here." We turned a corner and sure enough we were.

The Zhang manor was a large building surrounded by a low wall and a small gate, to keep animal's out I imagine, Hazel loves to garden during the spring and summer.

I opened the gate and Leo began to turn back. "Wait!" I call out and hold the gate open. "C'mon, I will need you to get back and Hazel will probably want to meet you."

Leo smiled and walked back in through the gate. Then we approached the big door. I knocked twice.

A few moments later my sister opened the door. We didn't look very much alike. She was small and plump with a warm smile and big brown eyes that just teemed with love and acceptance and more obviously her skin was a dark coffee bean brown and I was very pale. I was short as well just not the 5'1 Hazel was, my hair was wavy yes but pitch black, I also was told I had a very sad looking face and eyes that always had circles under them.

"Nico!" Hazel cooed and threw her arms around me, dragging me down and kissing my cheek. "I am so glad you're here, I was beginning to worry since you were supposed to be here about an hour ago."

I laughed and shrugged. "I got lost, I would still be lost if he hadn't found me." I pointed at Leo who was standing awkwardly behind me and did a small wave.

Hazel looked him up and down. She hadn't been trained very much but she was still a witch and had the keen senses of one. "Help from a werewolf, they do tend to know the woods better than anyone else." Hazel chuckled and opened her arms for him. "Oh come on! I do like a good hug."

Leo bent down awkwardly to hug her and she beamed at him. "Good hugger, stronger than he looks. I like him."

I rolled my eyes. "Where's Frank?"

Hazel blinked. "Oh! He is in the kitchen making the biscuits to go with the stew we are having tonight, is your friend staying for dinner?"

I looked at Leo. "Well do you want to stay? Hazel's stew is to die for and Frank makes some of the best biscuits."

Leo shrugged. "Alright, I guess. I hope Reyna doesn't worry though."

I laughed. "You'll have a story to tell Jason tonight when you get back home."

Leo nodded. "Yes I will."

I slipped off my cape then, hanging it on the hook by the door next to Frank's long coat and Hazel assortment of jackets, capes, hats and coats. All homemade, either by Hazel, her mother when she was alive or Mrs. Zhang.

Hazel shivered slightly under her grey homemade sweater. I noticed the still open door and quickly shut it.

"Thank you, now come on in the kitchen." Hazel then began to almost skip towards the kitchen.

The two of us followed behind her. In the kitchen was the fiancé, aka Frank also there was Frank's grandmother scolding him. "No, no Frank! You are putting too much flour on the board! Your biscuits will be dry! Just let me do it."

Frank let out a sigh of relief as his tiny grandmother pushed him out of the way and cleared nearly half the flour off the board.

"Mrs. Zhang, Nico and his friend are here."

Mrs. Zhang turned around a smile now on her face. "Hazel dear, you can call me grandmother as well as Nico and whoever his friend is. Speaking of which who is this friend?"

Leo smiled. "Hi, I'm Leo."

Mrs. Zhang narrowed her eyes at the tall werewolf boy. "Hmm." She thought for a moment. "He is alright, just don't you dare think of putting your feet anywhere but the floor."

"What?"

"You look like the sort, keep your feet off my furniture, if you damage it or dirty it, you will be the one cleaning it. Would you like a cookie?"

"What?" Leo asked again.

Mrs. Zhang walked over to a cookie jar and opened it up pulling out a chocolate chip cookie. "Dinner isn't going to be for another hour dear, would you like a cookie?"

Leo shook his head and she placed the cookie in my hand. "Here is a cookie for you Nico."

"Um I don't want a cookie." I said handing the cookie back to her

Mrs. Zhang shook her head and placed the cookie in my hand again. "You are having this cookie Nico, you are too skinny as it is and you've been out walking in that freezing cold all day."

I sighed and took the cookie nibbling the edge. Mrs. Zhang nodded happily and returned to her biscuits. "Frank, watch so you will know how to do this when I am dead."

"Grandmother!"

"What? We all know that I'm not immortal and I am already 71 years old, I should be dead soon."

"Grandmother!" Frank shouted again.

Mrs. Zhang let out a sigh and shook her head, not a single gray hair falling from its bun at the back of her head. "Just watch me, Frank."

Hazel walked over to the pot sitting over the cooking fire in the kitchen. She took off the lid and stirred the mixture inside. It smelled wonderful.

"So, Nico, anything new in town?" Hazel asked after returning the lid to the pot.

I shrugged. "Not much to report really, just the normal things. Not very many sick people though even in this horrible weather we have been having."

"You're a doctor?" Leo asked.

I shook my head. "More like an assistant really. I just watch and help out mostly."

"Alright."

I blinked. "Oh, Annabeth had her child last week."

Hazel smiled. "I bet they are a beautiful one. I mean if the child got anything from their daddy they are sure to be gorgeous, but their mother, it will make them down right beautiful."

I laughed. "She is. She has Percy's eyes and Annabeth's golden curls. She isn't old enough to really know which one she looks like more yet."

Leo was sitting down on the other side of the table watching us. "Oh sorry Leo!" I say.

"No, your fine. She's your sister go ahead and fill her in."

Hazel shook her head. "I want to hear about my brother yes, but I can see him any time really. You however wolfboy I don't know when I am going to be seeing you again."

Leo blinked. "Wolfboy?"

"Yes you! Go on, tell me about yourself!" Hazel looked at him with her characteristic sweet smile across her face.

Leo shrugged. "There isn't much to say."

Hazel shook her head. "Yes there is, no story is boring."

"You're just like Jason, honestly." Leo sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Well I am 28 years old all though I've been told I look about 16, 17 at most. Um my mom was a really great woman, and skilled. She worked in the King's armory for a while before she," Leo swallowed and looked down at the table. "Before she died. But um when she did I bounced around from place to place until I was 15 and had a run in with a werewolf, not one like the guys in my pack but this psycho who was just straight up evil. Well he bit me ran off and to this day I don't know where he is at. Um Reyna found me naked in a field after I wolfed out for the first time and took me in. I have been with my pack since then. That is it really."

Hazel rolled her eyes. "Oh come on! There has to be some funny stories in there."

Leo shrugged again. "It is all pretty boring."

"Nonsense, tell me about your pack."

Leo let out a sigh. "Well our leader is Reyna, she is tough and mean and a lot older than she looks. But she is also a big softie and the nicest sweetest person you'll ever meet. It just depends. Then we have Jason who is a bit of a freak at times but generally alright, he loves hearing stories and learning about different things. Piper is Reyna's current mate, she is nice enough but don't get her angry or she might just bite your head off, not literally but make you wish she did. Octavian is a dick, nothing else to be said but Reyna keeps him around, something about some promise to someone. There are these brothers named Conner and Travis, they look like twins but Travis is actually a year older. Thalia is Jason's sister and one of the best hunters. It is scary how good she is. Finally there is this little girl, maybe 4 years old, who got turned and when we found her she was nearly dead. She didn't even remember her own name, Reyna calls her Lilith and it will be her name if she doesn't remember."

"Oh my, that is just awful! Who would do that to a little girl?"

Leo shook his head. "Hell if I know. There are some real bad people out there."

Mrs. Zhang and Frank had joined us at some point and sat on the other sides of the table. Hazel suddenly burst out of her seat. "I forgot about the stew!" She quickly hurried over and checked it, stirring the thick mixture.

Mrs. Zhang looked at a clock on the wall. "It'll be another 5 minutes till the biscuits are done Hazel, but if the stew is ready I won't object to some."

Hazel nodded at her. "Alright, when the biscuits are done we'll have some of those as well." Hazel opened the cupboard and pulled out 5 bowls and filled them each with her stew. She then grabbed spoons for everyone and set them out on the table.

I took a spoon a bowl and dipped it in taking a small bit. "This is amazing, as usual Hazel." I say grinning.

Hazel nodded smiling. "What do you think Leo?"

Leo took a bite, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of beef. "It is very good. Reminds me of my mom but not as spicy." He chuckled. "My mom made everything spicy, including her homemade chocolate."

Hazel shook her head. "I can't handle spicy food all that well."

Frank was sitting at the end of the table, his bowl of stew nearly empty, Hazel rolled her eyes. "Frank would you like another bowl?"

He looked up and nodded. "Yes that would be wonderful."

Mrs. Zhang checked the clock again and stood up. A few moments later she returned from the kitchen with a tray of biscuits. "Now be careful they just go out of the oven."

Frank reached for one only to have his hand smacked. "I said they just got out of the oven, wait a little bit."

Frank pouted and withdrew his hand. Hazel picked up his bowl and walked over to the pot and filled it again.

The meal went by quickly, Mrs. Zhang's biscuits were perfect, as usual and Mrs. Zhang asked me about what other things have been going on in town and whether some old lady had finally croaked yet.

"Why do you need to know if Mrs. Jo has died?"

Mrs. Zhang laughed. "It is my life goal to outlive her. When we were little girls she told me this 'I am going to outlive you because you fail at everything' and I said 'I'd like to see you try'. I need to know if I have won."

I shook my head. "No you haven't not yet, I'll ask her about that though."

"You do that Nico, have a biscuit." She placed one of the biscuits next to me and I put it back.

"I already had one, and I'm full."

Mrs. Zhang sighed and took it for herself, scrapping the edge of it across the bottom of her bowl.

We chatted for a while longer while Leo and Frank finished off their 3rd bowl when we all moved into the living room.

Frank started a fire in the fireplace and Hazel brought out mugs of hot chocolate.

I chose the seat next to Leo and across from Hazel and Frank, Mrs. Zhang sat in her favorite rocking chair, she then picked up her knitting needles and began knitting onto an already very long scarf.

"So Leo, where do you live?" she asked not looking at him focusing intently on her knitting.

"In the woods."

"Alone or with someone?"

"With my pack actually. We share this small mostly underground bunker sort of place, it is very homey and nice."

"Ah that is nice. Frank get me my blue yarn from upstairs."

Frank sighed. "Do I have to?"

Mrs. Zhang glared daggers at him. "Frank if you make me get it you will regret it."

"Yes grandmother." Frank mumbled and got off the couch and began walking towards the stairs.

Mrs. Zhang tied off the end of the scarf and tossed it at Hazel. "Would you go hang that next to Frank's jacket for me?"

Hazel nodded sweetly and walked off to do so.

Frank came back down stairs holding a large ball of bright blue yarn. Mrs. Zhang took it from him without thanks and he sat back down.

Hazel returned from the hallway by the door and plopped back down next to Frank.

I finished the last bit of my hot chocolate and looked outside. It was getting late, not quiet sunset yet but approaching fast. If I didn't leave soon I wouldn't be back before dark.

"Mrs. Zhang I hate to say this but I have to leave." I said standing up and grabbing my empty mug to place back in the kitchen.

Mrs. Zhang nodded. "Alright then, Leo make sure he gets home safe."

Leo nodded smiling nervously. "Yes, ma'am, I will."

We stood waiting for something and Mrs. Zhang waved her had. "Well don't you have to go?"

Hazel stood up then and gave me a hug and took the mug from me. "Love you, Nico. See you soon." She kissed me cheek and grabbed Leo pulling him into a hug as well. "Stay safe. Have a nice night. It was nice to meet you."

Leo laughed and pulled away from the tiny girl. "Same here. We'll see ourselves out."

Leo and I then began to walk towards the door, before we left I grabbed my cape and fastened it around my shoulder and threw up the hood.

Then the two of us exited the big house and made our way back down the path.

"So that's your family?" Leo asked, his hands were shoved deep into his pockets and he was looking down at the path.

"Not counting my dad."

Leo nodded. "Alright."

We walked in silence for a while, I couldn't think of anything to say so I asked. "Why did you decide to help me?"

"I thought you were cute."

"What?"

Leo laughed. "You looked cute and lost so I thought, might as well help him."

"Don't you like have a life?"

Leo shook his head. "Nah, wasn't doing anything today anyway."

"Alright then, so you helped me because you thought I was cute?"

Leo looked at me smiling. "Now you get it."

"Why?"

He let out a sigh and if there was a wall insight he would've banged his head against it. "Really?"

"Yes."

"You have the mysterious aurora about you and that cape made you look really small and adorable. Also when I got to see your face it was very nice. All puppy dog eyes and sad expression."

I rolled my eyes. "Liar."

"I'm not lying!" Leo protested holding in chuckles. "You're adorable."

"Uh-huh yeah keep telling yourself that." I say shaking my head all though under my hood I was smiling.

Leo threw his head back and sighed. "Whatever, don't believe me. I just thought you should be aware of your extreme adorableness so you could use it to your advantage in world domination but whatever."

"What makes you think I want world domination, Leo?"

"I just know these things."

I laughed then. "Of course you do."

Leo bumped his shoulder against mine as we walked, I did it back and we walked like that for a while. Every now and then bumping into each other playfully.

The sun was now setting and we were almost back to my house. I could see the town from where we were at in the woods and I sighed. "I can get home from here."

Leo kept walking next to me. "You can go home now." I tell him.

"What if I don't want to?"

I look at him. "Alright then." We continue walking together, Leo makes some comment about the man walking down the street and I snicker.

"You are a horrible person."

Leo nods. "I am perfectly aware and do not care."

We unfortunately reach my house then and I look at him. "Well I'm home now. I would offer to let you come in but seeing as I don't have anything to offer I don't see the point."

"Alright, come by the woods tomorrow, I think you'd like to meet the rest of my pack." Leo said and looked over his shoulder.

I smile. "I'll meet you by the entrance because I obviously get lost very easily."

Leo laughs in agreement. "Before I go I need to give you something." He looked down for a moment then I was kissing him, he quickly pulled away and by the time I opened my eyes again he was running back towards the forest waving over his shoulder and grinning. "SEE YOU SOON!" he called out and soon disappeared into the trees.

I was blushing bright red and I knew it, still grinning and I went back inside. Today wasn't such a bad day after all.

AHHH 4000+ WORDS GUYS! 347 reviews dudes. ;D love ya!