Hey there! Welcome back!
Last chapter was cute. Let's see what's going to happen now that Cassandra is in Camp Half Blood! I wonder how that's going to work out...
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Disclaimer: No, I do not own PJO, HOO or any other amazing creations from Uncle Rick. He does. If I ever get to meet him will I shake his hand and punch him in the jaw? Yes. Yes I will.
ON THE FIC!
"You sure they won't mind?" Cassandra asked, biting her lower lip.
"I'm sure. I mean, it's not like it would be the first time I would oversleep from working all night." He shrugged, and she swatted his chest. "What?"
"You shouldn't work all night, silly!" she glared "Have you considered your health? Your sleeping schedules?"
"Oh, my gods." He chuckled "Cassie, seriously? I'm fine!"
"That's what you say now!" she sat up, pulling the covers up to her chest "But if you kept going, who knows what could happen? You'd get sick and you'd have to go to the hospital and because doctors suck, you'd get even worse, and what if you catch something in the hospital?!"
"Oy, drama queen!" Leo called, sitting up as well "Calm down, will you? I'm not gonna be sick. Working overtime is like my middle name. And whenever that happens, the guys always let me sleep in, okay? And plus, a hospital? We get healed here! The children of Apollo are wicked healers. Especially Will Solace."
"So… you're going to be fine?" she tried, peering up to him through her lashes.
"I wasn't not fine in the first place, babe." He smiled and leaned back down on the bed "Come on, come here. I miss you already."
"Okay…" she smiled and laid back down, placing her head and hand over his chest "I'm here."
"You have no idea how long I've been dreaming of doing this…" he whispered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"This that is happening right now or…?" she gestured to herself.
"This, but the other part was… pretty awesome too." He kissed her forehead "Thank you…"
"Don't." she smiled "It took two people to do it, and I was pretty into it too, don't forget."
"Oh, I won't. The marks you left on my back don't let me." He winked, and she swatted him again.
"Stop!" she shrieked "You're making me embarrassed."
"Come on, you've done more than that yesterday." He teased.
"LEO!"
"Fine, fine." He laughed "You okay?"
"A bit sore, but I'll manage it." She smiled "What plans do your campmates have for me today?"
"Annabeth is probably going to start you in defense combat." He enumerated "Then she and Piper are gonna give you a weapon of your choice. And you train with it."
"Weapon of choice?"
"Yeah, like a dagger or a sword or even a bow." He entwined his fingers in her hair "Whatever you choose. And you're going to have to train."
"I'll never be a good fighter like you guys." She closed her eyes.
"Hey, come on, Cassie! You haven't even started, you're already giving up?" he scolded.
"It's not that, Leo." She sighed "Your ADHD is what keeps you alive in the battlefield. What I'm saying is that… I'm not ADHD so I'll have trouble centralizing my energy to it, you know? I can multitask, but your brain works different than mine. And yours specifically, Leo, is even more different."
"I'm not a freak." He gulped.
"I'm not calling you a freak, Leo." Cassandra sat up and took his face in her hands "I'm calling you different. I'm calling you intelligent. I'm calling you fast. I'm calling you perceptive. Leo, you are one of the most brilliant people I have ever met. Don't let anyone tone down your brilliance."
"Thank you, Cassie." He smiled "But clearly, you haven't seen Annabeth in action."
"What did I just say?" she raised an eyebrow "You two are smart in completely separate ways. Maybe she has a smartness of knowledge and connections. But you are a quick thinker, you fix problems, you create solutions with nothing but a few scrapes of metal and your brilliant brain."
"Cassie…"
"Don't Cassie me, Leo! I'm not stopping on the compliments until you get them through that head of yours! You are amazing Leonidas. Stop thinking you're not." She swung one leg over his chest and straddled him, leaning down "Say it with me: I am amazing."
"You are amazing."
"Leo!" but he was grinning.
"I'm amazing. I mean, who wouldn't think that? Have you seen these muscles? Oh, and don't let the baby face fool you, ya boy is a badass."
"And there's the Leo I know." She grinned "Hi Leo."
"Hey Cass." He kissed her softly "Are you hungry?"
"A bit." She admitted "But I can wait. What about you?"
"I'm not that hungry." But the glint in his eyes said something else.
"Are you sure?" she tried, biting her lip.
"Not for food, I'm not." His eyes were burning through hers with a different kind of flame. Cassie leaned down and-
"LEO ARE YOU IN THERE?!"
The male sighed and threw his head back against the pillow. Cassandra giggled and moved off him, sitting back on the bed with her knees up to her chest. Leo got up and threw her his button up shirt before grabbing his own dark cargo shorts and putting them on. He walked to the door and opened it, glaring at the intruder.
Annabeth was standing on the other side of the door. She turned to talk to him, but nothing came out. Instead, she looked him up and down, realizing just how good the training with Percy and Jason was doing him. The little fat on his tummy that Leo used to have was gone and soft lines of abs showed. His arms had thickened – but it wasn't anything scary – and his shoulders broadened. He even showed the V of his hip bones where the shorts hung low! He was leaner and more muscular, and the only part of the boy Annabeth knew was the childish pout on his face.
"H-hi, Leo." She gulped.
"What?" he scolded "Today is my late day, didn't the guys tell you that? I worked late last night."
"Sorry, it's just… Chiron wants to talk to Cassandra and he wanted you there too. As a matter of fact, he wants us all there." She explained "So, put on some clothes and let's go."
"Yeah, yeah." He turned to look back at Cassandra, who was bending down to put on a pair of jeans, and smirked "I'll be there in a minute."
"Is that a-" Annabeth noticed the dark red mark on the side of his neck "Yeah, working late I see."
"Shut up, Annabeth." Leo blushed "I'll meet you at the Big House in a sec."
Leo shut the door and Annabeth heard a yelp from the other side, followed by something that sounded like a complaint/moan. Shaking her head at the thought of it, she walked back to the Big House, where Percy and Piper were waiting for her at the steps. Piper smiled when she saw her, but Percy noticed her strange gaze. Standing up, he walked to her.
"Wise Girl, what's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing, it's just… Leo is not the baby fat body that we are used to." she shook her head.
"What are you talking about?" Piper frowned.
"Ask him to lift his shirt and you'll see what I mean." Annabeth sighed "Your training has been doing him some good."
"Thanks? I guess." Percy placed a kiss on her forehead "You okay?"
"Yeah, I guess I wasn't expecting to see Leo all grown up." She smiled "Why don't you go and tell Chiron Leo and Cassandra are coming?"
"Okay." He nodded and, after stealing a kiss from her, went inside.
"Arms?" Piper asked.
"Almost as thick as Percy's or Jason's."
"Pecs?"
"Hella."
"Abs."
"Noticeable, 6 pack."
"Hoe, don't. V?"
"Hanging low, looking like Apollo sculptured him himself." Annabeth bit her lip "Are we really…?"
"My baby boy isn't so baby anymore!" Piper exclaimed with tears in her eyes "I'm so proud!"
"Hey Pipes! Annabeth!" Leo's voice made them turn. He was walking in their direction with Cassandra linked by hand. He wore a white tee and the shorts Annabeth had seen him in, and Cassandra the jeans and a black tank top.
"Hey Leo!" Piper waved "Come on, everyone is waiting for us!"
The four went inside, Cassandra more shyly than the others. In the Rec room, sitting at the table were Percy, Nico, Will, Rachel, Chiron and Mr. D, waiting for them. They all sat down, and Chiron began.
"As we all know, the arrival of Cassandra to our Camp was a troublesome one but blessed. Everyone here has either a job to fulfil or is a demigod. Cassandra is a different case, and we are here to understand and establish a plan for her.
"You need to be trained, Cassandra, in the art of fighting. But you seem to be someone capable of learning a lot more, so we shall do that too. For now, you will stay in the Hephaestus cabin with Leo, and I will arrange with Jake for him to give you a room of your own."
"That won't be needed, Chiron." Leo stepped in "Really. She sleeps better when I'm with her."
"We'll discuss that later, Mr. Valdez. In private." Chiron eyed him, and Leo gulped. "Nevertheless, Cassandra… starting tomorrow, you shall be trained by Annabeth, and you will start from the beginning. Meaning, no advanced classes for her yet, okay, Annabeth?"
"Yes, Chiron."
"Piper and Rachel will be your helpers. Anything you require, any doubt you have, take it up to them. They will help you with everything they can and in your own discovery of your abilities, if you may have any. Percy will be your advanced trainer. When you get there, you will be moved to his class."
"Yes, Chiron." He nodded and winked at Cassandra.
"Will here is the head of the Apollo Cabin, and the head of the infirmary. It is to him that you go when you get injured." Will smiled brightly, and Cassandra waved.
"Hi." He replied.
"And Nico shall be your councilor."
"I'm sorry?" he raised an eyebrow and turned to Chiron.
"You heard me right. You will be giving me reports on her developments." Chiron had a sly glow in his eyes "And I want them weekly."
"But-"
"I have spoken."
Cassandra blushed and looked down to her lap. She could tell she was being a bother and bit her lip to disguise her sadness. She didn't want to be a bother. She didn't want to meddle in anybody's businesses. She took a few deep breaths and gulped.
"Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Chiron," she spoke, her head still hanging low "despite the trouble I arranged in the first place when I got here. It means a lot to me that you are willing to go out of your way to make sure that I'm learning your ways."
"You're welcome, child." The centaur nodded "The gods so have commanded it, and I must abide to their rules."
"Thank you, Annabeth and Piper and Percy and Rachel, for your time and attention to me." She smiled and twirled her thumbs around "And thank you Nico, for your… time too."
The four smiled and brushed it off, but Nico only crossed his arms. Someone swatted his arm – probably Will – and he muttered a 'you're welcome'. She stood up, excused herself and left the Big House. Everyone returned to their conversations except Leo. He stood up fast, making the chair fall back. They turned to him to see him with his hands balled into fists.
"Leo?" Percy tried.
"Thanks a lot, Nico." The brown-eyed male growled "Now she's out there feeling like a burden thanks to you."
The male said nothing, only glared, and Leo left to find his girlfriend. She was sitting on the shade of a nearby tree, face hidden in her hands. He sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her. She immediately moved, turning to hold him. His hand went up to her hair, petting it softly. He was whispering in her ear, sweet nothings and comforting hums, and her shaking was subsiding.
"Leo…" she tried, her voice breaking.
"Don't. You don't need to."
"Now everyone thinks I'm a crybaby…" she gulped.
"I don't care what anybody thinks. Unlike us, you never thought you belonged somewhere different. Unlike us, you had a place to call home before Camp Half-Blood. Di Angelo struck a nerve, and trust me, I know. He's just being the insensitive prick we know him to be. You're not an outsider anymore, Cassie. You belong here."
"And yet, he made me feel just like that." She sniffed "I don't want to be a bother, Leo."
"You're not a bother, Cassandra." He pulled away to look her in the eye "You'll never be a bother."
"Leo's right." Rachel's voice made them turn to see the demigods standing in front of them "The change might be hard, Cassandra, but it'll be good. We're your home now."
"You're different, okay?" Piper knelt in front of her and took her hand "But something tells me we're going to be good friends."
"How can you know…?" Cassandra bit her lip.
"Because I have a magical dagger that showed me you, Annabeth, Hazel and myself shopping for clothes. And we were really happy." She winked, and Cassandra let out a giggle.
"Really?"
"Yap."
"Cassandra." Percy called and reached out his hand "I don't know you. Only yesterday I found out about the major scheming it took to get you here. But if my friends are willing to risk their lives and their heads at the hands of Chiron when he found out, then you belong here. You mean something. And if you can get Leo to protect you so fiercely – man stop, but pun intended – then you can be dam sure I will do the same. You matter to him. So, you matter to us."
"Thank you, Percy…" Cassandra smiled, and her eyes lit up.
"I'm just telling the truth. And while I'm at it…" he grinned "What eye color do you really have? Because honestly, you be looking like…"
"… a zombie?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah!" Percy chuckled, Cassandra groaned, and Leo laughed.
"It's zombie color." Leo declared.
"It's green." Cassandra punched him in the arm lightly "But a very light green."
"It's zombie color."
"Green." She growled.
"Zombie color."
"Green!"
"Zombie color!"
"Say it's zombie color one more time and I'm gonna get medieval on yo' ass!" she shouted, and Leo recoiled in fear.
"Oh, my gods!" The girls were laughing, holding on to their stomachs, and Percy was borderline rolling on the floor.
"Yeah, laugh at my misery, guys, real sport." Leo grumbled, but he was fighting a grin.
"You deserved that one, Valdez." Will smirked.
"Thanks Will." Leo gave him thumbs up but was smiling.
"Sure thing. Which reminds me… Cassandra?"
"Yes, Will?"
"Chiron asked me to ask you to spend the day with me at the infirmary." He knelt in front of her "Leo has to go to the forges to work, and Annabeth is only training you tomorrow, so what do you think?"
"I'd love it." She smiled and took the hand he gave her "Thank you, Will."
"Sure thing. I need to go back to work, so… shall we?" he stood the two of them up and brought her with him "Percy, Annabeth, to the training fields. Piper, Cabin Leadership. Rachel and Nico… whatever you usually do and Leo? Get to work, I need that robot functioning."
"Yes sir!" They all exclaimed, and the brown-eyed male leaned down to kiss Cassandra softly before saying goodbye to the group. They all left except Nico.
"Nico…? Shouldn't you be going too?" Cassandra tried.
"I…" he tried, but only shook his head and left.
"He's sorry." Will declared "He's just too proud to admit it."
"Then I'll believe it when he overcomes his pride." She sighed "You said something about the infirmary?"
"I did." The blond smiled and walked her there.
A/N: Do I relate to Cassandra? Yes. Yes, I do.
What now?
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LoneeWolf :)