A/N: Belated Liper prompt from Liper week. Ha, ha, yeah it's been burning a hole in my google docs and I finally remembered it. Probably last fic of the year. 2017 wasn't a great fanfic year for me but I'm still writing. :D Enjoy!

Broken

Leo closed his eyes against the throbbing pain of his headache. The afternoon breeze caressed his face. Waves lapped at his feet, licking the bare soles. His left hand curled around the edge of the wooden dock tightly. His right fingers tapped against the wood the Morse alphabet. Short. Long. A. Your name is Leo. Long. Short. Short. Short. B. You are a demigod. Leo hesitated for moment, letting that thought settle and internalize in his mind. Long. Short. Long. Short. C. You can control fire.

"Handy for roasting marshmallows." Leo murmured as he opened his eyes, adjusting to the fading light. He lifted his right hand, flexing his fingers. They were covered with callous from handling tools. He wore a toolbelt with odd nuts and bolts in the various pockets and a screwdriver, poking at his thigh. Leo flipped his hand, looking at the smooth backside before turning the palm up and snapping his fingers. A tiny flame jumped to life and sat idly like it was waiting for his instructions. It didn't hurt like he expected. The flame felt warm and almost comforting.

"Good to know you haven't lost that." Leo jumped at the voice, curling his fist closed extinguishing the flames. He turned staring at the young man in purple t-shirt with his hands tucked in his pockets a few feet away. A pair of black glasses framed his eyes. Jason, Leo reminded himself, still connecting names to faces.

"Here to help the poor amnesic?" Leo greeted as Jason approached. A deep chuckle answered him back as Jason sat down, his long legs dangling over the pier.

"Join the club, boy. You're the third one." Jason replied as he leaned back on his hands.

"Way to make a guy feel special." Leo sighed.

"I'm here to please." The two traded small smiles before Jason turned his head, looking towards the shore behind them. Leo knew who lingered there like tentative guards. A small group of demigods who kept tabs on him since waking up in the infirmary bed. The Seven, people called them, heroes of the century. Supposedly, Leo is part of the group but he didn't exactly feel like a hero or anything special, especially stacked up against Jason.

Jason Grace is a Hero with a capital H. Tall with broad shoulders and chest. Chisel facial features. Bright blue eyes. Quite handsome that boys and girls alike take notice. The visiting Roman embodied everything a hero is. How is someone like this my friend? Leo wondered as he ran his fingers through his curly unruly hair. "Did they send you over?" Leo asked, nodding towards the group.

"No one sent me, Leo." Jason replied, frowning at his tone. "We're all worried. Do you remember anything?"

"Nothing much." Leo answered truthfully before meeting Jason's concern gaze. "Did you know?" Leo started, shifting his tone to something light and playful. Jason's eyes narrowed slightly, sensing the shift in his tone. "Zeus, Hera and all those fancy gods and goddesses? They're real."

"No kidding." Jason played along with the same tone. "You know, Roman gods are real as well. Huh, small world." Leo laughed, the joke wasn't even funny. It felt good to laugh and joke with someone even if his situation was messed up. As least he could still laugh. "You needed that, right?" Leo nodded his head, wiping a tear from his eye. "Everyone's walking on eggshells around you?"

"Yeah… it's tiring like they're afraid the wrong thing could set me off." Leo answered as he settled down. "Which doesn't make any sense since I don't remember anything that would."

"Nothing?" Jason asked softly. Leo wanted to reply with his standard response but didn't.

Leo clenched his hands together, squeezing tight as his nails bit into his palm. "Heat." He whispered, grasping at the first solid memory he could picture. "An unbearable heat licking at my face. A strong hand pushing me away. Bright orange flames consuming a building. And then nothing. Just a horrible fire." Leo waited a beat, unsure how he should feel about that memory. There was more just beyond the edge but if he thought too hard it just hurt.

"This one's better." Leo continued as he released his hands and looked up at the sky. "There's a school in the middle of nowhere. Trees dotted the snowy white mountain. A clear lake. Teens roamed the hall. I can't tell any of the faces apart. All but one." Leo closed his eyes, feeling warm and at peace as he thought of the memory. "Braided hair framing a heart-shaped face. Oversized puffy coat hiding a petite frame. A face so beautiful I thought I stopped breathing when our eyes met. God, her eyes… I don't know how to describe them but beautiful."

"Piper does have amazing eyes." Jason whispered, pulling Leo out of the memory. There's a fondness in Jason's voice that anyone would have noticed. Leo's soft smile curled into a frown. The warmth feeling slipped away replaced by cold dread.

"I knew you and Piper are a thing." Leo murmured, recalling how Piper immediately hugged Jason when she saw him. How her hand lingered like she didn't want him out of her grasp. Jason's eyes widen like they were going to pop out of his head. He shook his head quickly.

"No, no, no." Jason repeated as he shook his hand like he was shooing the thoughts away. "Were. We were a thing. Not anymore. Not for a long time." Leo raised his eyebrow and followed Jason's gaze towards the beach. Piper sat on a picnic table with a tall tan girl in a purple tank top and jeans. Two metal dogs sat in front of them, wagging their tails violently as they eyed the ball their master held. The girls were in a deep conversation but like she could feel Jason's gaze, the dark-haired one looked up. She waved with a smile and the dogs barked, reminding her their presence. Reyna laughed and tossed the ball. Ah Reyna, Leo thought as Jason waved back. A fond wide smile pulled at the blond's lips making him look sappy. "Hard to believe?"

Yeah, especially when you look at Reyna like that. Leo thought before shrugging his shoulders. "Eh, you're attractive enough." Jason muttered thanks in response as he rolled his eyes. He must be used to the sass. Leo looked at his hands, not sure what to say next. "Do you think?" Jason turned, bright blue eyes meeting Leo's darker amber ones. "Do you think I have a chance with Piper?"

"Wha?" Jason started processing Leo's words. "Why?" Leo narrowed his eyes, trying to read Jason's tense body language. His shoulders stiffened. His hands curled around the edge of the deck like he was holding himself back. He blinked, remembering who he was speaking to. Eyes softened as his words followed. "Why wouldn't you?"

"Because," Leo breathed, finally putting the thought that frightened him the most into concrete words. "I'm not her Leo. I'm not the guy she remembers. I'm a half-baked version of his great tremendous guy. Tell me all the adventures and stories you've made with him but I'm…" Leo's voice cracked at the end. "I'm not him." Leo's chest felt lighter now when he said what was bothering him this whole week.

"I know." Jason whispered, pulling Leo's gaze towards him. There was a sad but understanding expression. "I know and I'm not asking you to be him." Leo's eyes narrowed, unsure how to take his words. Jason sighed, scratching the back of his neck, searching for his words. "When I lost my memories, I didn't know who Jason Grace is either. Is he a hero? Is he a dork? Is he a good or bad person? Can I fill those shoes? Should I? Gods, did I try." Jason turned his gaze towards the horizon, thinking about his journey. He looked less like a hero and more like a young adult.

"I had this exact conversation with Reyna after the war, before we got together." He continued. "We were walking down New Rome, talking and enjoying each other's company. I was waving at someone I thought I should remember and Reyna grabbed my arm. She looked so angry." Jason chuckled at the memory, smiling against his fist. "She told me to stop trying so hard. It was painful to watch. Stop trying to be her version of Jason or anyone else's. Just be yourself. Because you are Jason Grace. That helped. I don't know why or how but it did help. I'm going to tell you. Leo, you are not broken. You don't need to meet any expectation. Be yourself. And that's who Leo Valdez is."

Leo lowered his gaze, actually feeling better by just those simple words. Jason stood up, the wood creaking underneath his weight. "Did you get them back?" Leo asked, looking up. Jason stretched his arms above his head. "Your memories." Leo clarified.

"Gradually." Jason answered as he adjusted his glasses. "But by then, I didn't need them to fill Jason Grace's shoes. I am Jason."

"Nice to meet you, Jason. I'm Piper." Jason spun around. Piper walked slowly up the dock. Her orange shirt pulled snuggly against her body. A coy smile graced her lips. "Any reason why you're introducing yourself again?"

"Dude lost his memory. Can't expect him to be a genius." Jason countered as he patted Leo's shoulder. Jason gently bumped his shoulder against Piper's. Jason lowered his head and whispered into her ear. She wiggled her nose at him before giving the taller boy a playful shove. Jason laughed, trading good nature glances with his ex before waving goodbye and walking off. Piper sighed as she sat beside Leo, flicking her hair behind her shoulder.

"Hanging out with the Romans made him mean." Piper murmured, glancing at Leo. He could feel her eyes carefully study him. Leo bit back the urge to snap at her. She's only worried. He thought as he met her gaze. Piper reached out about to touch his cheek before heistating. Her hand lingered in the space between them, quivering. "Are you ok, Leo?"

"I…" Leo started, really looking at the young woman beside him, drinking in the soft curve of her cheeks, the fullness of her lips, the way the sunset danced over her dark skin. The tightness in his chest loosened whenever he was near her. Like she was his north point of his compass. His home. Leo blinked, letting that thought settle in his mind. It felt so right. Leo caught her hand and pressed it against his cheek, soaking in her warmth. Piper is home. Even if he can't remember the exact details or how they go there, she is his home. "I will be." A dazzling smile blossomed on her as she inched closer.