Chapter 4: Worthless
Disclaimer: I sadly own none of this franchise. If I did, I wouldn't scare you guys in the fandom by declaring every fifth book as the "end". I would make it public that I am continuing. (Sadly Rick keeps it secret. When The Last Olympian came out I was terrified that it was over but then The Lost Hero, so I hope he continues just like that.)
Time for some Leo plot! Finally! Sorry the updates are getting slower cause of school etc. you know the stuff. Just saying no there will not be Jaseo romance. Ever. Like ever. Nope. Jasper and Brason for the win! (If you are not familiar with Brason just ask in reviews.)
Jason/Leo
Where would Leo go?! He'd checked his cabin, the stables, even the engine room where he liked to work late nights.
"Leo?!" He yelled into the darkness of the lower decks. Feeling discouraged, the blonde checked the last place left on the Argo II that he hadn't checked.
Sparky walked down to the drop zone. Where anyone could get down if they were close to the ground, or use the long rope ladder and hope for the best.
Jason walked into the small room. The circular hole through which the ladder could be lowered was closed. Well duh. We're still flying. No quests for now. Just then, a dark huddled figure in a corner. Wait... was that Leo?!
"L-Leo?" The mechanic of the ship obviously hadn't noticed him enter. He looked up in surprise and wiped his face. Leo... crying... that doesn't make any sense. The son of Hephaestus made a forced smile. Obviously forced.
"H-Hey Jay. Anything wrong with the ship?" Jason decided not to say too much too quickly.
"Do I have to need something to hang out with my best friend?" Leo scoffed.
"That made no sense. First off, why would you come here to talk to your best friend; and if you meant me, then yes." Jason frowned. Leo...
"Leo... you are my best friend and what do you mean yes?" Jason sat beside Leo and leaned his back on the wall. Leo didn't answer. "Leo? You alright?"
Leo nodded. "Yeah I'm fine. Why?"
"I dunno you just seemed a little... off." Leo rolled his eyes. Jason's eyes were wandering around the small room until they settled on something beside Leo.
A backpack? Why was Leo... For a few seconds, Jason's mind processed what he saw. His eyes widened and he looked up, meeting Leo's brown eyes. He held the backpack as if holding it increased his chances of stopping Leo.
"Y-You're... You're running away!" Leo looked down as if someone had just discovered his life secret.
The shorter boy made no attempt to hide the fact. "Yeah. Big whoop. Surprise." Jason's jaw dropped.
"Wh-Why?! Dude!" Leo looked up. His eyes had lost their sparkle of mischief. He didn't respond. "Leo?!"
It happened so fast, Jason didn't know what to think. Hot flames flashed out of Leo's hands. Jason yelped and flinched. Thankfully, the flames weren't aimed at him. Thankfully. Still, they found their target: the switch. Immediately the hatch opened and the son of Hephaestus jumped down onto the ground without the backpack.
Initially Jason screamed. If the ship was high up and Leo jumped... Jason would have to save him with the winds. But to his surprise, the ground was only about ten feet down. Oh right we set down so Leo could rest and relax his arms... Sneaky bastard it was part of his plan! He watched in shock as Leo nailed the landing with a roll and sprinted off.
The shock finally wore off as Jason leaped down, using the winds to cushion the fall. "LEO!" He took off after his friend.
Leo was obviously faster. He had a lot more experience running. Especially running for his life. Jason struggled to keep up. "Leo please!" Leo looked back briefly but kept running. Jason eventually was exhausted. That's when the thought struck him. I should have just flown.
Jason leaped up and used the winds to propel him forward. Leo yelped as the Blonde Superman charged toward him. The son of Hephaestus was easy to knock over, and the two ended up on the ground, Jason on top of Leo.
"Ow..." Leo groaned. Jason quickly got off his friend. Crap! Did I just hurt him?
Jason offered Leo a hand, which the scrawny boy openly ignored.
"What the hell was that Sparky?!"
Jason surprisingly stammered as he spoke. "L-Leo why would y-you leave... We're your friends!" Leo scoffed at that as if it was the funniest joke ever.
"Oh right." Jason frowned. Did Leo think we weren't friends? "What's it to ya anyway?" Jason bit his lip. He wasn't used to his best friend telling him to leave.
"Leo I—"
"Save it Grace!" Wait. Since when were we on last name terms? Nico was occasionally understandable... 40's kid. But Leo? "Just drop it and leave." Jason was astonished. Leo is saying this? Impossible. But unfortunately there were no eidolons. Nothing. It was Leo. Jason was speechless. Never before had Leo not smiled. He'd been angry, but never at one of the seven. Only at enemies. Now he was telling Jason to take a hike.
"Leo plea—"
"NO! JUST SHUT UP AND LEAVE!" Leo's glare had suddenly become cold and rageful enough to terrify Jason. Jason opened his mouth, but his throat was dry.
Eventually he found the words. "Leo what's wrong?" Leo dryly laughed as if it were obvious.
"What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG?! Why don't you think?! This plan of mine has not been the most discreet. So how did you not know of it before? And even now you stumbled upon it by accident!" Jason's mind spun. It... It has been a while since I've even hung out with Leo. "Nemesis was right. About everything."
"Nemesis? You never told me what she said." Leo had the urge to say something random and go back to the ship with Jason. It could pass over. Oh wait. It couldn't. Even if they accept me, it will only be because of this incident. And it will be temporary. I can't go back.
"You will always be the outsider, the seventh wheel. You will not find a place among your brethren... there. Happy?" Jason gasped.
"Leo you can't possibly—"
"Believe that? It's true though."
Jason choked down a sob. "Leo please! Granted everyone else is in a couple but you are not a seventh wheel! You will always have a place beside me!"
"Oh yeah sure! I'll come back! Oh wait... that place is occupied!"
Jason was just really confused now. "What?"
"By Percy!"
"You're... jealous of Percy?"
"No! He's a great guy! It's no one's fault!" It wasn't... was it? Yes it was. Wasn't it there fault?! "I need to go. Running is the only way to stop the pain.'
Leo sniffled, and Jason's jaw dropped. Leo is crying... I've seen everything. He immediately felt guilty for thinking humorously. Leo has always been there for me... even if I've always treated him as the second choice. Now the one time he needs me I have to be there for him. Jason walked up to Leo and rested both hands on the shorter boy's shoulders.
"Leo... I'm so sorry. You've always treated me like a best friend, but I rarely returned it. Always caught up with Piper or Percy or something like that. Treating you like a second choice was the worst thing I've done. But it's still true that you are my best friend." Leo chuckled.
"In that case I haven't seen much of my bestie recently. Jason this isn't a whim. I observed for a long time. Before last week, you hadn't talked to me in a month. No one had. I was ignored. I waited a month, understanding that I couldn't force the couples to break up just to make room for little worthless insignificant me. Then last week I started preparations. I tried one last time this afternoon, but... that went well. And so I was leaving. And you caught me in the act."
Jason noticed that his friend was shaking—no trembling—under his hands. "L-Leo?" Wow he was trembling a lot. "Leo you alright?" Oh gods it's because he's sobbing. Jason tried to pull Leo into his arms, but the scrawny boy pushed him away.
"Don't even try Jay." He just called me Jay. "I don't want to get in the way of you and Piper. I really don't." And he didn't.
When Jason and Piper had started dating, Leo had probably been the happiest for them. He couldn't even imagine them breaking up because of him.
"Leo. You couldn't get in our way." He looked into Leo's eyes. "You're both my best friend and Piper's. Being in love doesn't mean we don't have friends any more. And let me tell you for sure. You are my best friend. Percy is too but no one even comes close to challenging you."
For the first time in the conversation, Leo was astonished. Jason. He's just saying it. He ignored me for months along with all the others. But... he did check on me the most in the engine room. Maybe it was my fault. If I just came out of there more often. And anyway Jason followed me to the drop zone. Maybe it had just been a rough month for us. Maybe.
Finally Leo gave in. Both mentally and physically. He believed that it was just a rough month. He was accepted. Physically he gave in to Jason, allowing the muscular boy to hug him tight.
"Jason..." the scrawny boy's voice broke. "I... I'm so sorry. Did I worry you? Can you forgive me?"
Jason laughed. Even when Leo was in tears, he managed to crack up the son of Jupiter. "Forgive you? Forgive me! I'm the one who ignored you for a month. And yes I did worry! Of course I worried! I searched the entire ship! I even crawled over Athena's ivory legs—her whole body—for you!" Jason blushed, realizing that someone who didn't know about the statue would probably take that the wrong way.
Leo grinned and chuckled. "Well thanks man. And just one question. Does Piper know?" Jason, still blushing, smiled.
"So you're back?"
"The bad boy is back!" the son of Hephaestus pulled out of the hug since his ribs had started getting crushed under Jason's toned chest muscles.
Jason made an exaggerated show of looking around. "Bad boy? I don't see a bad boy. Where is he?" Leo scowled.
"Heeey." He lightly punched Jason in the bicep. Ow... wow I hurt my fist on his bicep. Even for me, that's pathetic. "Let's get back to the ship before the others get worried."
Jason nodded. "You wanna walk? Or..." He twirled the winds around his finger, bringing a maniacal expression on Leo's face.
"Yup. We're flying."
Jason wrapped an arm around Leo's thin waist and the two lifted off, Leo whooping like an idiot.
"Whooooooooo! Yeah you're awesome! You know that Jason? You're so FRIKKIN AWESOME!" Jason smiled and they flew up into the hatch. They touched down on the wooden floor, and Leo immediately flipped the switch, closing the hatch. He sighed. "Thanks... and sorry."
Jason frowned. "For what?"
"Thanks for being such a great friend... and sorry for not returning it."
"Leo when will you understand. You're the one who's a good friend. I felt so guilty when you left. You've always been there for me. And when you needed me most I wasn't there. That's the truth man. So I guess we're even now. Mostly." Leo nodded and they fist bumped on it.
"Thanks. If you hadn't caught me... I don't know what I'd have done."
"No problem. That's what we do for our friends." Leo smiled and walked out of the drop zone, Jason right on his tail. "You do know I have to tell the others right?"
Leo nodded. "Just give it some time ok?"
"Sure man. I won't do it until you give me permission." Leo felt grateful for once about his friend's formalness. Sure Jason could be a fun guy when he tried, but he would keep any promise. Leo nodded thankfully, knowing Jason would get the message.
The duo walked up the stairs to the deck in silence. When they reached the top, they found it empty.
"Well I guess we have the place to ourselves. Well I've taken a long enough break, I better get back to steeri—"
Jason stopped him. "Don't even think about it. You're overworking yourself. We're not moving for at least 3 days including today." Leo nearly choked on his saliva.
"Dude! Gaea's gonna awake in a few weeks! There's no time for me to rest!" He tried to scramble to the navigation system, but he again found himself blocked by the son of Jupiter.
"But somehow there's time for us to rest. None of us can control the ship. Annabeth comes close but even she can't. You've been shouldering the task that should have been shared by us all. But now it's too much. You haven't slept in a week—Oh don't look so surprised, I can hear you in the engine room from my cabin. Guess you shouldn't have put me next to it huh?" Leo made a mental note. Be quieter when sneaking all nighters. Some nosy demigods might be listening. "Anyway I don't care if we have to stay down, you're not going to get off this ship or get anywhere near the engine or the steering..." Jason wanted to say wheel but that wouldn't be true. "... thing. It's my duty as a friend to take care of you."
Leo gave in finally. "Alright if you insist on being a pain in the ass, that's you." Jason frowned and looked at Leo with a puppy dog face.
"I'm a pain in the ass?" Leo grinned as he sensed Jason jokingly trying to appeal to his humanity.
"Yes. No. Never mind. Ugh! You know what I mean!" Jason smiled as he saw his friend frustrated in trying to answer his question.
"Yes I most certainly do."
Leo put an arm around Jason's broad shoulders. "So I guess we can hang out at your cabin? I don't really use mine." Jason grinned.
"I would have it no other way."
By the way, yes I have read Blood of Olympus. It was amazing. The ending wasn't really an ending so I guess if the fandom pressures him enough, it could continue into a third series. Fingers crossed! And this fic is set between the events of the end of House of Hades and the beginning of Blood of Olympus. Reyna will make her appearance soon (yes I made her appearance delayed) and I might add some extra stuff. The story will be partially fluff and partially actual plot.
Thanks for reading and please review! ^_^
