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It was a Saturday evening, the main 7(along with Nico and Will) sitting near the lake at CHB, watching as the sun set. Leo groans and lays back in the sand, immediately sitting up as he feels it touch his skin.
“No offense to Apollo or any of you but this is like.. really boring.” Percy nudges Leo slightly, a smirk on his face. “Come on, getting in the water could help”
Nico stood up, with a face that screamed “Hades no” and started to walk off before Will grabbed his hand. “No sir. Come on, we can stay near the shallow part”
Jason looks over, tilting his head slightly as he studies Nico. “You can’t swim?” Nico grunts. “Trapped in time for 70 years in a hotel/casino without a pool, not many memories from beforehand” Jason nods slightly, looking embarrassed that he had forgotten. “Sorry..”
Slowly but surely, they all agreed and, one by one, the boys got in the water. Of course Percy went in first, tossing his socks, shoes, and shirt onto the sand. Then Will, copying, and then Jason, holding Nico’s hand. Frank only bothered to take off his socks and shoes before getting in because “his shirt can dry”. Leo stays on the pier, the girls joining him.
“Not getting in?” Frank asks, tilting his head slightly. “I don’t really feel like swimming in the dark and the girls don’t have bathing su-“ Leo started, but before he could finish, Piper had taken off her shirt, socks, and shoes, leaving her in a sports bra and her shorts, before she jumped into a deeper area, and, with Percy’s help, got abit of water on Leo.
“No bathing suit, no issue for me” She smiles. Annabeth laughs and copies her, jumping in beside Percy. Hazel shook her head. “I’m fine here. I’m tired and don’t wanna risk falling asleep”
She slid off her socks and shoes and just let her feet rest in the water, meanwhile Leo just stood. “I’m gonna head back to the bunker. Night, everyone”
Without waiting for a response, he turned and left. Slowly due to trying to avoid the sand(he failed miserably) but as soon as he was on grass he sprinted to the Cabin 9 bunker, biting his lip to not cry from the pain the sand was causing him in his shoes.
As soon as Leo stepped into the bunker, he made sure the door shut before he threw his boots, socks, shirt, and shorts onto the floor, immediately scratching his skin. Everything itched.
He could feel the sand all over him and it itched his skin as if covered in moving sandpaper which, he had learned at 4, hurt and you should not do. But he couldn’t stop. It wasn’t helping but it replaced one pain with another. So what else was he supposed to do?
He slid down onto the mattress he had in the corner that Harley and some other half-siblings of his gave him when he slept here(which he did alot). Leo looked around looking for something, 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, to make the pain go away.
Leo hated water. He hated baths, showers, rain, drinking water, any form of water he hated. It wasn’t a fear, he just hated it. Same thing with soap. The texture of it was icky. Leo hated textures he needs to live, but he just can’t stand them.
Chiron keeps telling him to take some test but he knows Leo hates tests!! Leo had been able to get away from taking these tests for abit over two years now but he decided it was time. He finds the softest clothes he has, which is an ACDC shirt and red PJ pants with spiderman and his webs on them.
He finds his flip flops and slides them on before heading to the Big House. He felt a hand on his shoulder and quickly turns to see a soaked Nico Di Angelo standing there. “Mind if I walk with you? I promised Mr. D I would play poker” Leo just nods slightly and keeps walking, Nico following.
Soon, Leo and Nico got to the Big House and Mr. D and Chiron were sitting on the porch, talking in hushed tones before they noticed the boys. Mr. D smiled slightly and raised his Diet Coke in a welcoming sort of way. “Nico! And Levi. Ready for Poker?” Nico smirked at him. “Oh you’re goin down, old man”
The two laughed and got the table set up before Leo walked over to Chiron. “Uh.. is there any chance I can take that test you talked about?” Chiron smiles softly and nods, noticing Leo’s outfit change. “Of course. Come, I have a quiet room you can-“ Leo was quick to cut him off, though by accident. “Actually could I maybe listen to music? I don’t like the silence”
Chiron nods, understandingly and leads Leo to a room inside, turning on his radio so it wasn’t to quiet or to loud. Leo sits down on the floor as Chiron hands him a paper with questions, all color coded, like “Do you have repetitive movements (e.g., hand flapping, pacing) to manage stress?” Leo tried to think of how to answer them all before Chrion mentioned “Don’t put full sentences, Valdez. Yes, No, Maybe all work. I Don’t Know can too if it gets to it. I’m going to be in my office at the end of the hall doing paperwork so when you’re done, come to me, okay?”
Leo nods and started to answer now as Chiron trotted to his office. It took Leo 1 ½ hours to finish the test but he did. He put his name and the date before walking to Chiron’s office and setting the paper down. Chiron nods. “Thank you. I’ll tell you the results when I get it back, okay?”
Leo nods and heads out, slightly cold now as the cool breeze hits his arms. Nico and Mr. D were now playing Slaps and both of their hands were red from slapping to hard. Leo walked over and moved where the third chair was, sitting on the floor where it was once. Nico looks down at him.
“What, you don’t wanna sit down or anything?” Leo shakes his head and messes with the fuzz on his pants. “Don’t wanna walk back alone to the bunker..” Nico nods and turns back to Mr. D. “One more round then I’m gonna take him to the bunker and to get food, deal?” “Deal”
The game ended with Nico winning with a smirk. “Don’t mess with the kid who grew up in a casino.” Dionysus groaned and flipped him off as he watched the Italian and Mexican boys walk off towards the trees. He sighed and smiled slightly. “Those kids are going somewhere great..I can feel it”
When they got to the bunker, Nico’s face scrunched in disgust and disbelief. “What in Hades is this?! It’s so dirty and- IS THAT MOLD?! Leo Valdez!!” Leo looks away, face going a red tinge
“I got distracted and forgot to clean and I guess my depression keeps getting the better of me so I just..forget”
Nico’s glare softens, understandment slightly showing in his eyes. “Want help? We can out on music and I can help you clean stuff up?” Leo nods slightly, knowing how Nico is about decor. He seemed to be a master. But I guess being raised by a mom and older sister around the WWII era.
The two put on an MSI mix playlist and got to cleaning. And before they knew it, three hours had passed of them cleaning, occasionally stopping for Leo to sing into a broom as if it were a microphone and Nico laugh at his stupidity... which suddenly seemed cute in its own way.