Chapter Text
Leo woke up alone.
Not in a bad way.
That was the first thing he registered warmth still lingering in the nest, Jason’s scent still wrapped around him like a safety line, the faint impression of an arm that had been there only minutes ago.
Jason wasn’t gone.
Just… up.
Leo stretched, claws flexing instinctively into the blankets. His ears flicked at the soft sounds outside the cabin: footsteps, distant laughter, the clatter of armor being moved for morning drills.
Camp was awake.
So was something else.
The instincts weren’t screaming today.
They were… quiet.
Not gone. Never gone. But settled, like a cat sunning itself instead of pacing a room.
Leo sat up slowly.
The nest didn’t feel like a trap anymore.
It felt like a choice.
That realization hit him hard enough that he had to press a hand to his chest.
“Oh,” he whispered. “Oh, that’s new.”
He padded out of the nest and tugged on a hoodie, ears poking through the top like they’d given up pretending they weren’t part of him. Tail swayed behind him, relaxed, unguarded.
He stepped outside.
Jason was sitting on the steps, elbows on his knees, staring out at camp like he was thinking something big and scary and important.
Leo padded over without thinking and sat beside him, shoulder brushing Jason’s arm.
Jason startled slightly, then smiled when he saw him. “Hey.”
“Hey,” Leo said softly.
They sat in silence for a moment.
Then Jason spoke.
“I talked to Chiron.”
Leo’s ears twitched. “Uh oh. Am I being rehomed?”
Jason huffed. “No. About the catboy thing.”
Leo stiffened despite himself. “And?”
“And apparently, this kind of thing happens sometimes,” Jason said. “Divine traits surfacing under stress. Instincts asserting themselves. Especially when someone finally feels… safe.”
Leo swallowed.
Jason glanced at him. “You okay?”
Leo nodded. Then shook his head. Then laughed weakly. “I don’t know. It’s just, everyone keeps acting like this is temporary. Like I just have to wait it out and I’ll go back to normal.”
Jason turned toward him fully now. “Do you want to?”
Leo opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Tail stilled.
“I don’t hate it,” he admitted quietly. “I hate losing control. I hate being embarrassed. But… I like how things feel. I like not being alone in my head all the time.”
Jason’s voice softened. “You’re not weak for that.”
Leo laughed under his breath. “Tell that to my pride.”
Jason smiled. “Your pride survived being carried bridal-style through camp on day three. I think it’ll live.”
Leo groaned. “I forgot about that.”
“No you didn’t.”
“…I didn’t.”
They shared a smile.
Then Leo looked at him seriously. “Jason. If this doesn’t go away… if this is just me now-”
Jason didn’t hesitate.
“Then we figure it out.”
Leo blinked. “That’s it?”
“That’s it,” Jason said. “You don’t scare me. You don’t embarrass me. And you definitely don’t make me want to leave.”
Leo’s throat tightened.
“You make me want to stay,” Jason added.
Leo leaned into him without thinking, forehead pressing to Jason’s shoulder. Jason wrapped an arm around him automatically, thumb rubbing slow circles at the base of Leo’s neck.
Leo purred.
Not loud. Not uncontrolled.
Just… content.
Of course, the universe couldn’t let them have peace for long.
Percy nearly dropped his breakfast tray when he saw them walking into the pavilion together.
“You’re holding hands,” Percy accused.
Jason looked down. “…Huh.”
Leo looked down too.
Their fingers were, in fact, laced together.
Leo’s tail flicked. “Wow. Betrayal.”
Percy squinted. “Are we in the ‘domestic’ phase now?”
Annabeth leaned over. “It was inevitable.”
Piper smiled like she’d won a bet. “Called it.”
Nyssa walked past with Drew, who was absolutely pretending she wasn’t clinging to Nyssa’s sleeve.
Drew glanced at Leo. “You look… calmer.”
Leo smiled. “Yeah. I think I am.”
Nyssa nodded approvingly. “Good. Chaos is manageable. Panic isn’t.”
Drew smirked. “Also, your tail is doing that happy thing.”
Leo looked back.
It was.
He let it.
Later that afternoon, Leo found himself back in Bunker Nine alone.
He stared at the forge.
At the tools.
At the life he’d built with his hands.
His ears flicked at a familiar footstep.
Jason leaned in the doorway. “You disappeared.”
Leo nodded. “Needed to think.”
Jason waited.
Leo took a breath. “I don’t want to fix this like it’s a problem.”
Jason’s brow furrowed. “Okay.”
“I want to adapt,” Leo said. “Build around it. Make it mine.”
Jason’s eyes softened with understanding. “That sounds like you.”
Leo grinned. “Yeah. I’m kind of great.”
Jason laughed.
Leo stepped closer, tail brushing Jason’s leg. “You still okay with this?”
Jason reached out, steady, and cupped Leo’s jaw. “I’m more than okay.”
Leo leaned in.
This kiss was different from the others.
No urgency.
No panic.
Just warmth.
When they pulled apart, Leo rested his forehead against Jason’s.
“So,” Leo murmured. “Boyfriends?”
Jason smiled. “Yeah.”
Leo purred. “Cool.”
That night, the nest stayed.
Not because Leo needed it.
Because he wanted it.
Jason lay beside him, arm draped over Leo’s waist. Leo’s tail curled around Jason’s thigh, unrestrained.
“I think,” Leo said sleepily, “this was the weirdest week of my life.”
Jason hummed. “Worth it?”
Leo smiled, eyes closing. “Yeah. I think it was.”
Jason pressed a kiss to his temple. “Good.”
Leo drifted off to the sound of Jason’s heartbeat, instincts calm, heart full, future wide open.
Not fixed.
Not broken.
Just… chosen.