Chapter Text
Leo's POV
I sighed in relief and slumped against my locker, successfully dodging Matt and his gang's beatings by running the long way around the school. The clock on the wall displayed the time, reminding me that I had chemistry next.
"Great. Chemistry. Just what I need to brighten my day some more." I let out a frustrated sigh as my lock absolutely refused to open. The clock kept ticking and ticking, time getting closer to class. With a large BANG, my locker flew open, hitting the locker beside me with full force. The noise echoes throughout the hallway. I freeze, tensing my shoulders, scared that a teacher heard that. I hurriedly snatched my textbooks, but before I could shut the door, a small pink sticky note gently floated down near my shoes.
I picked it up, inspecting it. I swear if it was one of those bully notes then I will--
Wait.
Curse my dyslexia. The sentence was surrounded by doodles and hearts, smiley faces littered the paper. I could barely make out what it says.
"Yr simile mek h rl britr"?
"Yo smelt kea my wod ightr"?
I growled, deciding I'll just ask my best friend Piper at lunch after class.
"After class..."
Crap! I've got to get to class before the bell ring--BRRRIINGGG!!!
"Well, I guess that's my cue." I bolt off towards my class, not wanting to be later than I was already was.
Percy's POV
"Role call time!" Mr. Elis called out. Chemistry was the worst. Well, to me, all classes were the worst since it's school, but that's beside the point.
"Annabeth Chase."
"Here!"
It was a boring routine, but Mr. Elis insisted that it was "necessary for educational purposes", whatever that means.
"Percy Jackson."
In response, I sneezed and replied with "Excuse me." Mr. Elis glanced at me, amused at my way of presentation.
"Leo Valdez."
Even just his name send butterflies bursting in my stomach, I strained my ear and unconsciously looked around the class with my peripheral vision. Leo wasn't here. I deflated a bit, that meant he wouldn't be able to see the note I put in his locker...
The door burst open, leaving a flustered looking Latino panting there.
"Sorry I'm late, my locker was stuck and I couldn't get it to open." Leo looked extremely embarrassed as the whole class watched him, the Jocks snickered and laughed. Some even went so far as throwing paper balls at him. I inwardly frowned, I was part of the Jocks but I never enjoyed bullying, it reminded me too much of how I was like when I was a child. Leo flinched when the paper balls came in contact with him. I had to clutch my chair to resist the urge to pull the cute Latino into my arms and whisper loving words in his ears.
"Class! Stop at this instant!" Mr. Elis almost yelled at the classroom, obviously furious at the Jocks' behavior. Everyone knew that Mr. Elis favored Leo out of any others for two reasons: 1) Leo was respectful and a good student. 2) Even though Leo hated the class, he still tried.
The Jocks quieted down, glaring at Leo as he passed by to reach his desk at the back of the room. As his beautiful figure slinked down the aisle, I wished to hold him like he was mine, I wanted to love him without judgment. Unfortunately, that would most likely result in even more hurt for both me and him.
My eye caught an edge of a bright pink note. "Like the one I put in his locker..."
That meant Leo received my note!!! I grinned in excitement, momentarily forgetting it was public. Luckily, or actually not so luckily, Matt Sloan thought I was smiling at Leo's discomfort, so he nudged me, pointing his head in Leo's direction and snickered. The only thing I could do if I didn't want to be questioned is play along. Leo's eyes filled with hurt and something along the lines of disappointment. Why would there be disappointment? He isn't even gay... Right?
Before I could continue musing about the topic, Mr. Elis clapped his two hands together and announced that since he wasn't able to plan a lesson, we may finish a single sheeted worksheet with anyone. The best part is, is that after you completed it, you can do whatever you wanted, as long as it didn't disturb the class.
"Great," I sighed, thinking as the page was passed to my desk, "let's just finish this dumb worksheet so I could drool over Leo-- I mean listen to music."
Leo's POV
Dang it, Leo, you keep on letting yourself have false hopes, of course, Percy is just as much as a jerk as Matt. Of course, he isn't gay, and if course he thinks your such a faggot.
I practically drowned myself in my thoughts of self-disappointment, arriving closer to the cafeteria. Lunch meant I may spend more time with Piper and Nico, and less time with the Jocks. I pushed the double doors open, however, it didn't really go to planned. I look up to find Piper and Nico, just to meet face to face with a blue t-shirt covered chest. The mystery person merely stumbled a few steps. I, not having the weight or muscles, went flying back, landing a few feet away. Oh, and did I mention this happened in front of basically the whole school?
I heard booming laughter coming from all around me, my cheeks turned bright red from embarrassment. A hand was offered to me, one that was all too familiar, so I accepted it, knowing it was Piper's. I glanced up through my long eyelashes, to see the wall of muscles was actually... Percy??
"Oh would you look at that, I guess you were just so, blown away, at Percy's popularity." Matt busted out laughing, rest of the gang joining him. Well, all except Percy and Jason. I knew Jason and Piper liked each other, so since he was on the brink of dating Piper, he was pretty chill with me. But I didn't get why Percy didn't laugh, he did in Chemistry...
Nico's voice startled me awake, whispering to me to go. Piper's hand led me away. Away from the laughing, away from the Jocks, away from Percy.
When we were far away enough, Piper immediately went "mother hen" mode on me, offering me her lunch, asking if I was hurt. Nico was being the same quiet yet loving bestie, occasionally pitching in, although knowing that I would be ok.
It hit me that now would be the perfect time to ask them what the sentence on the neon pink note said.
"Leo, are you ok? Is ice something you need? What about food? Are you hung--"
"Yo Beauty Queen," I cut in, "it's not the end of the world, you can chill and breathe for a sec. But can you read something for me? I found a sticky note in my locker on the way to Chemistry but like dyslexia and stuff..."
"Are you sure it's not another note from the Jocks?" Nico glanced worriedly towards the pink note I gripped in my hand.
"No, it definitely isn't, it has like hearts and smiles and stuff surrounding it, see?" I shoved the piece of paper in his face.
Nico and Piper crowded around it. After a second, Nico's eyes literally widened larger than I thought was possible, jaw-dropping wider than a snake swallowing its prey. Meanwhile, Piper suddenly burst into a little dance, screaming "OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!!!" repeatedly.
"GUYS!" I was forced to yell for them to hear me, "WHAT DOES IT EVEN SAY?!?!"
Nico opened and closed his mouth, looking suspiciously close to a fish. Piper kept on hyperventilating, but eventually but a hand on her chest to calm her breathing. "It sa-sa-says 'y-your smile m-makes," because Piper was hyperventilating so much, she had to take a deep breath before continuing the sentence, "my w-wor-world BRIGHTER!!!!!'" Piper squealed louder than humanly possible, squeezing my guts out by her hug.
"Piper! Acckk---can't... breaaathhhe!!!" She let go of me, I literally collapsed, trying to regain the air in my lungs. "So it says 'your smile makes my world brighter'? Seriously? Like, this isn't a prank?"
"Nope! You've got a secret admirer! EEK! My best friend has got a secret admirer!!!" Piper danced around, doing a little jig. She quickly waved her hand in front of Nico's still shocked face.
"NICO NICO NICO aren't you proud? Leo has a secret admirer!!!" Nico slowly nodded, and a sly smile appeared on his face. Oh no...
"Who do you think the secret admirer is? A girl or a guy? I bet it's a guy... Micheal? I heard he came out a few months ago, but his ex-girlfriend said he was super sweet. What about Laurence? He's pretty hot... Percy?" At this, Piper caught the gist of what Nico was trying to do. My face turned tomato red, I buried my head in my hands, wondering why I was friends with these idiots in the first place.
Percy's POV
My head swarmed with guilt, remembering how I didn't stand up when Matt teased Leo about my "popularity". Little did he know, I would give up anything to be with my precious little lion cub.
"Hey Perce." Jason's voice jolted me back to the present. Jason was my most trusted friend, he knew everything about me and vice versa. "Are you ok bro? You've been out of it ever since lunch, and you've never been so distracted while working on a project."
I returned my gaze to the huge poster board I was supposed to be filling up with pictures. Sighing, I silently continued to keep on working.
"Woah, hey," Jason gripped shoulders, forcing me to look at him in the eye, "you didn't answer my question."
"It's just, I just, I just want to claim him as my own." Jason didn't even have I ask who I was talking about, "Leo's probably not even gay..."
"PFFFFTTTTT HAHAHAHAHA!!!" Jason exploded into hysterics, rolling on the floor, choking on his own spit. "Y-Y-YOU THINK L-LEO IS-ISN-ISN'T GAY?!?!"
I was genuinely puzzled. Well, who wouldn't be if your best friend just rolled on the floor laughing at the fact that you assumed someone was straight?
"Ummm, yeah?" I offered my reply, turned into more of a question than an answer. Jason took in deep breaths to calm himself, suddenly turning serious.
"Percy, do you really think Matt would beat up Leo the most for no reason? No. He does it because Leo is gay, and he has to make Leo believe that he's unusual and different."
My jaw dropped, my eyes clouded over, red in fury. How dare Matt do that? To Leo of all people?
I felt a warm hand clamp over my right shoulder, my breathing relaxed, my tense posture cooled down.
"If you want a chance to tell Leo your feelings, do it slowly, he thinks your just as much as a bully as Matt."
"Oh, I'll do it alright, I'll do it."
Leo's POV
I place the new sticky note into my growing stack inside of my little treasure box I keep hidden deep within the corners of my locker. A smile blossomed across my face as I reread the new compliment.
I finally realize the difference between pretty and beautiful.
I loved how my secret admirer doesn't just toss around overused sexual pick up lines, but instead, sweet meaningful ones. Ones that make your insides melt up like hot chocolate, ones that unintentionally make you finally feel as if you're worth something to someone. They also do it once a day, at different intervals, I've tried to figure out the pattern, but I just couldn't seem to figure it out.
"Leo! Leo! What was it today?" Piper came running down the hallways, forming a beeline towards me. Sometimes, actually, most times, I feel like she's more excited about this than I am. Piper pops up beside me, peeping around, trying to catch a glimpse.
I handed her the small little note, a tiny smile of fondness appeared on my face. I loved Piper in a sibling way, and she always managed to make me smile at least once a day. Arms suddenly hugged me from behind. I gave out a very manly squeak of surprise, convinced someone was trying to kidnap me in front of the entire school.
"Hey, calm down repair boy, it's just me." Nico's low soothing voice startled me awake from my thoughts. I fake glared at him as he released me from his clutches to look at me in the eye.
"Gosh Nico! You scared the crap out of me! Don't do that ever again." I stomped my foot on the floor like a mad five-year old that didn't get ice cream for dessert. For a moment, my eyes connected with a pair if sea green ones, contained with jealousy. However, before I could properly glance at the mysterious person, they disappeared right back into the massive crowd of students.
"Hehe, well I can't help it that my best friend just turned out to be very easily scared..." Nico's sly grin slowly made its reappearance back onto the stage.
"Guys! Guys!" Piper squealed to get our attentions, and successfully not only doing that but also busting my eardrums, "You know, I just thought of the perfect idea EVER."
"Oh, beauty queen thinking? Let's call the ambulance for her well being and my ears." I muttered sarcastically. Beside me, Nico let out a chuckle at my bitter tone, even though it was obviously all to push Piper's buttons.
I smirked as my plan worked, Piper's eyes darkened a bit in anger, her hands balled tightly into fists, knuckles turning white from the pressure if how hard she was gripping. Now, if I had just met her, I would have already bolted, but as a result of being her best friend for two to three years, I merely cocked my hip to the side and raised my eyebrows daringly and questioningly.
Piper puffed out a breath in anger. Nevertheless, she finally conceded and chirped out a tiny, almost inaudible "Sorry."
"There we go," I puff out my chest in triumph, "that's what I was looking for. Now about the 'super great idea' you had?"
"Oh well, you see--"
"Uh, guys, we should really be heading to class..." Nico's eyes swept the room silently, warning us that class was, in fact, going to start in less than a minute. I cursed under my breath.
"Thanks, death breath and sorry beauty queen but you gotta have to tell us at lunch about your super great idea." I barely finished spitting out the sentence before running towards the direction of my respective class.
Percy's POV
The seconds ticked by, seeming to go faster and faster, yet Leo still hadn't entered to classroom doors. I knew that he had class with me today, which is why I put the sticky note before today's class. My eyes constantly flickered towards the clock, counting the minutes that passed by each second. I was so focused on the task at hand, I didn't even acknowledge the fact that Matt Sloan had leaned my direction to say something.
"Hey Jackson, what ya looking at--" Matt's sentence was interrupted by two things. 1) The annoying bell that's ring sounded like a roaring rhino charging 2) The creaking door opened by none other than Mr. Leo Valdez.
My heart leaped for joy at the sight of the petite Latino standing in the doorway, my stomach fluttered around. There was no denying it, I was in love.
"Sorry I'm late, I lost track of time and I didn't even realize--" Leo's words rushed out of his mouth like a waterfall, causing many snickers to bloom across the classroom of jerks. Mrs. Sham merely nodded and gave Leo a kind forgiving smile, indicating him to take his seat so she could start the class. Leo's features almost instinctively relaxed, although he still looked a bit out of breath from sprinting to class.
I wondered when I could finally tell Leo my feelings for him.
Leo's POV
I wondered when I could finally know who was my secret admirer.
Well, Piper told me the plan, and I must say it is pretty ingenious.
Every Tuesday, my secret admirer will always put the note in before Chemistry, so Piper told me that I should go to my locker early, hide in the crowd (using my very short height to my advantage), and try to catch the secret admirer slipping a note into my locker.
Today is Friday.
This is gonna be a long wait.
Percy's POV
I decided that I'm gonna tell Leo to meet me after school with the next note. Today is Tuesday and I already gave him about a two months worth of notes. I speed walked to his locker and dropped it in. That was a mistake. I forgot to look around to check if he was here or not. And as a consequence of my actions, I felt a hand tap my shoulder.
I whipped around to see Leo.
Arms crossed.
Slightly red in the cheeks.
Eyebrows raised.
Uh oh...
"U-uh, he-hey L-l-leo...?" I stuttered out my words, mentally cursing that I turned it to a question at the end.
A darker glare.
Tighter fists.
"So you're the person who leaves notes in my locker? Is this some practical joke or something? Let's leave poor little gay Leo a few compliments so we can break him apart and tell him it was all a joke, just like his whole life. Congratulations, you've made me feel like I was finally worth something to someone, now let me guess, you're just gonna be like Matt and his gang. I can't believe I thought for a second you were actually nicer." Leo snarled, his eyes were glaring daggers into my soul. His hands were now so tight into a fist, that they were turning white. I wanted to say something, to tell him "No that's not what it is." But my tongue seemed to be caught in my throat, I couldn't produce any sound other than a tiny squeak of surprise. Leo scoffed. But underneath all the stone cold mask, I could tell he was hurt emotionally. And the worst part is, it was all because of me.
"Piss off."
What? Did he just tell me too...
"I said PISS OFF," Leo screamed at me, tears were brimming his lower eyelids. I understood he wanted to be alone so I placed one foot in front of another, gradually becoming farther and farther away. But not before saying:
"At least follow the note's instructions."
Leo's POV
"Meet me behind the school after lunch."
So that's exactly what I did.
I don't know why. Percy probably just did so he could beat me up with no one around, but I went anyways.
Nico wasn't exactly a fan of the idea, he and Percy were cousins but didn't have a pretty background. Piper, on the other hand, encouraged me to go, telling me that if I need help, just yell and she'll be nearby. Whatever that means.
I scanned the area for any green eyed devils, still none...
Warm hands covered my eyes, electing a yelp from my mouth. They flipped me around to meet face to face with the specific green eyed devil I was searching for. I began to scowl, however stopping midway because of the shock of how close Percy and I were. My cheeks gradually became warmer by the seconds, his eyes flickered towards them, sending me a soft smile, full of love and acceptance.
I tried to shake myself out of it. I tried to tell myself No! He's gonna hurt you like Matt and the rest! But I just seemed not to be able to complete the wished actions. By now, I might as well just change my name to Red since I was blushing so much anyways. Percy's hand slowly moved, as if he didn't want to startle me, like I was a fish in the pond he was trying to catch. His hand cupped my cheek, his other hand on my waist. My eyes fluttered open and close. All too suddenly, we both leaned in, slowly but surely, until his lips touched mine.
I was like fireworks. Like one's in birthday parties, birthday parties that I've never had. Like I was actually something for once in my life.
Eventually, Percy's lips left mine. They felt cold and empty, so I reconnected them. Percy didn't object.
Let's just say I didn't regret meeting that green eyed devil behind the school after lunch.
And nothing will make me either.