Chapter Text
Look, if you told Leo a few months ago that he would be eating peanut butter straight out of the jar, at four a.m, with Nico Di-fucking- Angelo, he would have called you crazy.
But here he is, in the most booby trapped kitchen in the world, with one of the most powerful (and dangerous, to be honest) demigods in the world. Eating peanut butter. At four a.m. He feels like that in any other timeline, that would be impossible, but as he sits there, listening to Nico complaining about some of the new designs in the new mythomagic cards, it feels like the most natural thing that he’s ever done.
But how the hell did things progress in a way that the two more unlikely people are just, sitting there. Enjoying each other's company. It should feel unreal. If Leo thinks about it too hard, it kinda does. But he honestly doesn't give a shit. It's the best time he has had in what feels like forever.
But one does have to wonder how such a weird friendship started.
-*-*-*-*-*-
Leo doesn't really get out of bunker 9 these days. Why would he? All of his friends are gone, they left him, they were busy with their own lifes.
Jason left for camp Jupiter with Hazel and Frank. Piper decided to finish her junior year of high school in the same school that Annabeth and Percy were finishing up their senior year. They did offer him to join them, but why would he? High school was hell for him. He always got distracted and got in trouble with every teacher he came upon. Besides, school offered him nothing but a useless piece of paper. He already knew everything he needed.
That left him alone at Camp. Well, mostly. He still had a few of his siblings but they don't really count. They never got close, he was too weird, even for them. He did try to bond with them, working on the forgery with them, repairing weapons for other campers. But, after tinkering and altering the weapons a little too much, the campers complained. They had to forbid him from touching the weapons, and he gets it, okay? But he can't help but feel rejected from them. So he decides to work on his own projects alone in the bunker.
And that was just kinda it for a while. He still slept in his cabin, he showed up for meals and he occasionally showed up for cabin activities with his siblings. He just preferred to work in his bunker instead of the forgery.
But after a while, something just shifted. He wasn't sure when or why. One day he just stopped forcing himself on conversations, waiting to at least be acknowledged so he could speak. But he never was. Although he hanged around them, and clearly wanted to be included, nodding along with the person speaking, he was never addressed. Hell, they didn't even look at him.
So, he started pulling away. It wasn't even that difficult, no one really cared. It started simple, skipping a few meals once in a while, telling himself he had work and could eat later. The first few times, his cabin mates questioned him and he told them he was busy with his projects. After a while they stopped.
After that, he stopped joining them in their shared activities as well. He wasn't good at them anyway. Most of them were about fighting, something he was never good at. There was a reason he relied on his wits and inventions. He told them so when they questioned him.
He was spending most of his days in the bunker now. Alone with his countless projects that he was constantly brainstorming. He only got out to eat (sometimes), and sleep. That was until he decided to drag an old mattress so he could get power naps. That was until he discovered the ration packs in the kitchen one night, and decided to take some.
After that, it was like he wasn't there anymore. No one saw him for days at a time. He only got out to restock on food and maybe take a shower, he really needed to make a shower in there. He spent his time down there, working, inventing hundreds of things that most often than not, ended up despising and throwing away so he could make a better version of them.
He didn't sleep anymore. He was always so deep in his work that he didn't even notice that he was exhausted until he passed out. It was always bad when that happened. He would wake up from his self induced coma and have injuries from his collapse. One time he hit his head so bad he's pretty sure he got a concussion.
Well, bad habits die hard.
-*-*-*-*-
Leo woke up from his nap (read: coma) with a throbbing headache. It was so bad he contemplated going to the infirmary to get some advil but he disposed of that idea quickly, he just needs water and some food, that's all. He opened the mini fridge he built a while ago and took a swig of the water. The cold liquid felt like a breath of fresh air, relieving his dry throat.
In a blink of an eye, he had downed the whole bottle. He threw the empty bottle in the trashcan and moved to the cupboard where he kept the food rations. Look, the rations may be tasting like shit but he just couldn't be bothered. The mere thought of leaving his bunker and joining the others for food sounded exhausting.
But looking at his empty cupboard, he just gave a defeated sigh. Food was overrated anyway.
He turned back to the project he was working on for sometime now, a brand new body for Festus. It was his biggest project yet (minus the Argo 2).
Before he fell asleep he was working on his front legs, so he pickes up from there. He has a hard time figuring out how to make the movements seem natural and not, well, robotic.
He keeps working, and working. He must have spent hours in pretty much the same spot, tinkering with Festus's right leg, trying to make it work just like he wants. The headache he is trying to ignore is making everything so much harder than they should be.
The constant sound of his tools bending the machine is the only sound that echoes in the empty bunker, the only interruption is the occasional sound of his hungry stomach.
He didn't stop working until the emptiness of his stomach turned into an ache that he could no longer ignore. His headache was starting to morph into a migraine.
Leo sighs, and puts his tools down. He won't be able to concentrate and finish the leg until he has eaten something. And maybe he will pass through the infirmary. Will wouldn't mind if he took one advil.
With those thoughts, he drags his body though the huge metal door and is instantly hit in the face by the chilly night air.
You heard that right, night air. Because it's the middle of the night, because of course it is. Maybe he should make a window in the door of the banker so he could actually tell the time. Or get a clock. Getting a clock sounded better. It can also tell you the date, he has no idea what day it is. Hell, he's not even sure what month it is. Time is blurred together and he never thought to check any of that stuff in previous trips to the kitchen
‘Maybe I can make one that is voice activated. And it should also read it on its own. It would be way better…’ His thoughts are a constant stream, never pausing as he walks through the dark wood.
Should he be paying more attention to his surroundings? Probably. The woods are more than dangerous, even with the magic boundaries. Anything could be lurking in the dark.
And something does. He hears some twinks snapping a few trees to his right. His head snapped towards the sound, his hand flying to his belt. Or the place where it would be if he didn't forget it back to the bunker. Gods damnit.
Why?
The only thing that he has is the tiniest fucking screwdriver that exists. He grabs it anyway. Better than nothing.
He makes his way over slowly and as quietly as he can. In his right hand he holds the tiny screwdriver like he has seen Annabeth hold her knife a thousand times before. His other hand is raised, ready to make a fireball to throw to the threat if he needs to.
He waits and listens behind a big tree, hearing for more movement. Whatever or whoever is behind him is not so quiet. They shuffle around and make more sound than any animal would.
Leo takes a deep breath and turns around to face the person that's there, his hand lighting in fire.
“What the fuck?”
He's startled by his own voice but honestly doesn't give it a second thought as he stares at Nico Di Angelo who looks like a deer caught in the headlights.
He was obviously surprised by Leo's sudden appearance, considering he literally fell to his ass from where he was trying to climb a tree.
“What the hell are you doing?” Leo can't help but ask. He hasn't seen the guy in literally months and the first he sees him doing after all that time, is sneaking around in the forest, trying to climb a fucking tree.
Nico was theoretically a year rounder in the comp. Leo says theoretically because Nico is never in the camp. He's not sure where he is, but he would bet it was a mix of the underworld, camp Jupiter and maybe(?) New York.
Point is, he was never in Camp Halfblood unless Percy or Annabeth or Hazel or Jason or anyone but Leo really, was also at Camp. They never interacted unless they had to and it was always, and Leo means always, awkward.
His question seems to shake Nico out of his shock as he quickly sits up. Leo thinks he might be blushing but it could be just a trick of the light.
“Wha- Nothing! What are you doing!? It's the middle of the night!” Nico frantically questioned, obviously embarrassed having been caught red handed doing... Whatever it was that he was doing.
“Exactly! Like seriously dude, I could have thrown a fireball at you! Why are you sneaking around?” Leo asked, ignoring the question that was targeted at him.
“I'm not sneaking just… walking.” Wow. Leo has never heard someone lying so badly before in his life. And that's counting Jason, who is the worst liar in the world. Like seriously, never have Jason make up a cover story because he will give you away.
Nico cringes in his own lie but doesn't back out. “You never said what you were doing, Valdez.” He speaks hurriedly, trying to move the topic away from him.
Now look, it's not like he's embarrassed or anything, but Leo’s not sure he wants to tell death boy over here that he's on his way to the kitchens. As Nico said, it's the middle of the night, and the kitchen is strictly off limits.
Can he make up a lie on the spot? What would he even say? It's too late to say he's going to his cabin, and he can't say he's taking a walk or he will seem like a hypocrite.
They end up just awkwardly staring at each other for a few seconds, Leo's fire flickering and providing light. Leo clears his throat after a moment, giving up on the hope that he will make up a lie on the spot. He has a migraine okay? Give him a break.
“Well, I'm going to the kitchens.” He finally says after a moment. Nico just raises a judgemental eyebrow. Leo feels the embarrassment rising to his cheeks. “Like you're the one to talk! You were literally trying to climb a tree! A midnight snack is way more normal than that.”He speaks fast, trying to cover his embarrassment. He suddenly hates the flame on his hand that is surely showing how red he really is.
Nico scoffs, trying to play it off as cool but Leo can see that he, too, is embarrassed.
“Whatever, Valdez.” He glances at the flame.
“Can you put it out? You're giving away our position”.
“Our position? Dude, who would even be around here at this time?” Leo asks.
“Oh, I don't know, scouts?!” Nico whisper yells exasperated. “Just put out that goddamn fire!”
“Okay, okay, sheesh. You're grumpy.” Leo mutters, extinguishing his flame. Everything around them darkens instantly and he has to blink numerous times so his eyes can adjust to the new lighting. The moon sucks as a lighting source, let him tell you.
Nico glares at him so hard that Leo would've thought that he was trying to evaporate him with his mind.
His stomach has suddenly decided to end the bickering with the loudest growl it can master. “Well, that was a good conversation, but the kitchen is calling me, and who am I to resist?” Leo gives Nico his signature crooked grin. Nico glares at him even harder.
He gives a mock salute and turns toward the way to the kitchen. He hears a scoff behind him that makes his grin wider. Annoying Nico was always kinda fun but the chance to do so was always rare. Like he said before, they never really talked.
He hears snuffling around behind him and when he turns to look, Nico is nowhere to be found. Shadow travel. Of course, if Leo could teleport he would never use his legs again so he doesn't blame the Hades kid for doing it all the time. Although he's pretty sure he has heard Will berating him for doing just that. It takes too much energy or something like that. Whatever, he's not a doctor he for sure doesn't teleport.