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Leo has always prided himself on a lot of things: being the camp clown, the grease-stained inventor, the guy who could even make the most terrifying situation feel like a comedy skit. But being smooth? Being confident when it came to his own feelings? Not so much.
Which was why, right now, he was pacing outside of Cabin ONe, nervously fiddling with a little bronze dove.
The bird was small enough that it could fit into his or anyone’s pocket, it had tiny copper wings that could flutter if you wound up the gears. Its eyes glowed a faintly blue, powered by a miniature celestial bronze battery he had made for it so it would never run out. It was one of his best inventions yet, really, not because of the mechanics, but because of the meaning behind it. Every rivet and gear was hammered with words he couldn’t bring himself to say out loud.
“C’mon Valdez” He muttered under his breath, rolling the bird carefully between his palms. “You’ve built dragons, fought giants, survived Hera messing with your head. This is nothing, just tell him how you feel. Not a big deal at all, nope not at all.”
Except it was a big deal.
Because Jason Grace wasn’t just anyone. Jason was well… well Jason. The guy who always made him feel like he wasn’t just the butt of his own jokes. The one who always listened to his ramblings, who always believed in him when no one else did, who always made him feel like he wasn’t a mistake.
And Leo, genius son of Hephaestus had gone and fallen for him. Hard.
He wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans and stared at the cabin door. It loomed like some impossible quest monster, daring him to knock.
Inside, voices drifted out faintly. Jason’s low steady tone and Piper’s lighter laugh.
Leo’s heart did a weird flip. Of course Piper would be there. She and Jason were practically inseparable. Still, it didn’t mean anything, right? Friends hang out all the time… right? Before he could spiral even more he took a deep breath, squared his shoulders and marched up to the steps. His fis hovering, ready to knock.
The door opened before he could.
Jason stood there, golden hair catching the dying sunlight like a halo, a crooked smile tugging at his lips. And right next to him, Piper. Her braid was neat, her face lit up with one of those effortless smiles that could disarm anyone. In her arms she held a bundle of wildflowers, tied together with twine. In her other hand was a small carved wooden box, almost like a box a ring would be in.
Leo froze.
Jason had said something that made her laugh, it sounded like a bell. She pressed the flowers into his hands, and his smile widened, soft and grateful. His fingers brushed hers as he took them.
It felt like the ground dropped out from under Leo. He could feel his chest cracking open, jagged and raw, like someone had reached in and ripped his heart out with their bare hands. The bronze dove slipped from his fingers, clattering quietly against the wooden steps, breaking on impact.
He didn’t wait to see if they had noticed or even heard. Didn’t wait for an explanation. He turned and bolted, his feet pounding harshly against the dirt path back towards the forge.
The forge door groaned shut behind him, the heavy metal lock clicking into place like the seal on a vault. Safe. No one could come in, no one could see him fall apart. He staggered towards the workbench and gripped the edge so tightly his knuckles went white. The heat from the roaring furnaces pressed in on him, but it did nothing to melt the ice that was forming around his heart.
It cracked. And then he cracked with it.
A sob tore its way out of his throat, raw and unsteady. He pressed his face into his hands, but it was useless, the tears came fast with no sign of them stopping any time soon. They soaked through his fingers. His whole body shook as if his grief had teeth and was gnawing at him from the inside out.
Ugly sounds echoed in the empty forge.
Why'd you even think you had a change?
Of course Jason would pick her.
She’s everything you’re not.
You’re just a joke, the comic relief. Not the guy who gets her flowers.
Leo slid to the floor, his back against the wall. He curled his knees to his chest like a kid, shaking as his sobs grew hoarse. For a long time he just let it out, until he felt like there was nothing left inside him except a hollow ache.
When he finally dragged himself up again, his throat burned, his eyes were swollen and red. Hands trembling as he reached for his wrench. If he couldn't fix himself, he could fix something else.
And so began the routine.
He threw himself into work like a man who was drowning and working was his desperate need of air. Automaton parts littered the benches, gears were scattered across the floor and half finished projects piled everywhere. Everytime exhaustion began to claw at him, everytime his chest tightened with the image of Jason smiling at Piper, he just pushed harder.
Sparks flew as he welded late into the night. His fingers had started to blister under the strain of hammering. He had burned himself twice already without even flinching, the sting was nothing compared to the ache in his heart. His hands were raw, clothes stained with oil and soot.
Sleep had become a distant memory. Meals too. He skipped breakfast, then lunch, then dinner. His siblings in Cabin Nine had started to notice, of course they did. They whispered behind him, cast worried glances his way, and tried knocking on the forge door.
“Leo, come eat with us.”
“Leo, you’ve been in there all day.”
“Leo, you look like hell, get some rest..”
He had brushed them all off with a grin, but it never reached his eyes. Fake and plastered on. “I’m fine, Hermanos. Just busy, the world won't save itself, right?”
But the truth was uglier. Overworking himself was the only way to stay numb. If he stopped moving, the silence would swallow him and he’d hear his own heart breaking all over again. And he wasn’t sure if he could handle or survive it.
And so, Leo, class clown son of Hephaestus, survivor of gods and monster, had locked himself away, building, breaking and burning until even his siblings had started glaring at Jason and Piper whenever they passed by.
By the fifth night without Leo, the whole camp seemed… quieter.
Jason noticed first at the dining pavilion.Normally, Leo’s voice would’ve been carrying across the tables, cracking jokes about how the Apollo kids should start an actual boy band, or tossing grapes at the Hermes table just to see who would notice first. Instead, the only sound was the clatter of plates and the hum of hundred conversations that felt thinner without him.
He pushed food around on his plate, appetite gone. Across the way, the Hephaestus kids sat hunched at their table. Not a single one looked like they were enjoying themselves. Nyssa, who usually laughed loud enough to rattle the pavilion, was silent, her eyes sharp. And when Jason looked over even for just a split second, she called at him like she could set him on fire without even needing the forge. A few other campers at the table followed her lead, muttering to each other. Jason shifted uncomfortably. He had fought giants and storm spirits, but somehow a cabin full of angry Hepaestus kids? That was kind of terrifying.
He barely touched his dinner before heading back to the campfire, where Piper sat cross legged. The flames reflected in her eyes, painting her face in gold and shadows.
“Have you noticed?” he asked her quietly, standing over her.
“Noticed what?” she asked, even though her expression said she already knew what he was talking about.
“Leo,” Jason said. “He hasn’t been to a single meal in days. Won’t spar. Hell, won’t even open the forge when I knock. And his siblings…” he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. “They’re glaring at ,e like I kicked their puppy into tartarus or something.”
Piper let out a slow sigh. “That’s because you probably did. Even if you didn’t mean to.”
Jason frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Everytime I pass the forge, I hear hammering,” she explained. “Day, night, doesn’t matter. He’s working himself into the ground. Something is eating at him, and if I had to guess…” she gave Jason a look that was a mix of sympathy and accusation.
His stomach twisted. “Why wouldn’t he just say something?”
“Because he’s Leo,” Piper said softly. “He’d rather joke until he collapses than admit he’s hurting. He has always hidden it until it gets too much.” Her gaze flickered towards Jason, piercing. “And from the way he’s avoiding you? You’re part of it.” Jason’s chest tightened. He thought of the flowers, the carved box Piper had helped him with. The plan he’d been waiting to carry out. “He won’t even look at me” he admitted “Like I already messed everything up before I got the chance.”
Piper reached over, squeezing his arm. “Then fix it. Don’t wait for the ‘right time’ there isn’t one. Just tell him before he burns himself out.”
Jason nodded, though his stomach churned. He had faced worse than this, but somehow walking into that forge scared the shit out of him, more than all of it.
Later that evening, Piper wandered past the Hephaestus cabin. It wasn’t only Jason he was avoiding but her as well, and she was growing more worried by the day. She caught the sound of hammering, steady and relentless, like someone was punishing metal instead of shaping it. The forge vents belched sparks into the night sky.
A couple of Leo’s siblings were sitting on the steps, talking in low voices. Piper hesitated before approaching, trying to figure out what was happening.
“...he hasn’t eaten in days” one muttered.
“Won’t sleep either. Just keeps going until he drops, then starts again,” another added.
Nyssa spotted Piper and immediately stood, arms crossed. “What do you want?”
Piper stopped a few feet away, the weight of their stares pressing down on her. “I just… wanted to check on Leo..” Nyssa scoffed and rolled her eyes “You mean you and Jason? Funny how he started falling apart right after you two got cozy.”
Piper blinked, startled. “What? Jason and I-”
Another sibling cut in with another scoff “Don’t bother denying it. He told us what he saw. Flowers, gifts, standing there all smiling…” their expressions twisted. “Like you only had eyes for each other, not caring about anyone else.” Her jaw dropped. The memory hit her like a bag of bricks, standing in Cabin One with Jason holding the bouquet, showing him the carved box she’d helped pick out. Suddenly it all clicked.
“Oh, gods,” she whispered. “He saw us. That’s what this is.”
Nyssa’s glare softened for the tiniest fraction, hoping this was all just a misunderstanding. “Whatever happened, fix it. Because if Leo works himself into the ground any harder, there won’t be anything left to fix.”
Inside, the hammering continued. Piper swallowed hard, guilt pressing heavy against her chest. She’d been helping Jason plan a confession, but from the way things looked now, they had both just broken Leo without meaning to.
She left with one thought burning in her mind: Jason couldn’t wait anymore.
Inside the forge, Leo slammed the hammer down again, sparks stinging his arms. His vision had started to blur around the edges, but he kept going. The sound of muffled voices outside only twisted the knife deeper.
They’re talking about you. Talking about Jason and Piper.
He pressed his lips together, jaw starting to ache from how hard he was clenching. “Doesn’t matter” he muttered “Doesn’t matter. You don’t matter, just keep working.”
But it did matter. Gods, it mattered so much that his hands shook. Still, he hammered on. Because if he stopped, he had to face the truth. He wasn’t ready, not yet.
So he stood hunched over his workbench, goggles had slid down his nose, sweat was dripping down his temple. His hammer kept striking the glowing bronze in front of him again and again, each blow louder than necessary and the sparks leapt like angry fireflies, stinging his bare arms with each leap.
He barely noticed.
His entire world had narrowed down to the noise, drowning out the thoughts clawing at him. Jason and Piper. Piper and Jason. Gifts. Smiles. Every strike was a desperate attempt to silence the images seared into his brain.
The forge door creaked.
“Leo,” Jason’s voice said softly from the entrance.
Leo flinches, nearly dropping the hammer. How had he gotten in here, was there no one at the steps anymore. Or had Nyssa let him in? He shoved the half shaped piece of metal into the quench barrel, steam hissing violently. His heart thundered. He hadn’t expected Jason tonight, or well… at all. Was Piper not available? Did he come to see the damage he had inflicted or rub their relationship in his face.
“Don’t” he snapped, keeping his back turned. He couldn’t face the other, he couldn’t look at those lightning blue eyes and possibly killer smile that was no longer intended for him, but for… Piper. “Just don’t, Grace” His voice came out rough, scraped raw from sleepless nights and too many tears.
But Jason stepped inside anyway, closing the door behind him. The firelight threw golden highlights across his face, his expression lined with concern. He had faced greater foes with less hesitation than this, but the sight of Leo, gaunt, dark circles under his eyes, hands trembling from exhaustion and hunger nearly stopped him in his tracks.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” He said, his tone careful, like he was approaching a scared animal. “Avoiding Piper. You’ve missed every meal for days, everyone is worried. What’s going on with you…?”
Leo couldn’t help the harsh laugh that escaped him, brittle as glass. “Worried?! Nah, man. You don’t need to worry about me anymore. You’ve got Piper now right? Flowers, gifts, smiles that look like they belong in a cheesy romcom. Congrats, you found your happiness.”
Jason froze. “...What?”
Leo whirled around finally facing Jason, his goggles now around his neck, revealing his red rimmed and raw eyes. Grease was streaking his face like war paint. “I saw you!” he shouted, voice cracking. “She gave you flowers, a box, I don’t even know what was in it but probably a promise or proposal ring or some shit. You smiled at her like I’ve been stupid enough to hope you’d ever smile at me. So don’t stand there acting like you don't know!” his chest heaved. The words kept coming, spilling out like molten metal he couldn’t control. “You two fit. You’re perfect. You’re… everything I’m not. And me? I’m just some grease monkey who makes things explode and cracks jokes so people don’t see how broken I am.”
His voice dropped, hoarse. “And the second I thought that maybe, just maybe you could feel the same? I was wrong. Again…” The hammer slipped from his hand and clattered to the floor, only nearly missing his foot. He buried his face in his hands, shoulders shaking. “So just go, Grace. Leave me alone, just leave me be…”
Jason’s heart twisted painfully. He crossed the space in two steps and grabbed Leo’s shoulders, firm but steady. “Leo. Look at me..”
He tried to turn away, hell maybe even run away but Jason held him fast.
“You’ve got it wrong,” Jason said, voice breaking with urgency. “The flowers, the gift, they… they weren’t from Piper to me. She was helping me. Helping me to figure out how to give them to you.”
Leo froze, hand falling from his face. His eyes searched Jason’s desperately, like he wanted to believe but he couldn’t. “....What?”
Jason reached into his pocket with shaking hands and pulled out the small carved box. Opening it, it revealed the bronze gear pendant that gleamed like a firelight. “This was for you,” he said “Because I like you. Gods, Leo, I’ve liked you for a long time. I thought Piper could help me get it right. And then you disappeared, and I thought-” he swallowed hard trying to force the words out. “I thought I had lost you before I could even tell you.”
Leo’s breath hitched, staring at the pendant like it might disappear if he blinked. “You…like me?” his voice was so small, Jason’s chest ached upon hearing it. “I do,” he whispered. “More than like. I was scared to say it, but I can’t keep it in anymore. I can’t stand seeing you destroy yourself like this.”
The words cracked something open. Leo’s laugh came out broken, jagged. “You don’t get it. You didn’t see…” his voice cracked again, and the dam burst. “I’ve been down here for days. I can’t stop. My hands won’t stop. Because if I do, I’ll think. And if I think, I’ll remember you with her, and it hurts so bad I can’t breathe.”
Jason’s eyes softened with horror as he took in the full state of him. His fingers were blistered, raw from hammering. Nails cracked and soot caked into the creases of his skin. His arms were shaking from both exhaustion and hunger, his whole body trembling like a worn out machine.
“Oh, firefly…” he whispered, cupping his face. “You’ve been killing yourself.”
Leo jerked away at the gentle touch, feeling like he didn’t deserve it, that perhaps this was just a hallucination. It could happen after a certain amount of no sleep. “I had to. It was the only way to shut it off. The only way to not feel like my chest was caving in.” His breathing started to come in shallow bursts, chest having like he’d just run a marathon. His hands wouldn't stop shaking. He wanted to laugh, to make some stupid joke to cut through the tension, but the words wouldn't come. All he could do was sit there, trembling and raw.
Jason didn’t even hesitate, dropping to his knees in front of the trembling boy and wrapping his arms around him. The hug was steady, grounding, everything Leo hadn’t let himself admit he needed. And for a split second, he froze. His whole body went stuff, like touch was something he didn’t know how to accept anymore. But then the weight of it, the warmth, the steadiness hit him, and he crumbled.
Another sob tore its way out of him, ugly and loud, muffled against Jason’s shoulder. He clutched at the other’s shirt with blistering hands, fingers curling tight like he was afraid he would disappear if he let go.
“I cant… I can’t stop,” he choked out between ragged breaths. “I don’t sleep, I don't eat, I just keep working and working until my head goes quiet. And it never lasts. It never lasts.”
Jason only held him tighter, one hand rubbing slowly circled against his back in an attempt to comfort him. “You don’t have to do that anymore,” he murmured. “You don’t have to carry this alone.” but Leo only shook his head violently. “You don’t get it! If I stop- If I stop, I’ll think about how I’m not good enough, how I’ll never be good enough for you, for anyone.” his voice cracked even more “And I'll drown..”
Jason pulled back from the hug just enough to cup Leo’s face in his hands, forcing him to meet his gaze. His thumb gently brushed away the tears that kept coming. “Listen to me,” Jason said, steady and firm. “You are enough. You always have been. You’re brilliant and brave and… Gods, Leo, you light up every room you walk into, even if you don’t believe it. You’ve saved us more times than I can count. You’ve saved me.” His voice wavered, but he pressed on. “And I don’t care if you can’t see that right now. I’ll keep saying it until you do. Because I’m not going anywhere.”
Leo’s lips parted, but no words came out. He could only just stare at Jason, tears spilling over, chest shaking with the force of everything he had held back for far too long. And then he collapsed forward, burying his face against Jason’s neck.
Who caught him easily, settling onto the floor with Leo half in his lap. He held him as the sobs wracked through him, deep, ugly, body breaking sobs that sounded like years of pain clawing his way you. This wasn’t just about what he saw anymore, but also about the years of pent up feelings and bad thoughts. Jason didn’t shush him, didn’t try to stop it. He just held on, solid and unyielding, letting Leo break apart against him.
The forge crackled around them, but for once Leo didn’t feel swallowed by its fire. For once, he wasn’t burning alone.
Eventually Leo’s sobs slowed to the occasional hiccups, but his body still shook violently. His arms were streaked with soot, tiny burns along his forearms were sparks had caught his skin, and the calluses on his hands were cracked and bleeding.
“Leo…” Jason murmured, tilting his head so he could see him better. “You’re hurt, let me take care of it..”
Leo tried to shrug it off, hunching defensively trying to cover up the damages he had unconsciously done to his own body. “It’s fine. I’ve had worse. It’s nothing.”
Jason’s eyes narrowed. “Nothing? Your hands are bleeding, you’re got burns across your arms and you haven’t slept in days according to Nyssa. You’re starving yourself, You admitted that you were breaking yourself, Leo. This isn’t fine.”
“I just… needed to forget”
Jason shook his head, frustrated but tender. “Like I said before, you don’t need to forget. You don’t need to punish yourself. You think keeping busy like this makes everything better? It doesn’t. Look at yourself, you’re… you’re exhausted, physically and mentally. It’s killing you.”
Leo swallowed hard, throat raw from crying but he let the other continue. Because deep down he knew he was right. Jason took his hands into his own ever so gently, brushing his fingers over the damaged and bloody skin. “We’re getting you out of here now.”
“I can’t… there’s still work-”
“No,” Jason said firmly, shaking his head. “You’re not touching another piece of metal until you have rested. And you’re not doing it alone. Come on.”
He helped Leo to his feet, steadying him against his shoulder. Leo’s legs wobbled under him like rubber. The weight of the last several days of pushing himself to exhaustion pressed down on him, and for a moment he nearly collapsed. Jason tightened his hold, murmuring. “I’ve got you. You’re safe. You’re not doing this alone anymore.”
Leo’s arms went around Jason’s neck instinctively, clinging like he’d just been rescued from drowning. The tears returned, softer this time, but steady, mingling with sweat and soot. “You’re gonna be okay” Jason whispered into his hair, brushing a hand over his back, feeling the tension in every muscle. “I’m not going anywhere, not gonna leave you. You hear me?”
He nodded, muffled against Jason's shoulder. “I… I hear you.”
Jason adjusted his hold so they could move more easily. “Come on, I’m taking you somewhere warm. Somewhere you can sleep and eat, somewhere I can make you don’t try and destroy yourself again.” Leo tried to protest, weakly, but his voice faltered. “But… I can’t…”
He shook his head. “Yes, yes you can. And yes you will. You have to. Because I can’t stand watching you like this. Not when I care about you this much.”
Leo’s chest tightened at the words. He wanted to argue, to claim he could handle it, but the weight of everything, exhaustion, heartbreak, worry and relief made him silent. He let Jason lead him out of the forge, each step heavy but grounded by his unwavering support.
Outside the night air was cooler, crisp against his sweat soaked skin. The sparks from the forge faded behind him and for the first time in days, he didn’t feel the weight of his panic crushing him. He just leaned on Jason, exhausted and raw, and let himself be carried through the night.
Jason glanced down at him, brushing soot streaked hair from his forehead. “We’re going to fix this,” he said softly. “Everything. I promise.”
Leo let out a shaky breath, finally allowing himself to believe it. Maybe, just maybe he wouldn’t have to face this alone anymore. The forge, the pain, the overworking, the heartbreak stayed behind them. For the first time in a week, Leo felt a small spark of hope that wasn’t fueled by fire or metal.
It was fuelled by Jason.
The cabin was quiet, the only sound the soft crackle of a fire Jason had lit in the hearth.
Leo was wrapped in a thick blanket, knees pulled to his chest, still shaky from the night’s breakdown. Jason knelt beside him, carefully examining the small burns and blisters along his arms, gently applying a salve he had gotten from Will earlier. “You really did a number on yourself,” he said softly, brushing a streak of soot away from Leo’s temple.
Leo shrugged, cheeks still a faint red from crying. “Guess i… got carried away.”
Jason smiled gently. “Carried away doesn’t even begin to cover it. You can’t keep punishing yourself like that.”
“I wasn’t punishing myself…” he muttered, though his voice lacked conviction. “I just needed to keep…busy” Jason reached out and took both of Leo’s hands in his own, warm and steady. “Busy or not, hurting yourself isn’t the way to deal with it. You don’t have to carry everything alone. Not when I’m here. Or you can always go to Piper or Nyssa and any of the others. You’re not alone”
Leo’s gaze flicked up, eyes meeting Jason’s. For the first time in days, there was no fear, no hesitation, just quiet vulnerability. He let out a shaky laugh, partly relief and partly disbelief. “You actually mean it?”
Jason leaned closer, thumb brushing over his cheek. “Every word. You’re not alone, Leo. Not ever again.”
For a moment the world shrank to just the two of them, the warmth of the fire, the gently crackling in the hearth and the quiet rhythm of their breathing. Then Leo let himself lean forward, resting his forehead against Jason’s chest. His hand moved to cradle the back of Leo’s neck, holding him gently.
“I don’t… I don’t deserve this,” Leo whispered.
“You deserve everything,” Jason said firmly. “Your heart, your smile, your fire. Every part of you. And I’m not letting you hide anymore. Not from me. Not from yourself.”
Leo closed his eyes, letting the tension seep out of him with the slow rhythm of Jason’s heartbeat beneath his forehead. He felt warmth, safety, and an unexpected lightness spreading through his chest, a feeling that wasn’t fear or panic or heartbreak.
Jason pressed a gentle kidd to the top of his head, then another to his temple. “I’m not going anywhere.” he murmured. Leo lifted his head slowly, cheeks still pink and met Jason’s gaze, his lips trembled as he whispered. “I… I like you too.”
Jason smiled softly, his thumb brushing over Leo’s lips. “I know, I figured from what happened earlier” he gently joked trying to lighten the mood a little more.
Leo’s lip curled into a small, tentative smile. Then, finally, he leaned in fully. Their lips met in a kiss that was gentle, steady, full of unspoken promises. A kiss that healed the ache of the past week, the heartbreak and the tears. Jason deepened it slowly, holding Leo close, feeling the tension in his body melt away. Leo’s hands eventually found their way to Jason's shoulders, gripping them tightly as if he could anchor himself to this moment forever.
When they finally pulled back, he rested his forehead against Jason’s again, laughing softly through tears. “Guess I don’t need to set myself on fire to feel warm anymore.”
Jason chuckled, pressing another soft kiss to the other’s temple. “Not when I’m here.”
Outside the night was calm. Inside, the forge, the pain and the heartbreak had all been left behind. Leo let himself relax fully for the first time in days. Jason was there. And for once that was enough. He would be sure to apologize to Piper tomorrow but for now he was wrapped in blankets and finally safe. They stayed like that, quiet, together and whole.
The sparks of fire, once a symbol of overworking and heartbreak, now seemed to flicker in celebration, a small reminder that fire could forge not just metal, but hearts as well.
And Leo’s heart, battered but unbroken, had finally found its home.