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Leo was quite proud of his plan. It even had Piper's stamp of approval which said a lot and definitely helped his confidence about not getting two angry demigods on his back later.
What was his plan?
Operation SeaStorm.
AKA mission get Jason and Percy to finally do something about their ever growing tension.
It was obvious, at least to everyone but apparently the two actually involved anyway. Leo had never seen Jason's face look so soft until he caught him as he gazed at Percy over Cabin One's dining pavilion table that Percy insisted on sitting at. Neither had he witnessed Percy quite as frantic since his fall into Tartarus with his then girlfriend than Leo had two days ago when Jason had accidentally landed himself in the Infirmary.
That didn't even take into account the fact they were currently rooming together in New Rome University and Leo hadn't seen either of them separately since… actually he wasn't sure when. A long time anyway. He was even convinced they were sharing Cabin Three this winter too but he was yet to witness any hard evidence to prove his theory.
So, what did 'Operation SeaStorm' include?
Mistletoe.
The Aphrodite Cabin had already decorated Camp Half-Blood with the stuff and Leo himself had since been caught in a bunch and kissed on the cheek by one of the Stolls (he wasn't quite sure which one, maybe Connor?). All it had taken was some minor begging at Piper plus a drop of Jason and Percy's names and he'd managed to get his hands on a branch for himself.
To his delight, Percy and Jason had wandered off to the stables after lunch and the way back to main area of camp was through a leafed archway courtesy of the Demeter Cabin. Leo, plus a stool he'd borrowed from the arts and crafts building, had carefully tied his mistletoe within the centre archway. Now all he had to do was wait for Jason and Percy to return and then bam, show time!
It was a perfect placement, if Leo was allowed to boast a little.
Three pairs got caught under his mistletoe, one of them kissing very enthusiastically on the mouth and the other two sweet little cheek kisses, before his ears picked up the sound of Percy's voice.
A comment about Blackjack was followed by Jason's voice yet they were still too far for Leo to work out the words. Should he risk a peak out of his hiding spot? He shifted his weight.
"Valdez, do I want to know why you're hid behind a bush?"
Leo's head snapped around, his hand outstretched and he tugged on the intruders sleeve, pulling them down to his level. He caught dark brown, almost black, eyes and a frown.
"Don't let them see you!" he whisper-yelled.
Nico dislodged his arm. "You’re spying on someone." He eyed him curiously. "Who?”
"Jason and Percy," Leo replied and Nico's eyebrows lifted slightly. He motioned for Nico to look over the bush with him. "You see that mistletoe? I planted it so it should catch them both and then boom they kiss and finally realise they're in love."
Nico didn't say anything for a moment, which Leo was learning wasn't always a bad thing, and the voices of his friends (read as: victims) were getting louder so he tugged Nico back down.
He did note though that Nico made no effort to leave and also remained at his level, pressed in close enough that their elbows brushed. Nico was clearly just as curious as he was, the realisation curling a smirk to Leo's lips.
As Jason and Percy finally came into view properly, Percy nudged Jason in the arm and then jumped sideways away from Jason's own attack. They were always doing that and Leo was sure it was just some excuse so they could touch each other.
"How do you expect them to actually kiss?" Nico asked. "They could just walk away."
"Great question," Leo replied as his eyes remained trained on Jason's and Percy's form, both of them continuing to approach his spot. "I planted a two traps on the ground right under the mistletoe which means-"
He didn't have to explain the rest as, with one press to the button hidden in Leo's pocket, there were two loud yelps of surprise as metal claws gripped each of Percy and Jason's feet, holding them in place even when Percy attempted to pull his foot out.
"Only I can release them," Leo continued, showing Nico the device from his pocket, "which, I'm not doing until they finally make a move on each other."
Nico looked at him as if he'd grown a second head or accidentally spoken Spanish instead of English which, in Leo's life, was a pretty common look he received so he shrugged it off. He'd show Nico.
A loud clang of metal hitting metal chimed out and Leo's head snapped back to his trapped friends.
Soft bronze light glowed from where Riptide was gripped in Percy's hand and, from his stance and Jason's expression, he had clearly just used it in an attempt to break free of Leo's trap. Attempted as, to Leo's delight, it had been unsuccessful.
"I don't think that's going to work, Percy," Jason's voice sounded out as he wiggled his leg to no avail.
Percy groaned. "This so has Hephaestus', no, Leo's name written all over it."
Jason pointed upwards. "And Piper's."
Percy's eyes followed Jason's point and Leo grinned a smile of satisfaction as he watched the realisation dawn on each of their faces.
They were in easy arms reach of another, maybe only half an arm, Leo had made sure. Nicely facing each other as well and, with their near similar height, eye level too. A perfect execution of his plan.
Nico might have thought the same too as a small upwards curve rested on his lips.
"Bro, it's pretty obvious."
Percy's voice again.
Jason's arms had come to cross his chest and Leo almost felt sorry for one of his best buddies from the expression on Jason's face. Puzzlement was probably the closest word Leo could find to describe it yet, he knew Jason well and, from the tapping of his fingers on his arm, Leo would have said he was nervous. Jason didn't show nervous often with all that Roman military training in him. It would do him good in the long run though. Leo was doing him a favour and Jason would see that eventually and forgive him, right?
"The mistletoe? The fact these things are keeping us here?" Percy continued, waving the arm not holding Riptide as he spoke. "Someone, probably Leo and Piper, want us to kiss."
Then Percy did something Leo didn't expect.
His hand came to a slow halt, reaching slowly for Jason's cheek before he cupped it gently.
"Have you not told them?" Percy asked, voice so gentle that Leo could only just work out what was being said.
Jason's eyes widened before they fell to the ground and suddenly an uneasy feeling crept through Leo's body. At first he thought it was the cold of the snowy ground under his feet finally getting to him even though he ran hotter than usual as he had been outside a while now. Except the feeling wasn't in his feet - it was settling into his stomach before churning uncomfortably.
A slow shake to Jason's head and Percy's mouth parted into what Leo presumed was a quiet 'Oh'.
The pair of them froze for a moment and Leo was right there with them. It felt as if he was intruding on something, something deep and something he hadn't taken into account when setting up his plan.
But what was it?
It wasn't how soft Percy's touch or voice had been, he was like that around Jason and also vice versa. Only that morning had Jason casually let Percy doze off on his shoulder at the early morning emergency head counsellor meeting. He'd carefully rearranged him, an arm going around his back and hand settling onto his waist to keep him in place all while a small smile rested on his face. Percy had comfortably snuggled in closer with a small content sounding hum. Leo had been so caught up in it, zoning out Chiron's voice about something he should have most definitely been listening to, and really, it had been his last straw to finally conduct his plan.
Percy had continued to talk again yet too quiet for Leo to pick up on. Just what was going on? It was meant to be boom trapped, gaze longingly while they realised their situation and then kiss, not whatever Leo's eyes were currently fixed on.
Just what had Leo got himself caught up in?
He was once again understanding what his dad had meant about machines and the feelings of human beings. One, the two didn't mix and two, machines were considerably less complicated.
Pressure gripped his arm, startling Leo and nearly making him lose his balance.
"Valdez. Stop."
He'd honestly forgotten Nico was there with how silent he'd been. Except, now paying attention to him, his frame had gone rigid and his eyebrows set into a deep frown. His voice too had been commanding to the point it had sent a shiver down Leo's spine.
Nico was not joking.
Leo jumped up before he even had the chance to think otherwise, Nico's grip loosening as it fell away to let him to do.
"Guys! You don't have to!" he frantically called out.
Hot anger flicked in his direction and Leo took a step backwards. He gulped as the memories of Percy on the Argo II after the incident with the eidolons flashed through his mind. Making Percy angry was never on his bucket list.
"I knew this was you," he spat.
Leo's eyes flicked between the two. Percy's grip had tightened, his forehead creased and eyebrows pulled together in a hard frown. He hated that look. At least Percy demonstrated his emotions though, Leo could work with that, Jason on the other hand had gone eerily silent and Leo had no idea what was currently going through his head.
Gods, he needed to fix this. He'd dug himself into this grave and only he'd get himself out of it.
"I thought it would be a fun prank idea, you know a kiss between bros, but I'm not forcing you or anything." An awkward laugh followed his words as Leo scratched the back of his neck.
"These-" Percy pointed to Leo's traps at his feet with Riptide and Leo really wished he'd put the sword away. "-feel like forcing it to me."
Leo dug the controller out his pocket. "I can set you free. See?"
Yet, as he went to press the release button, his hand froze. Jason suddenly moved, and Leo could only watch as Jason's large hands grasped either side of Percy's head and he kissed him square on the mouth.
What?
He got a response quickly, Percy recovering from the shock and moving his mouth against Jason's. Even his arms searched him out, Riptide falling as he gripped on the fabric of Jason's jacket in what looked to be an attempt to pull him closer. Jason's glasses had been forced at an odd angle yet if they were pushing into either himself or Percy, neither of them appeared to care.
Silence was broken by the sudden sound of the metal clanking as their feet released which broke them apart in a hurried motion.
It didn't stop them though, Percy swooping back in, stepping even closer to Jason as he did so and reconnecting their mouths.
Leo had found himself frozen, unable to speak or move as his mind attempted to catch up. This had been the result he'd wanted but something felt off about it. There wasn’t a lack of experience or timid, shy feelings to the display in front of him. He was actually pretty sure Percy was attempting to lick his way into Jason's mouth and ew, gross.
Thankfully, he was saved by Nico who had finally decided to show himself and, as he did so, let out a loud, purposeful cough.
"I think Leo gets the idea," Nico drawled out. "You can stop."
Percy broke the connection with a sickening grin, the affection he held for one of Leo's best friends so clear in his eyes that if he'd had any doubt about if Jason was in good hands they would have burnt out in that moment. Their hands joined before a light squeeze transferred between them.
Wait…
"You knew?" Leo accused as he spun to face Nico. "You could have told me!"
There was the sound of Percy barking out a laugh as Nico casually shrugged.
"Wasn't my place."
Oh.
Now Leo felt like the bad guy.
"Don't act so casual, Nico," Percy teased. "You were bright pink in the face and told us you'd send us to the Underworld if you caught us like that again."
From Nico's scowl Leo could easily deduct what he'd witnessed had been worse than the kiss Percy and Jason had just shared in front of him. Maybe Leo should actually be thankful he hadn't found out earlier.
"Percy," Jason hissed, elbowing him.
A lazy grin was thrown in Jason's direction before Jason's stern expression crumbled into a soft smile that tugged his cheeks and reached his eyes.
Leo had been right. They were in love but-
He met sky blue eyes.
"Hello Leo, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Percy Jackson."
-they'd realised before he had.