Chapter Text
࣪˖ ִֶָ . ݁ ֶָ֢⊹ ࣪ ˖
It was dinner time on the Argo, and everything was going just as it always does. Leo always noticed it, how everybody sat in their spots with their own cliches, every dinner night was the same and he loved that familiarity, it was the closest to home he ever felt.
The main seven sat around a big round wooden table, the lights above them illuminated the warm room with a warmer glow, everybody’s voices carried as they had a heated conversation about something Piper said. Everybody sat in their spots, Leo next to Piper, Piper holding the arm of Jason to her left and her other hand talking as if a second mouth. On Leo’s other side was Annabeth, she laughed and shook her head like a disappointed mother, Percy was next to her, his scarred hand on her equally scarred hand as he nodded to the points she made. On the opposite side was Hazel and Frank, frank looked confused and concerned as hazel rested her head on his arm and rolled her eyes, shaking her head somehow more disappointedly then Annabeth. Leo was just a little bugged on how everyone here was rubbing hands and holding arms of their loved ones, while Leo sat awkwardly to the side, hands rested on the table as his fork span around his chicken and he placed a bit in his mouth while listening and trying to ignore the upsetting thoughts and just be in the moment.
“There's no way you actually think that” Frank said in disbelief
“What? Is it ‘cause im correct and right ? You cannot tell me captain gantu wasn't a total hunk!”
“Who is that again?” Jason asked
“It’s the- the alien from uh- Lilo and stitch dude” Leo said in between laughs, struggling not to choke
“Oh, the green skinny one?” Jason said with a confused look while poking a fork with cooked beef toward his mouth. Leo always laughed at how out of all of them, Jason knew the least media, even hazel and frank watched the movies. They had been getting Jason to watch classic movies the past couple months but he still got mixed up every now and then.
“No not that one, the big one that hunted stitch. But honestly I’d peg him too” piper said with raised hands
“Piper!” Hazel exclaimed
“Come on! You guys saw him in that dress too! Ya’ll hate me ‘cus I’m right”
Jason laughed, hand up to his chin. Percy nodded along while chewing on his chicken
“No no, I get their point, piper I’m with you on this”
Annabeth hit him on the back of his head and he hissed, looking back at her smirking.
This all felt nice, all of them bickering felt like real family, not any bullshit foster he ended up in. Something felt missing though and it was bugging him like crazy. Like a complete picture but one puzzle piece removed from the middle. He looked around, and stared at the shadows, waiting to mask out the outline of a puffy brown jacket, and the piercing eyes from the dark staring at them, but there was nothing. Leo zoned out for a second when he realized, Nico hasn’t been coming to dinner. To be honest, Leo hasn’t seen Nico at all. Very rarely he’ll see Nico on the deck, watching over the waves, or sitting at the table with Hazel when nobody else was around. Heck, Leo hasn’t seen him come to the kitchen during breakfast nor dinner. Nico used to come, he wouldn’t eat a lot, sometimes nuggets or a sandwich, and he wouldn’t sit down but stand In the corner threateningly, it freaked Leo out but he got used to it, yet now he is only just realizing, for the past week, maybe even two, Nico hasn’t been around. He thought about this for a second before he felt a warm hand shaking his shoulder , it’s his small stature that was almost enough to topple him over.
“Come on Leo you agree with me, you have crazy hear me outs too” Piper asked. He knew she was just asking this jokingly, and they had no intention, but this sent Leo into a mini panic, only hinted at by his frantic finger tapping on the table in jumbled up Morse code. He took a breath and answered like how he always did when anyone asked him anything about men
“YKnow I ain’t into that gay shit, no homo no homo, but he is kindaaaa…”
The table erupted in laughter, Leo did an imaginary ‘fuck yes’ in his head at how he saved it.
“Not you too! You guys are all demented” frank said, his fingers at his fore head. Leo looked at Hazel, expecting her to agree, scold Leo, or do something. But when his eyes turned to her, her gaze was far and eyes glazed. She stared at the garlic knots, if Leo was stupid he would just think she really wanted one, but Leo knew from experience that look wasn't longing, it was disassociation. Leo noticed a little bit every day, that Hazel seemed to get more and more zoned out and tired ever since they saved Nico. Leo understood, that was her brother that was trapped in a jar for a whole month that they just saved, she was probably still worried, but Leo worries too about her. She looked up for a second, snapping out of it and he golden eyes met Leo. She looked up from the bread to Leo, the shine from the overhead light made her eyes shimmer but they glimmered less then they normally did. Leo nodded towards her concerningly, telepathically asking ‘you good?’ With his expression. Hazel smiled appreciatively, but it was a very obvious tired and forced smiled. She nodded, ‘yes, thanks for asking’ Leo could hear her saying in his head. Leo wasn’t stupid though even if that was the mask he chose to put on around others. He could tell she was under pressure. It could very much be because of the quest, but he knew there was something else going on, he could not for the life of him put his calloused fingers on what though.
For the next 20 minutes, everybody continued to talk, Leo only chimed in ever few minutes but he stayed more quietly then normal. He put on a ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude about a lot of things, but he cared a lot, especially for his friends. In his head he was going through everything that could be making Hazel upset. His stupid brain kept pointing to himself but he tried to stay level headed with his predictions. The food disappeared from everybody’s plate, more slowly from Leo’s then the others, he always had a little trouble eating and had a smaller appetite, especially when around people, he planned to ear the rest of his chicken and crackers later. Slowly in order, each demigod stood up and put their plates away, saying goodnight to the others and walking to their respected cabins before it was just piper, Leo, Ane Hazel. Piper and Leo talked about the board games they played as kids, Leo glancing every few seconds at Hazel and her disassociated look plastered on her face. After a bit, she stood up, grabbing a three garlic knots and some strawberry’s and placing them on her empty plate. Leo watched her get up with the now half full plate, still with a glazed over look, and rush out the dining hall. Leo stared at the door she ran out from, he wasnt listening to piper before she snapped her fingers in his face
“Hello? Earth to keebler, what’s up with you?”
She asked both teasingly and with genuine concern.
“Uh- uhm.. nothing nun… actually is it fine if I leave? I’m just… uh-“
“It’s fine it’s fine man, you can go, I guess I’ll just sadly eat the rest of my rice and shrimp, alone and sad”
They said dramatically
“Oh shut up” Leo said standing up and pushing her in the arm. He was grateful for how supportive she was even if she didn’t fully understand his thoughts process. Leo ran out the door and after Hazel, following the sound of her socks against the smooth wooden floors. He made sure he was far away for her not to notice, he rather not her see him as a stalker, but close enough not to lose her trail. He heard her stop and he stopped at the same time against the corner of the wall, he looked over and saw her standing in front of a dark door, Nico’s door. She tapped her foot anxiously, knocking on the door, after a second she heard something and softly opened the door, slipping inside with a click behind her. Leo, if he wasn’t weird and pushy, would stop here at the easy conclusion of “Hazels just bringing food to her brother, and shes just upset about how he was treated”, but Leo had other thoughts, thoughts scratching at the back of his head and urging him to go to the door and listen to what they might be saying. Leo crept around the corner and toward the room, slowly laying the side of his head against the wall. He was glad his pointed ugly ears weren’t just pointed to spite him, but he had more clear and stronger hearing, it probably wasn’t because they were pointed, he had grown to listen against walls and make out what people on the other side were saying, as a kid it was useful when he wanted to hear the adults behind a door talk about him and how he was a “devilish child” or “hyper active and a nuisance” or other insults. Right now though he had to focus to what the children of hades were saying on the other side. He heard hazels soft low voice first, it heard like cinnamon buns and tea
“Please Nico, please…. Y-you have to eat something please… you’re as pale and skinny as the skeletons you raise… please please Nico….”
Leo then heard, the raspy low and quiet voice that he could only guess at first was a ghost
“I can’t- I can’t- I’m sorry Hazel I’m so sorry…”
“Please, just one, just eat one”
“I’m sorry Hazel, I-I can’t”
“Please Nico, just take one thats all I ask, one roll, three berries, it’s not much, I know you can do it”
“I… hazel I-i…”
“Just try, please, I let you eat something little today, you have to eat something right now at the least…”
“Uhm… ugh fuck… fine fine…”
“Thank you… can I check your arms….?”
“I-I… no…”
“Please.”
Leo could hear the faint shuffling and a sob-like gasp
“Oh baby Jesus…. Nico….”
“I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry, I’m so sorry Hazel… I-i was so upset I-i promise it won’t happen again Hazel I-I I-I’m so sorry…”
“I…I-it’s fine… please Nico… I love you”
A faint kiss could be heard, knowing Hazel, it was probably on the boys pale hands
“I love you so much Nico… just… please eat this before midnight…”
“…love you too, I’m sorry”
She sighed, walking back to the door. Leo, shocked, didn’t fully process that their conversation ended, he know knew that Nico had an eating disorder no doubt, and with context clues, cut himself, just like Leo… who also did not process the sound of the knob turning.
She closed the door behind her, sighing and resting her head on the door, she didn’t notice Leo at all before he turned her head tiredly and her eyes went wide. Leo stood there staring back and stiff as a board. It was like that for a minute, just them as still as stone and staring, before hazel got up and dragged him to a different hallway far from the one Nico’s room was in. She looked around, tapping her foot frantically with her mouth and chin in the palm of her hand, eyes closed and obviously thinking. Leo stood there awkwardly, knowing he fucked up and no matter how much charm he had, he couldn’t gaslight himself out of this one. He did try though
“Uhh, the-the lights in that hallway were uh, flickering a bit, I might need to change that… uhm ya I was just… walking by, during my nightly hall walking yknow-“
“How much did you hear?” Hazel said, stone cold.
“…uh.. just- just a little”
“Uh huh, how little of it did you hear?
“Not much not much”
“Not much of what?”
“….not much of what…?”
“Cut it out Leo, you heard all of it… fucking… ugh…”
She turned, holding her whole face in her soft hands, not saying anything. Leo tried to rest his hand on her shoulder but she quickly shook it off
“…I-I’m sorry hazel-“
“Stop it, please I’m… I’m so fucking tired of hearing that….”
“…is… is he good ..?”
Hazel looked up at Leo, he couldn’t tell if she was sad or if she was mad at him, he knew overall though her feelings were strong enough to break concrete
“No, no, what do you fucking think? Of course not! H-he’s… oh gods…”
She started crying, tears quickly streamed down her face and onto the floor, leaving dark spots on the wood and her shirt. She put her back to the wall and sank down to the floor, knees hugged up against her chest and feet tapping so fast she could’ve been doing “rap god” by Eminem in Morse code. Leo sat next to her, looking straight ahead at the opposite wall.
“… I can see this is… really stressing you out, huh?”
“Y-hic yes… it’s … just… i love him, so so much… but… he’s been through too much…. He can’t eat normally anymore, he doesn’t think he can eat at all, I can see it in his skin he’s whiter than the devil! I-I’m so worried… I’m trying my best to help him, but w-with the war and quest and shit… I-i feel like I’m going to self destruct any second now…”
Leo understood what she meant. Every second he felt like he was going to self destruct under pressure, he could not imagine this for hazel though. He held her back and rested her head on his shoulder, she moved to the top of his head though since it was easier and his curly hair provided a soft pillow, even though his locs were now wet with salt tears he didn’t mind. He thought about it, he wished he could take any one of the things pressuring her and put it on himself. That’s when he thought of something
“Hey, hey hazel”
He said softly to get her attention. She looked up at the Hispanic boy with watery orbs
“How about, and you can totally say no if you don’t think this would work out, how about I start bringing food to him? You can still talk to him and stuff, but I’ll bring food and maybe try my best to help too, huh?”
Hazel looked at him, then to the walls and back at him. She thought he was making some weird joke she didn’t understand, like half his jokes, but even with his big stupid smile she knew he was being sincere
“Are… your being serious? You’d… you’d want to do that?”
“Ya! Why do you sound so unsure?”
“I-… I don’t know I just… doesn’t feel like… don’t you avoid him?”
Leo couldn’t argue with that, he did, so did most people on the Argo besides Hazel and Percy sometimes. But even though Leo was scared of the boy a bit, he wanted to help Hazel, and Nico too but he wanted to make Hazel feel better.
“Well, sure, but I can prevail, I’d do anything to help you guys”
Hazel blushed and smiled, turning her head the other way
“…you don’t have to do this, Leo…”
“I want too! Trust me, I can do it, only if you want me to though”
Hazel let out a giggle
“That’d be nice… I… we can try that out…”
She stood up, stretching as Leo followed
“Thanks, Leo” she leaned over and placed a friendly kiss on the top of his tan forehead, pushing past the curls. Leo blushed, he knew that it was platonic but he still savored it.
They said goodnight and walked their separate ways
Leo walked to his cabin, slipping in and locking his door. He sighed, walking over to his bed. He looked over at the desk that sat in the middle of the left wall, opposite to his small bed. Normally, he’d place some paper towels on the bed, and cut himself with his box cutter before falling asleep. But he thought about Nico, he thought about the way Hazel sounded when she looked at her brothers arm. She would and hasn’t noticed Leo’s arms, or the new scars that appear every day, but the sound of her voice echoed in his head and ruined the mood. He already felt tired so he just plopped down on the bed and passed out. Nico a couple halls over, grabbed a razor and lashed down on his thighs while crying with a full plate of food on his desk. Hazel, sat in her bed, crying into a bear plushie Nico had bought her while wondering what she could do for him, and if he would ever get better.