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And she walks down, i noticed how she does it for real now.
And she talks loud, she's telling me what i wanna hear now.
Is it real now? how do i know for sure?
LEO WAS DEAD. he knew that with absolute certainty. he just didn't understand why it hurt so much. like every cell in his body had exploded. now his consciousness was trapped inside a charred crispy husk of demigod roadkill. the nausea was worse than any carsickness he'd ever had. he couldn't move. he couldn't see or hear. he could only feel pain.
He started to panic, thinking maybe this was his eternal punishment.
Then somebody put jumper cables on his brain and restarted his life.
He gasped and sat up.
The first thing he felt was the wind in his face, then the searing pain in his right arm. he was still on festus' back. still in the air. his eyes started to work again, and he noticed the large hypodermic needle retracting from his forearm. the empty injector buzzed, whirred and retreated into a panel on festus' neck.
"Thanks, buddy." Leo groaned "Man, being dead sucked. but that physician's cure? that stuff is worse."
Festus clicked and clattered in morse code
"No, man, i'm not serious." Leo said "I'm glad to be alive, and, yeah. i love you too. you did awesome."
A metallic purr ran the length of the dragon's body.
Leo scanned him for signs of damage, his wings were working properly. though his left medius membrane was shot full of holes. his neck plating was partially fused, melted from the explosion, but he didn't seem to be in danger of crashing immediately.
Leo tried to remember what had happened. he was pretty sure he'd defeated gaia, but he had no idea how his friends were doing back at camp halfblood. hopefully jason and piper had got clear of the blast. leo had a weird memory of a missile hurtling towards him and screaming like a little girl...what was that about?
Once he landed, he'd have to check festus' underbelly. the most serious damage would probably be in that area, where the dragon had courageously grappled with gaia. there was no telling how long festus was aloft. he'd need to set down soon.
Which raised the question: where were they?
Below was a solid blanket of white cloud. the sun shone directly overhead in a brilliant blue sky. so it was about noon...but of which day? how long had leo been dead?
He opened the access panel in festus' neck. the astrolabe was humming away, the crystal pulsing like a neon heart. leo checked his compass and GPS, and a grin spread across his face.
"Festus, good news!" He shouted "Our navigation readings are completely fucked up!"
Festus said: creak?
"Yeah! descend! get us below these clouds and maybe-"
The dragon plummeted so fast that the breath was sucked out of leo's lungs
They broke through the blanket of white and there, below them, was a single green island in the vast blue sea.
Leo whooped so loudly they probably heard him in china.
They spiralled towards the island, festus spread his wings and landed with a stumble. apparently one of his legs was broken, catapulting leo face first into the sand.
So much for a heroic entrance.
He scrambled up, spitting sand out of his mouth and anything but running through the forest.
Festus tilted his head confusedly before limping behind leo down the footpath. knocking down a few trees.
He continued through the garden the footpath opened up to, bee lining for the cave.
Leo held his breath as he walked through, festus poked his head in. managing to squeeze in as leo snatched open the curtain to her room.
She was there.
Isis lay asleep on her bed. olive skin illuminated by an oil lamp on her bedside table. her dark hair spilled over the pillows around her head, catching light and shining softly. her mouth was slightly agape. her eyelashes fanned her cheeks as her chest rose and fell. she was half covered with the blanket, wearing a little black nightgown with one of the straps fallen off her shoulder.
Suddenly, leo was aware of his tattered clothes and his arms covered in soot. he looked like he'd just died in an explosion.
'Cause he had.
But he would've liked to look a little better for her after so long apart.
Atleast she never seemed grossed out by him before, and he was in a perpetual state of uncleanliness. so she probably wouldn't mind, right?
He took a tentative step forward, but festus beat him to it. padding his way over to her bed before nuzzling his snout in her neck.
Leo huffed amusedly, crossing his arms as her eyelashes fluttered, she reached out and touched festus before finally opening her bright honey eyes
She startled, sitting up as he pulled back only slightly for her to see him
"Oh." She sighed in relief, reaching out and putting her hand on his face again "What.." Her gaze then finally landed on leo and she flinched. her back hitting the bedframe "Fuck!-"
He bent and put his hands on his knees, howling with laughter as she put her hand on her chest. taking quick breaths
"Leo?"
He stood back up, wiping his eye as he walked over. sitting on the edge of the bed "Hey, princesa."
She stared at him for a second before practically tackling him into the bed. arms wrapped tight around him as she tucked her face in the crook of his neck. he laughed breezily, wrapping his own arms around her waist as festus gently nudged her back
"I'm kinda gross right now-"
Still, she kissed him.
Her hair fell around their faces like a curtain, she smelled like cinnamon. and jasmine. it was making his head spin.
He gripped her waist as she pulled away. eyes hazy
"What-? how-?" She asked, that's when he noticed her face was wet. her eyes were shining with tears.
He felt a tug in his chest as he wiped her tears away "Don't freak. but..i died. and took gaea down with me, of course. but i came back! with this magical forbidden medicine. festus gave it to me in a shot. and he brought me here with that astrolabe i told you about."
She looked horrified.
"Died?? died?? you died?? and used forbidden magic to come back?? leo!" She raised herself on her palms a little
"Hey! it's fine! my friend, piper, remember her? just charmspoke asclepius to give us the recipe! and we found all the ingredients! and we cooked it up! and..yeah! it's called the physician's cure!" He tried to tug her down again. almost afriad she'd leave.
"You're-" She swallowed hard "You're sure it's okay? thantos or hades or dad or the fates or whatever won't realise you cheated death and like, rekill you or something?"
"Nah, i'm back. i'm not going anywhere. it's written in the prophecy, by the fates, an oath to keep with a final breath. i was supposed to do this. i was supposed to come back to you. and if i have to die to be with you, then fine. you're worth dying for."
That made her frown. "Leo.."
"It's true, don't argue with me. and don't tell me not to do it again, because if i have to do it again, for you? i would."
"Leonidas valdez! do not say that!"
He blushed "Hey, don't full name me! i'm saying the truth! and...don't be mad at me, what's coming back to life good for if not to come back to you?"
Festus huffed smoke.
They both turned to him
"Sorry, buddy, we forgot about you." Leo grinned, patting the dragon's snout
"So this is festus.." Isis asked in quiet wonder
"Yep, and he's anxious to fly! ready to get off this island, princesa?"
She turned back to him. a soft smile playing at her lips as the tips of their noses brushed
"Yeah."
THE DEMIGODS HAD TO TAKE NUMBERS. nico commandeered a dispenser from the snack bar and carried it around, yelling "The line starts to the left! orderly queue, guys!"
"Is this really necessary?" Leo asked, sneaking anxious glances at isis talking animatedly with percy. they sat at a picnic table, isis looked dazzling. wearing the royal blue dress she'd changed into before they'd taken off on festus. along with her gold jewellery that glimmered under the sunlight. she looked every part a goddess. and she was talking to percy. the campers were lining up to hit him for dying and his perfect gorgeous girlfriend was talking to percy. could leo's day get any worse?
He was worried about this, about her fascination with percy. and generally, about her meeting new people. it was unfair to want her all to himself. to wanna keep her locked up on that island and live there with her. but, he worried she'd realise there was better. that she could do way better. realise that he wasn't attractive, at all, and leave him for someone else. someone like percy.
Isis had never met anyone else. anyone but him, his dad, and hermes. isis maybe didn't realise leo was unattractive by any metric of beauty. Isis was sure to realise that now.
"Yes." Said miranda gardener, who had drawn the first number. she punched leo in the arm
"Ow."
"You're a jerk, and we all hate you." She said, then hugged him "If you disappear like that again, we'll line up to kill you."
"Okay, okay!"
The line continued. leo half-heartedly greeted everyone that hit him, his attention split on keeping an eye on isis. she was laughing, why the hell was she laughing? what could percy have said that was so fucking funny-
He winced, brought back to reality from his little brother harely's punch.
Leo watched as percy called jason over and seemingly introduced the two. they hugged, and leo almost burst into flames before remembering that's her brother
The torture continued for a while, getting hit and watching isis talk to new people. connor stoll, will solace, sherman yang, and more people ten times more attractive than leo.
Finally, when they were done, leo stole her away to his room under the hephaestus cabin.
"Woah." She looked around from the bed that had retreated them into the room
"Yeah, inherited it from a dead guy." Leo folded his arms behind his head, leaning back against the bedframe. she gave him an odd look
"So, anyway, watcha think? about camp and stuff."
"It's cool! i really like it, everyone's so nice."
"Yup..everyone..uh, how'd meeting your hero go?"
"My- what?"
"Percy."
"Oh. i wouldn't call him 'my hero'. but yeah, he's cool. and i met my brother, which was nice."
"Yeah." He mumbled, staring off at the wall
It was quiet for a bit
"Is something wrong?" She whispered, sitting closer
"What? nothing's wrong." He sputtered, turning to look at her. concern swirled in her honey eyes
"You seem..off"
Looking at her, he couldn't bring himself to lie.
"I just..it's just..i feel like you have a lot of options now."
"What?"
"Isn't there anyone you met today you find attractive? more than me? you're free now, you don't have to stay with me. here. at camp. you could go anywhere, date anyone, i just-"
She put a hand on his cheek and connected their lips. it was nice. comforting. made his thoughts slow just enough for his insecurities to subside. he sighed into it. leaning against her more.
"No." She said finally "I love you."
"Isis-"
"I love you." She repeated, more firmly "I wanna go where you go. and maybe open that auto repair shop."
He grinned, putting a hand over hers and turning his face into it, kissing her palm "Yeah? you'd really wanna do that? you don't wanna..go explore the world? you really wanna be tied down to me?"
"I don't care about the world, leo. i care about you. and, i'm not 'tied'. i'm literally only free when i'm with you."
He squeezed his eyes shut, resting his forehead against hers "How..do you exist?"
"Uh, zeus couldn't keep it in his pants? like always."
"No-" His eyes startled open. he laughed "No. i meant, you're so perfect. and so understanding. you're just too good to be true."
She tilted her head "Well, you died for me. not the other way around, so i think you're the one that's kinda too good to be true."
"Well, it was for completely selfish reasons. i can't live without you, so."
"You're so corny." She rolled her eyes "And, c'mon, you would've done it and freed me even if i didn't like you back."
"Well...yeah. probably. but, damn, freeing you just to watch you get with someone else would probably send me into psychosis-"
"Well, i'm not doing that, so shut up." She wrapped her arms around him, tucking her face into his neck, pressing a small kiss to the side of his adam's apple.
He shivered "Okay."
He shifted, laying them down. she stayed nuzzled against him as he pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. flicking the lights off
"Tired?"
"Mmm.."
"Yeah. me too." He whispered, threading a hand through her hair "So...forever?"
"Forever."
"Well, if you're serious about that.."
She felt him reach for something in his pocket and pulled back just enough to see what it is. he presented her with two bronze rings. delicately carved and studded with crystals "Promise rings."
"You..made these?" She whispered, reaching out to touch them. he handed her one, she inspected it in the dim light.
"Yeah. i know they're nothing special, just scrap celestial bronze and crystals from your cave, they're placeholders anyway. but it was all i had on your island. i just made them 'cause i couldn't stop thinking about it."
"Leo," She looked up at him "They're beautiful."
He paused, before clearing his throat "Oh, well, i-i'm glad you like them."
"What's the promise? what couldn't you stop thinking about?"
"Marrying you." He breathed out, then immediately backpedalled "I mean- sorry, that came off too strong. i know that's crazy to talk about now-"
"No," She took his hand and slid the ring onto his ring finger "I wanna marry you."
"Oh." His breath hitched. his brain stopping for a second before jump starting again, he immediately took her hand into his shaking one, sliding the other ring onto her ring finger "It's- it's a promise, then."
"Mm, yeah." She smiled, squeezing his hand as she gave him a quick peck "I really wanna sleep now."
"'Course- course."
She layed her head on his chest. which was probably rising and falling way too quickly. his heart likely thudding under her ear. but she didn't complain.
He put his hand on her waist "..I love you"
"I love you, too."
And she walks down, i noticed how she does it for real now.
And she talks loud, she's telling me what i wanna hear now.
Is it real now? yeah.