Work Text:
Cry Baby
The Neighbourhood
1:33 ------------●---------------------- 3:55
I think I worry a lot
I need to take it easy
I've got this anxious feeling
But it goes away for a minute when I'm with you, breathing
“It’s over. It’s done. I’m safe. I’m safe. I’m safe.” He told himself, gasping through his panic, but oh… here he was again, tripping outside his cabin in the middle of the night, all the way over to the Zeus cabin. Like he did. Every night. Every night. Avoiding Harpies, and making sure not to wake anyone else. He slipped through the door—he was told to, now. After the first few times, he wasn’t meant to knock anymore. He climbed into the blonde’s bed, and succumbed to the impending tears; holding the other boy’s shirt tightly in his hands. Jason’s arms wrapped around him comfortingly, even half-asleep he was such a hero. Eventually, Leo would fall back asleep, waking up still clutching Jason’s shirt the next morning. It was a routine. Jason didn’t even ask questions after the first night. Like ‘What’s wrong’ and ‘Are you okay’ were the stupidest things. They just moved on. Like normal. Breakfast, training, on and on. No one even noticed Leo’s absence in the mornings with there being so many campers, and he was usually gone early anyway.
Night after night, it continued. For a month; longer, even. Until one night Jason was awake, and waiting. He sat on the edge of his bed, and took Leo into his lap; cradling him. He let him sob into his neck, soaking his throat and shirt collar. His fingers threaded through his frizzy brown hair; rocking him slowly. Leo slowly calmed with shuddering puffs of air.
He felt embarrassed, almost. Turning his face further into Jason’s neck; he murmured an apology—something he normally didn’t do, because the blonde was usually asleep.
“No… Hey… Leo, it’s okay… You know I’m always here for you.” His fingers were still moving gently in the boy’s hair. “Do you want to… Talk about it…?” Leo swallowed thickly, and nodded.
They laid in the bed, staring at the roof, when Leo finally breathed out feebly. “I have… Nightmares—n-not that everyone else doesn’t, but—” Jason nodded for him to continue. —“They… They’re about Gaia,” His voice cracked. “I keep having them—and I swear I try to go back to sleep, I swear—but… I just get really scared, and it feels like dying all over again, and—” The tears returned full force, and Jason pulled him gently back against his chest.
“It’s okay… I understand. Of course… I don’t know how it felt, but… You can always come to me. Okay?” Leo nodded quickly.
Slowly, Leo’s breaths evened out again, and he whispered hesitantly. “Jason…?” He looked up and the blonde was already looking down at him with the softest expression. “Jason, I…” He was never really sure if Jason cut him off, or if he cut himself off. But their lips were moving against each other so gently; he never really cared.
That was the one night that was different.
The one that changed everything.
So, sure, they didn’t start to get embarrassed or awkward around each other. And they didn’t start holding hands or kissing a ton. But there was a certain calmness, then. And although Leo still awoke with tears on the brink of his eyes, still went to Jason, and still cried in his arms. They had something new. A relief. Leo’s tears would subside, and he’d press an ever delicate kiss to Jason’s lips; then fall asleep in the crook of the blonde’s neck.
Their relationship grew, of course. It extended to the light of day. Leo found that it wasn’t much different from their friendship; except he was now allowed to smother his now-significant other in either hugs or kisses whenever he pleased. Jason himself was very proud when Leo discovered this fact; letting himself be showered in the scrawny boy’s affections.
Their friends making the discovery of their relationship actually made it much easier. Leo hadn’t exactly wanted to tell them directly. He felt it was acceptable to let them find out on their own. Jason accepted this whole-heartedly, and went about his day. When they did inevitably find out, they were… Well… Not shocked. At least their main group. It was the way they found out that was amusing.
Leo and Jason were in Bunker 9, and Leo was crouched on a counter; banging a piece of metal with a wrench. The blonde, on the other hand, leaned on the table across from him and chuckled. “I’m pretty sure that’s not how you use that.”
“Shh, I know what I’m doing.” Leo had that pout on his face, and a grease smudge on his cheek. It was so enticing.
Jason pushed off the counter, and took the two steps he needed towards him. “Sometimes I feel like you don’t know what you’re doing…” He cupped his cheek, and brushed over the smudge with his thumb.
“What do you mean you—” His head immediately tilted to accommodate the soft lips pressing insistently against his chapped ones. This, of course, was when the remaining of the Seven were realized to be standing at the door. The big door which should’ve creaked when they opened it—damned be Aphrodite with her amusement in the Demi-god’s love affairs. Then Piper let out a loud,
“Ha!” and proceeded to punch Percy in the shoulder. “Hand over the Dracmas.”
“I swore they didn’t have the tension—” Percy whined.
“Hey! Why are you here?” Leo hopped from the counter to the floor.
“Oh, we were just looking for you.” Piper answered from her position of putting Percy in a headlock.
“Why?” They all shrugged. “Could you leave?”
“Sure.” They each piped out of sync, then left one by one.
Leo sighed, then was immediately caught in a kiss from the taller blonde.
When Nico Di Angelo and Will Solace found out, though; they were surprised and ecstatic. At least William was.
Will accepted Leo into what he called the ‘Queer Crew’ with a ‘Dap’ and a shoulder bump. And Nico nodded respectfully to Jason with an arm around Will’s, and his hands shoved in his pockets.
From there, Leo found it much easier to bully his way into Jason's lap (as if he didn’t before).
They were content.
Happy.
And slowly, Leo found himself walking to the Zeus cabin at night less because he was scared, and more because he wanted to be around his lover.
Jason was very, very, happy to hear it.