Leo Valdez One-Shot Book

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   aboard the argo II, it was never uncommon for demigods to wake up in the middle of the night, it happened, like... every other day at least, and I mean very least. this night was no exception for Piper, normally what anyone would ever do was just lay over after hours of convincing themself the dream was not real, but this particular night Piper didn't, she didn't stare into Katropis and hope that something useful would finally appear, and she didn't hit her head on the wall repeatedly in a last-ditch effort to have some sort of amnesia and fall back asleep forgetting the dream. I'm sure Jason and Percy would not take it personally. right?

   instead this night she got up, out of bed and walked toward the kitchen, thirsty for a glass of water. Leo had taken down the enchanted walls of camp half-blood, repeatedly stating how sorry he was and how it made them all homesick. it was then their turn to feel bad, asking him over and over again to bring it back, apologizing about the impression they had given when he had spent a long time enchanting the walls to make sure everyone was okay. it was a sweet idea, if only they had known beforehand that a war was going on and the camp had been in trouble, with no ability to reach through the walls and go help. and it didn't help either when they were shut down, everyone was so used to checking that when signals went down they were all anxious to see home again, well everyone except frank and hazel who had never been in their lives, but they were still sympathetic toward the five.

   Leo accepted to fix it in his free time, and that would have been great if he actually had any free time. Piper hated that he talked to Festus more than her anymore, and then hated herself for hating that. she understood that he had to unless the ship would go down, and she respected the hell out of him for that. he sacrificed everything every day to make sure his friends wouldn't worry about sinking, but instead they worried about him, and in her mind that was one thousand times worse.

   as she was walking to the kitchen, to the blank depressing walls, she noticed a faint light creeping through the underside of Leo's door, she wondered what he could be doing at this ungodly hour, but here she was. there were more surprising things she has been through than her friend being up at 3 in the morning. like the time she cut off Ares's head and used a thanksgiving horn as a sacrifice to her twin half brothers Phobos and Demios, the embodiment of fear and panic to fight an anti-Hephaestus. . . that wasn't fun.

   (also I want to sign a petition to make Mimas's (the anti-Hephestus) name into Shetristis. and yes I mean from the original myths. lest make history people!)

   the light that shone through the door flickered, it was not electrical, but natural, a flame flickering light out to anyone who needs it. at first, she thought it might be that Leo burst into flames again, but his room was fireproof so there was no need to worry. but the cackel of the flame was absent, no noise so it could not have been. was Leo working? he better have not been! he worked his ass off helping with monsters and fixing the ship he better not have been missing sleep. 

   Piper was ready to kick down his door when she calmed herself, she decided knocking was the best option. she brought her fist to the door and knocked a simple pattern, bam bum bum bum bum, bam bam! no one answered but she knew he was in there, a faint shadow flinched when she knocked, one with short curly hair and suspenders. (loose so droopy, able to see in a shadow)

   she tried to knock again, but this time no movement in the shadow. now to anyone else, they might assume he wants some alone time, as everybody does, but Piper knew Leo well, he was very extroverted, very ADHD, and a Hephestus kid. not the type who would want 'alone time'. or at least she thought she knew him.

   she opened the door slowly, a quiet creak escaping. once she stepped inside she immediately regretted her decision, sitting against his bed was Leo of course, but not the way she had expected to see him. a dimly lit lantern was glowing, illuminating his features, his elfish appearance and scrawny figure, he was holding a small piece of parchment with smaller cursive writing on the back. wet lines streaked down his cheeks, indicating he had been crying.