Daughter of Olympus - [Leo Valdez xF!Oc]

My Fiance Threatens to Set Us on Fire

I walk through the camp's forest until I run into Janus standing against a limestone wall, moving his keys from one hand to the other.

"Are you lost, girl?"

I eye them carefully. "Why are you in my dream?"

"We should be asking you that," the left head responds.

"Are you torn?" Asks the other. "If you are..."

"We'll get to know each other," Left grins.

"Or maybe not... she's seen enough to know better."

"Bah! Heroes never learn!" Leftie sneers. "Especially the siblings of Eros..." 

"We'll meet again, Arae Jackson," Janus says in unison.

***

Jason leans closer to the window. "What is that?"

"Where?"

"That road, the one that goes through the hills."

Piper seizes the headset and asks the pilot. "She says it's Highway 24. That's the Caldecott Tunnel. Why?"

Jason glares at the road. Ara tries to lean forward to look, but as she does, Leo scolds her again. "Seriously, stop that!"

"Fine!" She barks. "Gods, you're worse than Lily and—!" Her tongue freezes on its own. Leo glances at her with a little pout, she's got the feeling he knows what name she was about to say, but that's impossible. 

"We're a team, right?" He says after a moment. "I'm allowed to boss you around sometimes."

Ara scowls. "I have the feeling you'll abuse that power."

He smirks. "For your own good, ya know?"

"The crazy thing is I truly believe that you'd do it to help me," the girl snorts. "And I've been thinking about what your dad told you... us partnering up. He told me that too when I met him, I just... I didn't remember until you brought it up."

That is a lie, of course. She never forgot, and now she knows for sure he's the Hephaestus kid she's meant to help, but she's trying to ignore it, her feelings aren't leading to a platonic partnership and that's worrisome at best.

"What did he tell you?" Leo sighs. "That you need to be patient 'cause I'm always messing up?"

Ara makes a face. "He didn't like me."

***

The first time I saw Hephaestus I remember thinking: "Poor guy!" 

Now, what I'm thinking is: "Please, don't step on me!"—Which seems to catch his attention, cause he pauses to examine my tiny form.

"You're an Aphrodite."

"Your children teach me stuff," I blurt out in awe.

He squints as if he's having trouble discerning my face. "Arae Jackson," The god scoffs. "I wouldn't've chosen you."

I'm not expecting him to pay any compliments, but he could've kept those thoughts to himself! I mean, I like the guy! But he's just blunt, I think. Not a good trait when talking to someone who tends to sugarcoat everything she says.

"Ara's a good trainee!" Percy argues right away.

"We'll see about that," the god grunts.

***

"I—I have to get my dad home. I'm sorry, guys."

If Piper leaves, Leo and Jason are the only ones left capable of finishing the quest. The boy with amnesia, and the rookie with no training. Both weaponless.