Halcyon [Leo Valdez x Reader]

Tar Monsters and Matches

“Oh my fucking god.”

I clung to Frank’s scales with as much force as possible. Percy tried to ease me, but he wasn’t much help.

“I hate flying,” I said. “PTSD.”

Percy nodded. “No, I feel you on that.”

My nails dug into Frank’s back, causing him to huff smoke into the air. I quietly apologized and eased my grip, but I still felt unsteady. Percy mumbled something to Annabeth, who sat at the front of us, before turning back to me.

“Hold on to my waist,” he said, a reassuring smile on his lips. “It’ll honeslty make us both feel better.”

I wasted no time as I wrapped my arms around his torso, pulling him into me as I silently panicked. I breathed in my brother’s scent, which was somehow familiar and yet completely new. It was like the sea breeze mixed with teenage boy… like Axe body spray. I hated it and liked it at the same time. Mostly because I could now affliate this smell with my brother for the rest of my life.

Percy leaned back into me and rested his hands on Annabeth’s hips. As we came closer to the town that Leo had sent us to, Frank landed somewhere discreet so the townsfolk wouldn’t see some weird flying object that dispersed three kids from it. Who knew what the Mist would do to their minds.

The big guy shifted back into his human form, a bit winded from all the flying (Ha. Get it? Winded). The four of us quickly marched into town, doing our best to get some tar before sundown without finding any Romans or monsters. Annabeth led our group, Frank following her like a lost kid, while Percy and I stayed at the back.

For some odd reason, I got the idea that Percy wanted to talk more, but we just didn’t have any idea what to say. It seemed like we’d covered the basics, and yet it just felt… awakward. There wasn’t that instant click like with Piper and Leo. It felt awakward and somehwat forced, even though it was clear we both wanted to just be together. I hated it, and I could sense that it didn’t sit well on Percy, either.

Annabeth rounded around the corner, the rest of us in tow. She scanned whatever shops were down the street, before snapping her fingers and smiling. “Got it. Right there, at the end of the street, see?”

I looked to where she had motioned, seeing a large corner sotre with lots of posters on it. One seemed to be a bucket with black liquid.

“Roofing tar,” I said. “LIke Leo wants.”

Annabeth nodded, pulling Percy closer to her. It was almost like she was afraid he’d disappear at any moment. “I think it might be some off-brand Home Depot. That would work, right?”

“Course.” I shoved my hands in my pocket, feeling my golden pen, which sent a shiver up my spine. My demigod senses started to go off, alerting me to stay on watch. I hated it, but oftentimes this gut feeling was right.

Percy shifted his weight between his legs. “So we go in, grab a few buckets of tar, pay, and then we’re home free.”

“I mean, I guess,” Frank said, his tall figure looming over us three teens. “It can’t be that simple, right?”

“Bro, shut up,” I pleaded. “Don’t jinx us.”

Even though I knew he was right, I decided to have some optimism. Our group rushed to the store- which upon closer inspection, was PURELY a roofing tar store- and headed to the shelves to grab a few buckets.

That’s when I really started to panic. The air felt really thick and stunk like shit. It was almost like I was suffocating. Maybe the water content was getting to me? But that had never happened to me before. I didn’t feel trapped and choked when I was around jello, now, did I? So why would it be like that around tar?