Control (Percy Jackson- A Leo Valdez fanfiction)

twenty six

"Don't get me wrong, but I'm sure of it too." Piper confessed.

I sighed, this was the last time I'd be unsure of who my godly parent was. After today, I'd finally belong somewhere.

I mean, Danny and the rest of the Hermes cabin have done nothing but try to make me feel comfortable,but still, sometimes, I'd rather not be unsure if the way some people act around me is inappropriate because we might be related.

Percy told me the other day that children of the big three almost always get claimed quickly, only because there are so few of them. Again though, the big three weren't supposed to be spawning any more children, so that would be way dangerous for all of us.

There was an unspoken silence between me and Piper. She knew what I was going to ask her, yet she didn't run out of the room this time. She instead started putting away all of the magic makeup.

This seemed as good an invitation as any to ask her about what happened between us, what she saw in my future that made her scared of my now.

"Piper," I spoke softly, as if the sound of my voice would scare her off.

She sniffed a little, as if holding back a heavy cry, but sat down at an adjoining chair.

"Listen," she wiped her eyes with her sleeve, "I know you're not a bad person now. I get that, I really do."

She paused.

"But?" I continued for her.

"But," she took a deep breath and released it slowly, but still didn't meet my eyes, "there are things I would never forgive someone for."

"You won't forgive me for what you saw in your knife? For something I haven't even done, by the way?"

I grabbed her hand, but she quickly pulled away and met my eyes.

"Cozy, I'd kill you for what I saw in my knife."

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"She said that?"

"Listen Leo, don't tell anyone. She was really shaken up, and I don't know what I did- do- but I can't even apologize for it, because she won't tell me."

I moved along the line with my tray of food heading towards the tables for lunch.

"Cozy," Leo grabbed my tray and sat it across the Hephaestus table with him, "you can't fix this, not yet. It's up to Piper whether she ever tells us what she saw, maybe she's not telling anyone for good reason. I mean, she hasn't used that blade to see the future very often, so when we say it can be wrong, it's not such a big deal."

He grabbed his slice of pizza from his tray and started eating away.

"This is just stressing me out way too much."

"I know," Leo sighed, " and it shouldn't. Today's a big day for you, you're being claimed! That's huge!"

It didn't feel huge, it felt too set up, like a big show that's really a trap.

Doreen came running from the other side of the dining room with a flower crown on her head, she was still as beautiful as inhumanly possible thanks to Aphrodite's magic.

"Hey!" She looked disappointed," you took your makeup off."

Even upset, Dorean looked flawlessly perfect, and it was unsettling how much everyone was staring. It even hurt a little to see Leo peeking glances at her while pretending to inconspicuously eat his pizza.

"Yeah," I shrugged, " it wasn't me."

"That's the whole idea," she laughed.

She came over to sit next to Leo and across from me, "Tell her Leo."

At her mention of his name he choked for a second and followed her command in a hasty attempt to construct words.

"See?" Dorean giggled, "even Leo agrees. Cozy, this is the one day we get to do this, please?"

I stared at her for a hard while until it turned into a staring competition, she won.

"Fine!" I laughed, " but only because Leo was so convincing."

Dorean gave a laugh and walked off triumphantly, leaving me with an overwhelmed Leo.

"Cool down fire boy, you're fire truck red!" I joked as his face turned pink.

"gods, that Aphrodite makeup is the worst. It gets me every time."

I raised an eyebrow, while trying to hold in a laugh.

"Honestly! Around here, you'd never know how you actually feel about someone when they wear that stuff all the time!"

I laughed, unable to hold it in anymore, "Leo, she's my little sister."

"I know, I know. All I'm saying is some people don't need it for everyone else to realize how beautiful they are."

He smiled at me for a while and now it was my turn to turn firetruck red.

"I mean, that's why I never wear it," he said popping a fry into his mouth.

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First chapter back! I hope you guys like it! I really have forgotten so much from the PJ and the HOO series, so I'm treading in unknown waters here.

Comment if you want another chapter up soon! That's honestly what keeps me motivated to move on from my break!

Xx