Flaming Love - Leo Valdez x reader one shots

Everyone Leaves in the End(2)

He kissed the top of your head. "Let it go."

You do. The tears pour out, your grip on his hand loosens, and you lean fully into him. You soon turn into him, crying into his shoulder. Your hands clutch handfuls of his shirt.

When the crying subsides, he leans his head on yours "You'll be ok, mi princessa."

Your breath hitches. Some time at the beginning of your friendship, he'd told you that when he found the one, she'd be his princessa. But....

"Calypso...."

"I know. She only loves me because of the island's curse. Now that she's no longer on the island, her attention is already drifting from me."

"You love her."

You feel him shake his head. "At first, I thought so. I care for her. But I'm not in love with her." He strokes your hair soothingly.

You don't trust yourself to speak. If your wrong, after getting your hopes up again....

Thankfully, he speaks again. "Before Calypso, I thought about you all the time. And then I met her, and... I don't know if it was the island, or because she's a goddess, but I got distracted. Then I made a promise. It was a river Styx promise, so I had to fulfill it. Once I got back from the quest, I felt bad about my plan. I left the notes to it on purpose so you knew I was alive. I didn't think you'd be upset I'd found Calypso. I didn't realize how broken you'd be. I was so caught up in the moment of having a goddess's attention, I didn't see.....When I saw how affected you were, when I realized how focused I was on helping Calypso, I felt so regretful for not paying attention to you like I should have. I called her my girlfriend, but I don't think she even knows what that means. I don't feel like that about her that way, anyway. I was a jerk. I need and want you, not her."

"Leo --"

"Shh, I'm not done." He pulls back to look you in the eyes, one hand on your cheek. "I've always had you. When I met you, I just wanted to help. I wanted to see a smile on your pretty face. When you finally let your guard down to me, I didn't let it pass. I made sure to keep that smile there as long as possible. Seeing you put aside, seeing the campers never noticing you or how amazing you are, it broke me and made me angry at the same time. You really did become my flor preciosa. Underneath your protective shell, the shell that the world built for you over the years, you were the most wonderful, beautiful girl I'd known. You were the brightest star in my sky. You were my brightest flame. You still are. I never have and never will again meet someone like you. I've fallen madly in love with you, with your eyes, your smile, your sass, your attempts at jokes, the way you're funniest when you don't try, that faraway look you get when you read. I didn't make you that metallic flower because I thought it was nice or because I was bored. I did it because I wanted to and because I wanted to impress you. I'm so sorry I got distracted by Calypso. But no goddess will compare to you. Like I said, I want you and I need you, not her. You've always been by my side, not her. I'm in love with you, not her."

Your mouth is slightly agape. "Leo, I..." Your voice cracks. How do you respond to that? You have tears in your eyes again from his words. You cover your mouth, because you can't seem to close it. Tears leak down your cheeks.

You don't have words, so you send your arms around his neck and bury your face in it. He hugs you back.

"Will you forgive me?"

You finally find words as you pull away and hold his face in your hands. "Yes, Leo. Always. I -" the words get stuck in your throat. Three simple words that mean so much.

"I love you."

His eyes hold his answer, the answer that means so much. He says he loves you without saying anything.

Slowly, he leans in, unsure, glancing from your eyes to your lips. You lean forward a little, until something soft is pressed to your lips. Your eyes close.

You pull back, blushing red.

"Mi princessa flor preciosa," he whispers.

"Mi...caliente fuego chico," you attempt to say "hot fire boy."

He laughs, "Close enough," and kisses your forehead.

No matter how hard it gets, someone will walk into your life. Someone who wants you to feel like your worth it, because you're worth it to them. Someone who will love you for you, however impossible it may sound to you. Though they won't be perfect, and your relationship with them may not be perfect, don't let them go. To those who push you aside, who act like you're nothing, screw them. You're amazing, no matter what others think. Since when did they become the masters of deciding what's considered beautiful or ugly? They've got their flaws. Everyone does. The ones that point out other's flaws and put them down are the ones that are ugly in the inside. Never forget that you're beautiful, inside and out. You may not be everybody's favorite cup of tea, but you're somebody's. Just don't be afraid to let someone in once in a while.