The Wants of a Young Demigod Heart (Nico di Angelo, Leo Valdez x OC)

Broken Hearts and Family Dinners

"He just broke up with me!" I exclaim.

"What?" Chey gasps. "That little--"

"Language!" I admonish. "What do you mean he asked you out?"

"Just now, he ran up to me and asked if I'd be interested in dating him," she explains. "I just stood there in shock before I slapped him and told him no. He looked shocked and I ran off! I'd never think of dating him, especially not now!"

"Chey--"

"I mean, how mean do you have to be to break up with--"

"Chey."

"--you're my best friend, he should have known and why--"

"CHEY!" I yell. Chey stops in her rant and looks at me.

"Yeah?"

"Go ahead and date him," I say mournfully.

"No way," Chey scowls. "At least not until you're back and we sort this out." I give Chey a hard look and she glares at me. There's no way I'm changing her mind. Thing is, I know this is Aphrodite's fault. She's gotten bored with the seven and now she's messing with us.

"Okay," I sigh. "Merry Christmas."

"And a merrily Christmas to you!" Chey smiles kindly. "Give me a call, or Abigail or Ryan or heck, even David, if you need something."

"Okay, I will," I say, and cut the connection. It's nice to have such supportive friends. I wipe away my tears and head inside. Immediately, my second cousin Ethan sidles up to me.

"Was that your booooyfriend?" he smirks.

"He's not my boyfriend anymore," I mutter, causing Ethan to punch his hand threateningly. I roll my eyes and walk into the living room. I hear laughter.

"Your-your name is Requis?" Leo is busting a gut laughing and my brother, Seth is smirking. My grandmother has set out the snacks. There are chips and salsa and guacamole.

"Yep!" Seth grins. "That's me!" I let Leo and Seth chuckle for a bit and I grab a tortilla chip.

"His name is Seth." I give Seth one of my best 'that's what you get' look, for no particular reason and walk away. I hear light, but heavy footsteps behind me and see Leo trying to follow me.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asks kindly. I glare at him, stalk into my room and slam the door. "Good talk!" he calls through the door. I know I'm being unfair. Leo had nothing to do with any of this. I sit on my bed and stew for a good ten minutes until my grandmother pokes her head in.

"Quit stewing in there and come out and eat," she demands. "You have a guest and we have to figure out sleeping arrangements."

"Sleeping arrangements?" I squawk.

"Yes, now come along," she instructs. I pull myself reluctantly into the kitchen. Our family has this thing where we do assigned seating every night. I find my place card... right in between Leo and Noah. Perfect. Requis smirks at me and gets a little glint in his eye that I've only ever seen in the members of the Aphrodite cabin. It gives me the shivers, but I glare at him as he takes his strategically placed seat at the other end of the table. Smart little punk. I think and take my seat. He thinks he can escape me that easily? Well, he's got another thing coming.

My grandmother serves the food and Leo awkwardly takes his place next to me and Noah slides in on my other side. Soon, everyone's plate is full and we begin to eat the meal. Except for Leo. Leo takes a few bites of food but pushes the remainder around his plate in circles, but you'd have to be paying attention to notice it because he's busy chatting with Noah about turning something into a rocket.

Meanwhile, Seth is busy sticking his tongue out at me and making kissy faces when Leo isn't looking. My grandmother sees this and reprimands him.

"Seth, stop picking on your little sister like a four-year-old and eat!" I smile nervously at Leo, who gives me a confused look. That's when my grandmother notices Leo's plate.

"Are you not hungry?" she asks him, quietly. I can tell Leo is relieved she didn't practically scream the question.

"Uh, no not really," he mutters.

"You need to eat more than that," she insists. "I want your plate clear or you're not leaving this table. And then you'll have a portion of dessert. You are far too skinny. Quite tall I must say, but too skinny." Leo turns red and under my grandmother's watchful eye, finishes his dinner. To make things a little less awkward, I eye Seth across the table and through special sibling telepathy (more like not-so-subtle hand gestures and eye-widening and narrowing) and tell him to slow down eating. So this way Seth finished third to last, Leo finished second to last and I shoved my last bite of pork in my mouth ten seconds after Leo's final spoonful of mashed potatoes.

Then the apple pie came out. Leo looks positively nauseous at the sight of the food, so I volunteer to cut the slices and give him the smallest slice possible. All the while, my relatives are pestering Leo about what he likes to do and his favorite things (apparently, he likes plums, lions, hates school busses with a passion and likes Vera Bradley; although I think that last one was made up on the spot).

Then my grandma brings up sleeping arrangements. "So where should Leo sleep tonight?"

"Um, ma'am, I don't have any PJ's," Leo pipes up tentatively.

"Nonsense, just borrow some of Willam's, he's about your size," my grandma frowns.

"He could sleep in the other bed with Merrily and Ellie could take Noah's bottom bunk," Seth smirks. Again with that Aphrodite look. And then, he starts glowing pink.

---------------------

A not so subtle cliffhanger. Also, let me clarify a few things. Nico is not being a jerk right now. First of all, he's confused because of Aphrodite and Apollo in his head and them meddling in everything. Second, he sucks at everything social. This is literally his first-ever, romantic relationship and he has no idea how to manage it. So do not put any hate on Nico.

*breaks fourth wall*

Leo: I feel sick

Me: You should be. That's how I wrote it.

Leo: Well un-write it!

Me: I could, but I don't want to.

Merrily: Ugh, Seth is so annoying!

David: I thought his name was Requis!

Seth: It is!

Me: How did you get out??

Seth: *cackles* not telling

Me: *death glares* I don't like characters escaping my clutches...

Seth: *gulps*

Nico: Why don't you do your job, David.

David: Gladly. CheyPaigeFanfic does not own PJO or HoO.

Me: HOW DID YOU GET IN????

Seth: *lots of screaming*

Merrily: *in between laughs* Pl-please vote and comment!