[ closed ] there will a come a time, you'll see

[commandertoolbelt]

Ever since Jason and the others had found him in Malta, Leo had been evading the inevitable explanation of what had happened to him in the past week or two. It was easy enough to do; they'd had a lot of things for them all to do, like fix up the Argo II and fighting giants and dead people and getting Annabeth and Percy out of Tartarus.

But after that, it was... harder to avoid. He saw the looks Jason kept giving him, concerned and questioning, and so far, had deliberately ignored them. Later, he'd said back at the cafe, but if he could delay it any further, he would. It wasn't as if he wasn't working on the problem, on getting back to Ogygia like he'd sworn he would, but it was just... not something Leo really wanted to talk about. Feelings and stuff - those were Piper's thing, not his. It was easier not to talk about it at all, and work on the astrolabe quietly, when no one else was around.

Of course, Leo still had things to do around the ship, even with all the repairs (mostly) done. It was another way to pretend there was nothing going on, like he didn't have anything special to talk about. There was still the matter of figuring out what Piper had done to Festus to turn him back on, so he had the panel open and was tinkering around among the machinery, pretending not to notice Jason watching him out of the corner of his eye. He was busy; the girl talk could wait.

Comments

[awol_praetor]

Jason bides his time and he waits. He lets Leo get on with the considerable repairs needed to be done on the ship. He says good-bye to Nico and Reyna and stares into the shadows they'd disappeared into for a long time and prays extra hard for their safety. He gives Leo time, unsure when to actually approach him, or how long later was supposed to last for, but eventually, he thinks of the South Wind palace and knowing when to make decisions. He gives Leo one more chance to approach him and then he picks a time and closes in. He's worried about his best friend, and even if he can't exactly get the whole story out of him, he knows Leo well enough to know whatever's eating him alive could use a tiny bit of an outlet at least.

"So, how long exactly are you going to try and put me and my questions off?"

[commandertoolbelt]

Leo tries not to flinch when Jason comes up, but he does stop working, screwdriver in hand, to stare down at the dragon's inner workings with a soft sigh. It had to happen eventually, he thinks, but that doesn't make it any easier to think about.

"Forever would be nice," he says, setting his tool down. "But I have a feeling you're not going to let me."

[awol_praetor]

Jason hesitates a moment, weighing his options. Attempting to make a lasting friendship with Nico Di Angelo was teaching him about boundaries and how giving your friends what they want is sometimes a lesser evil compared to forcing what they need upon them.

"If it's something you really need to keep to yourself---I'll drop it, Leo, but I want to remind you I'll do whatever I can for you. Even without the whole story."

He's pretty sure he can guess a little of what happened from the way Leo reacted to the mention of Coach Hedge's enthusiasm for fighting Calypso and the sapped energy Jason's pretty sure he identified as heartsickness.

[commandertoolbelt]

The look he gives Jason is tired, almost looking helpless. He really has no idea how he's going to get back to Ogygia, aside from the astrolabe and the crystal he'd taken. She'd insisted that heroes never come back, that once he left, he'd be gone forever, and he'd never see her again.

"I met Calypso," he said finally, dropping all pretenses. There was no point to it with Jason, and the others weren't around, all off doing other things around the ship. No one but Jason to see him in a moment of weakness.

[awol_praetor]

"I was thinking something like that happened." Jason responds matter-of-factly, no extra questioning or curiosity in his tone, seemingly taking what Leo's said at face value as he leans against the Argo II and waits.

He's seen Leo at many different points of danger or pressure. Everything from about to be eaten, to manic building, but never before has Jason seen Leo unsure and almost hopeless. Leo's always pulling something out of his tool belt and creating hope out of ingenuity.

[commandertoolbelt]

His brow furrows - that is obviously not the reply he’s expecting. Is Calypso Roman, too, he wonders? It didn’t look like she was affected by the impending war, but then, Nemesis hadn’t been, either.

Frowning, Leo turns back to the machinery, glaring at them as he considers what exactly he should tell, or if he should keep some things to himself for now. Jason would probably know either way, and if he gets Piper in on this, then any secrets Leo keeps won’t be secret for long. The two of them have a way of making him talk, even without charmspeak.

“I told her I’d come back,” he says carefully, thinking about the crystal and the astrolabe he’d tucked into his belt pockets. “After we beat Gaea.” Assuming we do, he adds silently.