What No One Sees

things are getting bad again

Because Leo pretended to be excited for breakfast, he now had to pretend to actually enjoy eating. Like he was actually enjoying living today. He hoped no one could tell how fake it all was. They never noticed before, they shouldn't notice now.
'You never tried to kill yourself before.'
Leo's smile fell as the reminder invaded his mind. Of course it's true. He tried to kill himself. Now people would be paying more attention to how he acted. 'I don't think I should worry about it. After all, even my "friends" couldn't tell when I was faking it.'
Quickly plastering the smile back onto his face, Leo picked up his fork making a bad joke before shoving syrup covered eggs into his mouth. He felt eyes on him and glanced around. Chocolate brown eyes fell upon electric blue as Jason and Leo made eye contact. The blonde superman tilted his head before mouthing 'syrup and eggs?'
Leo scrunched his nose up making a face to the boy who chuckled in return.
"Mind if I sit here?" Piper asked as she slid down her plate of food and sat next to Jason.
"Um, sure."
Jason shifted away from the daughter of Aphrodite. Whether intention or not, a look of irritation flashed across the girls face before she turned to Leo and aggressively asked, "What have you been up to?"
Leo shrunk for a moment before mumbling a short "nothing." He hurried to put food in his mouth before Piper could say anything else, but she beat him.
"I heard you were in the infirmary again."
'... did she hear about my heart issue? Why is she asking me this? Why is she being so aggressive?'
"So you had another suicide attempt or just another attention stunt?"
"Piper!" Jason shouted and stood up.
Leo couldn't speak. He couldnt feel. His eyes began to well with tears, but he was too shocked to let them actually fall.
'She thinks I'm doing this for attention.'
'Maybe she's right.'
'There's nothing actually wrong with me and now people are forced to give me attention.'
'I need to just quietly kill myself so I can leave everyone alone and let them focus on the important things.'
Leo stood up and smiled as best he could, "You're right, this is just for attention. I'm sorry. I'll stop."
"Leo-" Jason started.
"It's fine Jase," he mumbled before walking away.
Jason turned towards Piper and angrily grabbed her arm yanking her towards him, "What in hades name is wrong with you?! Did you have an extra dose of bitch today? Cause what you just did is effed up and I'm not going to hang out with anyone who treats Leo like that!"
Piper looked up at Jason and he could see tears in her eyes, "Is Leo really that much more important than me? You'd break up with me over Leo?" She spit out Leo's name as if it had a foul taste.
Jason released her arm and shoved her away. "I'd choose Leo every time. Unlike you, he's actually a good person and doesn't deserve the crap you just gave him. We're done."
With that, Jason ran after Leo.
"Leo! Wait up!" He called out.
Leo paused and let the blonde boy close the distance.
"What are you doi-hey! Stop that! Put me down!" Leo shouted as Jason hoisted the Latino over his shoulder and ran towards bunker Nine.
"No way I'm letting you down princess. I'm never gonna give you up. Never gonna let you down."
Leo covered his face in embarrassment as his cheeks heated up.
"Jason Grace, you're absolutely ridiculous."
"That's why you love me," Jason grinned.
Leo's heart skipped a beat (in a good way), but he quickly shoved any implications it could have meant away. Jason just meant as a friend... then... as a friend.... Leo could say I love you back? 'No. Don't get your hopes up. No one actually likes you. It's only because they have to.'
'You're just an attention seeker.'
Leo sighed as his tears flooded his eyes again, "Yeah, sure."
Jason felt the switch. Of course, it would be stupid to think that goofing off would make Leo take his mind off of what just happened. But it had helped for a second, and that was something Jason could be grateful for. He knew that ignoring the problem and just joking around wouldn't stop Leo from being hurt. There had to be a way that Jason could help. A way to take the pain away.
When they reached the bunker, Jason gently set the Latino down and looked at him. He tried to turn away, but Jason held him there.
"Leo?" There was so much feeling in just that one word that Leo couldn't handle it. He broke down in sobs and tried again to pull away, but this time Jason brought him to his chest and hugged the small boy.
"Don't listen to her Leo. She was just being a jerk-"
"-BUT SHE'S RIGHT!" Leo wailed. "I'm a worthless attention se-eeker an-nd I d-don-n't deserv-ve friends-s."
Leo was clinging to Jason as if he were a lifeline. His breathless sobs broken up between coughing fits.
"Leo, no. She's wrong. She's so wrong.-" Jason didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to help make this better. 'What do I do?'
His attention refocused on Leo when the small boy loosened his grip and began gasping for air. Jason froze. 'Oh gods. Nononono please don't be like last time.'
Tears stung Jason's eyes as he grabbed the Latino and held him.
"Leo! Leo, it's okay. Leo you're okay. Leo? Listen to me. Just breathe. Please, just breathe."
The son of Hephaestus reattached his grip onto the blonde as he tried to breathe.
"Jase..." he breathed out before relaxing his grip slightly and breathing as lightly as possible.
"Leo, it's okay. I'm here. Just breathe."
A very quiet huff and Leo whispered out "....Trying."
"I know, I know. You're doing great."
Leo's breaths were nearly regular, but his chest was aching. Jason seemed to notice, "Do you want to go to the infirmary?"
When Leo shook his head Jason noticed the curls bounce around his elfish ears. 'His ears are so cute.'
"Jase?"
Jason's gaze refocused on the tanned boys face. His chocolate brown eyes, his adorable little nose speckled with light freckles, his parted pink lips, and the light blush playing on his cheeks. Only then did Jason notice what he was doing. His hand was caressing Leo's ear and his face was merely inches away.
"Ah! I'm sorry! You had a curl around ear, I was just fixing it." Jason leaned away blushing.
"Oh-uh..thanks."
"So, is it your heart?" Jason asked.
"Yeah..." Leo trailed off as he remember everything Piper said.
"Leo? What are you thinking about?"
He shook his head. "Nothing."
Jason frowned and stood up extending a hand to the other boy.
Leo took it and got up as well.
"I'm sorry," the Latino mumbled out.
"Don't," Jason heaved a sigh, "I just don't know what to do to help. You won't talk to me so what am I supposed to do?"
"Just-just...be here. I don't need anything else."
Jason growled, "Leo!"
"What do you want me to say?! That I just need a hug and I'll be fine? I don't know how to be fine anymore! I haven't felt fine in years! I-I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say."
Jason pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned, "Dang it, this isn't coming out how I mean it. I just-" he grabbed Leo's hand "-you didn't do anything wrong. I don't like you apologizing for nothing. And I want to talk to you about what Piper said because what she said was crap. It's not true and she had no right to say it. I just... want you to know how much I care about you."
Leo pursed his lips before finally relenting and letting a soft smile play on his face, "Thank you Jase."
Said boy smiled back before tugging on the hand he was still holding and pulling the boy into a hug.
"Uck-Jase!!" Leo whined out, his face squished between Jason's chest and bicep.
The blonde released the smaller boy and chuckled, "Sorry."
"So what are we doing in bunker Nine?"
Jason grinned mischievously which made Leo think that he might be a bad influence on the other boy, "You'll find out in a bit."

A/N: hi guys. So life is rough and this episode is late and I have way too much effing homework.... and i failed my new years resolution to not cut for the year and now i have no motivation to stop lolol I'm gonna end up dying from blood loss, but I'll try to hold out until this story is over. Also I've been binging klance, langst, and depressedkirishima.