*A/N Big thank you to kylie_weasleyxo for the idea! Hope you like it ♡*

"Percy!" I yell. "A little help?"

The green-eyed boy glances over from where he sits next to Annabeth as they chaperone the volleyball courts although from what I can tell, it's more of a make-out session that Mr. D would kick them off of Mount Olympus for if he knew about it. I'm pretty sure the only reason it's allowed is because Percy can put out all the fires and Annabeth is an actually responsible supervisor. Well, she is when she's looking anywhere other than Percy's eyes which is just about never.

Leo's entire body is alight on fire. He tries to slap them off, but it only feeds the flames since his hands are also burning. I roll my eyes. His pitiful attempt at putting it out is almost endearing. Almost.

Percy flicks his wrist and a bubble of lake water pops over Leo's head with a sizzle.

"Can we switch teams yet?" I moan. It's really difficult to play volleyball when your teammate gets excited everytime the ball comes their way and bursts into flames.

Leo shakes his mop of dark hair like a dog and water droplets splash onto me. I hate myself for thinking it, but he doesn't look half bad with wet hair. He shoots me a goofy grin and says, "Why would you want to switch? Leo's got this!"

I roll my eyes. "You don't even got a ball, because someone burned it. How in Zues's name have you got this?"

Leo scrunches his eyebrows, expressing the hurt I caused him without saying a word. I almost feel bad his face is incredibly amusing and I don't regret it.

"No need to fear, Y/L/N. I have another one in my cabin," Leo says with a wink. My stomach flip flops, much to my distress. What does that mean?

The other campers grumble in annoyance while we wait for Leo to come back with a ball. There's only so much free time and none of us want to waste it because of an annoying kid who couldn't control himself, even if he is kind of funny.

Leo returns with an orange volleyball the color of our t-shirts with a black pegasus in the center. The paint has a suspicious shine that matches the mischevious glint in his eyes. He throws the ball into the air and bumps it over to me. I catch it and am surprised to find it feels like any old ball. Not heavy with machinery or stiff like the random metal scraps he's always fiddling with.

With a shrug, I serve and it sails over the net with ease. I'm almost surprised when it doesn't start emitting toxic gas or explode into hundred of pieces. My cabinmates on the opposing team jumps to spike it, but misses by half an inch. I glance at Leo through the corner of my eye to find that he's grinning. That's all I need to confirm my suspicions.

One of Leo's half brothers from the other team serves it back over the net right onto Leo's waiting fist and he knocks it over again. Leo never hits the ball over the net. It's totally been tampered with.

I endure four more points that consist of Leo doing some sort of tricky move that, against all odds, gets the ball onto the other side of the net before I call it quits and wander past the court to the dock.

I shove my y/h/c hair out of my face, kick my shoes off, and plop down on the wooden planks with my feet dipped into the water. Muffled laughter and cheers sound in the background, but over here it's just me. And the naiads and nymphs, but that doesn't count.

"Yo, Y/L/N."

Leo jogs over to my side.

I groan. "What do you want, Valdez?"

He sits down beside me, criss cross applesauce, and pulls a nut and bolt out of his pocket, promptly screwing and unscrewing it as he speaks.

"We've got odd teams now," Leo says plainly. "Why'd ya leave? We were finally winning."

I tip my head back and stare up at the sky. Anywhere, but his face. "Because I wanna win without whatever gadget you put in that ball. I want it to be a genuine win, y’know? Something you deserve. Something that you get without even trying, because you're just good. I want to earn it. I don't want it to be given to me and I certainly don't want it forced."

Leo's silent for a moment. Why did I get so philosophical? I probably broke the poor kid's brain. Beneath the sassy confidence, however, I'm a bit embarrassed for saying that all aloud.

I wait for his silly remark. Somewhere along the lines of 'you got me! How could you tell it'd been tampered with?' or the classic 'am I really do good that you thought I was cheating?' To my surprise, he doesn’t say either.

"Like love?"

"Like lo- wait, what?" My eyes snap to his face in surprise. "What do you mean like love? Where did that even come from?"

Leo looks down in- no, this cannot be. Leo Valdez is embarrassed? And is that... blushing?

"Something that you deserve and get without trying? Something not given?" He shrugs and spins the nut with increasing urgency. "Certainly isn't given willingly, to you at least."

I brush off the insult. I know Leo and when he's teasing someone, he makes eye contact. Like he has to make sure it hits it's mark or something. But this time... this time Leo could barely meet my eyes.

My stomach flip flops. I scrutinize him more closely. "What are you saying?"

Leo's ears burn. Literally. He pulls his arm back and chucks the nut into the lake. He blows out a breath and looks me in the eye, saying, "I wish I knew why you don’t like me, Y/L/N. Whatever I did, I'm sorry."

"Who said I don't like you?"

"I mean," Leo laughs wryly, "you never really had to say it. I can tell."

I sigh. "It's not that I don't like you. You're just..." How do I put it nicely?

"Ok, in all honesty, you drive me crazy. Everything you do is dramatic. All you do is to show off and- and you're always using some machine to get ahead. I hate it! And I hate that your stupid smile and- ugh!"

I throw my hands up in defeat and dare to glance at him.

Leo stares at the lake. His eyebrows are scrunched in that obnoxiously adorable expression of concern.

"What do you have to prove?" I ask.

He looks over to me and shrugs. "I don't know. I guess I just thought you'd like me more if I were cooler."

"Cooler? You literally create fire," I say.

"Woah, Y/L/N, are you calling me hot?" There's that obnoxiously adorable grin again.

"No! I mean, yeah, but- see! This is what I'm talking about! You're so annoying! And why do you care what I think anyway?"

"Because I like you, Y/N! Alright? Happy now?" Leo sighs and flicks a pebble across the lake. "I- nevermind."

He stands to leave, his entire face in flames as heat rushed to his cheeks, but pauses when I call out to him.

"Leo, wait!"

He turns.

"You- you called me by my first name," I observe.

Leo laughs a little. "So did you."

"What?"

"You called me Leo. Just now."

It's my turn to laugh. "Yeah, I guess I did," I say and blow out a breath. "Look, I guess what I meant is... you're obnoxiously adorable, Leo. I want to hate you, but I can't. And believe me, I've tried."

"Careful, Y/L/N, if you keep talking like that, I might be led to believe you like me back."

Heat rises in my cheeks and I smile with a shrug. "Maybe you wouldn't be entirely wrong in that belief, Valdez."

He grins. A crooked, perfectly imperfect smirk that sends a pleasant shiver up my spine. Leo puts his hand out to me. "Admit it. I'm pretty hot."

I squint and put my thumb and pointer finger out in front of me, only a centimeter apart. "Maybe a little bit."

He puts a hand to his heart. "You wound me."

"Alright, fine. You're pretty hot... you're also on fire again."

He looks down and curses. I kick the water and splash his feet. He sizzles and laughs. "Sorry, can't help it."

"Whatever," I laugh.