A/N: Who would see this coming? After months of writer's block, I'm on a roll. So much inspiration I wrote almost 5k of words in two days, includind a Leo's POV. There, more than 2k of words in a Leo's chapter. Knock yourself out.

SUNDAY

"Leo, I swear to the Styx, if you touch me again, I'll push you from the car in high speed."

Leo rolled his eyes, but believed Nico's whisper and scooted closer to his own window.

He's no fun.

He never was.

Not even as a kid?

Don't know, didn't meet him as a kid. We can ask Percy or Annabeth, they should know.

He glanced at Nico again, but something caught his eye.

What is that?

Where?

There, behind Nico.

He went to reach, just to be stopped by Nico's menacing voice.

"Leo..."

He raised his hands in surrender, slowly approaching.

"I just want to get something that is behind you, I promise I won't touch you."

He reached and got the square that was calling for him. Nico watched it curiously.

"What is it?"

"No idea, it looks like... oh, a sketch book."

What does our mighty captains draw?

This is what I want to know.

"Leo, I think that is private..."

Leo ignored Nico and flipped through the pages, still stopping in a portrait. He grinned before saying out loud.

"Well well well... looks like our captain likes to spend his time sketching his muse..."

All the other three people inside the car spoke at the same time.

"What?"

Nico's voice was curious, Ryan's was of someone who wasn't really paying attention before, and Niel's was slightly scared. He was the one to glance back and see what Leo was holding and his eyes widened when he looked to his uncle curious expression, before setting them back at the road.

"LEO! Put that back where you found it!"

Ryan turned his body to look at the sketch book.

"Muse? Does Niel has a girlfriend?"

He narrowed his eyes at his nephew before smirking.

"Does my sister knows about her? Or should I tell her?"

Niel took a deep breath to collect himself, but Leo could see he was still nervous.

"There is nothing to tell mom about. I don't have a girlfriend."

Just because he can't do much beside stutter when he's around her.

Leo nodded.

"He's telling the truth; she is just his muse. He's too much of a chicken to ask her out and turn her into his girlfriend, so he settles to draw her over and over."

Niel adjusted his rearview mirror so he could glare at Leo through it. Leo only grinned back. Nico was staring at the portrait.

"I've seen her around school... isn't that girl that is friends with Will and Pi...Trish? What was her name?"

Should we tell him?

Why not?

"Claire."

Ryan was chuckling while Niel's shoulders tensed up.

"So, mysterious muse has a name... I'm sure my sister will love to invite her to a dinner..."

"Uncle, don't."

"What is the problem, isn't she your friend?"

Leo shook his head, barely containing his laugh.

"Nope. Too much of a chicken even for talking to her as a friend."

Niel took a deep breath.

"Sticks? Is your offer of pushing Leo from a high speed car still up?"

Nico smiled evilly.

"Just say the word."

"No need. If Leoni utters one more word, consider it a good to go."

Leo opened his mouth to complain, until he saw Nico looking at him hopeful, like asking for him to say anything. Leo closed his mouth and leaned against his window.

He wouldn't really do it. Would he?

With Nico, I rather not take the chances.

So what, we will keep our mouth shut forever?

No, only until we reach his house.

And then?

Let's just say I can't wait to meet his mother.

***

"No no no, there's no need!"

Nico's eyes were round while he tried to snatch his plate back from Niel's mother.

"Nonsense, you're way to skinny, eat up!"

"No, I mean it, Mrs. Drake, I..."

Nico interrupted what he was saying at Niel's mother's glare.

"... Debora."

She grinned again, still filling his plate. Nico sighed, staring at the amount of food she was pilling on his plate with dread.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, there is enough food for you and everyone else. Just say when."

"It's already too much."

"Say when."

"I already said is too much!"

Should we help him?

Nah, I can't remember the last time someone fell for it.

"Say when."

"For the love of God, Debbie, you're scaring the boy. When."

Nico stared between Debora and Ryan, before gulping at the sight of the mountain of food she was placing in front of him.

"What happened?"

"She told you to say when. So, when."

Nico blinked, still trying to understand. Niel was busy making his own mountain of food.

"Did no one play with you about it? What kind of childhood did you have?"

Both Nico and Leo tensed up at this question.

What kind of childhood did he has?

I don't know the details, he's not the sharing type, but from the rumors of camp, not a happy one.

Niel and his mother looked between the two boys, Nico in a scowl and Leo checking on him from his peripheral vision, waiting to see what he would do. After Nico took a deep breath and focused on his food, not answering Niel, the atmosphere became a little lighter. Leo let the silence stretch for a couple of minutes.

Is it time?

Oh yeah.

"So, Niel, I heard that Claire is spending her Thanksgiving with Trish."

Niel grabbed his cutlery with a little bit more force, not taking his eyes from the food. Ryan smiled while chewing, just looking at Leo and waiting. Debora took her son's stance before smiling at Leo.

"Who are they?"

"Oh, just some friends from his school that I happened to meet in a Halloween party."

"Really? What could you tell me about them?"

Niel raised his eyes to focus on Leo.

"Yeah, Leo, what could you tell us about them?"

Wait, what does he mean?

I don't know, I would think he would wanted us to shut up.

"Because I saw you talking to Trish after the play, and wanted to know how you two became friends, since I didn't see you two talking much on that party. Unless you met somewhere else?"

What? He's not making any sense.

What is in this orange juice?

From the other side of the table, Nico was glaring at Leo, motioning to shut up. Leo raised his eyebrows, trying to ask for more details. Niel saw that and questioned again.

"So, Leo, you and Trish?"

Leo riveted his eyes to Niel.

"What about it?"

"Were you two introduced by Sticks?"

"Of course not, I met her long before I met him."

Nico groaned and facepalmed. Niel just smiled.

"Really? So when was it?"

Nico took a deep breath, before turning to Debora.

"So, Claire is the girl Niel likes to spend his days drawing. There is a sketch book in his car full of her portraits."

She clapped once, with delight in her eyes.

"Really!?"

Niel looked at Nico with murderous expression. Nico didn't seem fazed in the slightest.

"Yeah, really. Hey, Leo? Why don't you go get it so she can have an idea of how Claire looks like?"

What? Why us?

Yeah, he was the one to mention it.

When Leo opened his mouth, Nico's glare shut it.

Maybe this is a code.

Why would we need a code? And code to what?

"Hum... Good idea, I'm going now."

Leo walked outside to get the sketch book. While there, his phone ringed with a text.

N: You're more stupid than I thought. Shut your mouth and don't let Niel pry. We aren't supposed to know each other, so don't say how you met Piper so long ago. Just keep the conversation focusing on Claire, ok!?

Hum, someone is moody.

He's always moody. But he has a point.

That you shouldn't know each other?

Yeah. What brings the question, why is Niel suddenly so interested in it?

Leo returned to the dining room, where Niel was glaring at Nico, who glared back, while Debora kept asking questions about Claire that neither would answer. Ryan was just busy eating. Leo grinned and handed the book for Debora.

"Knock yourself out. And if you want to invite her over someday, I can give you her number."

This got Niel's attention.

"How would you get her number?"

"I already do. She gave it to me in the mall, when you were too busy avoiding her. What can I say, the girls love me."

Niel narrowed his eyes, and his mother raised her eyes from one of the few colored portraits Niel had drawn to glance at Nico.

"Are you okay, sweetie? Do you want something more to eat?"

"NO! This is already more than I can eat!"

"Nonsense, there is always some space for dessert. Niel, be a good boy and clean the table so we could move to dessert, please? Sweetie, you come with me."

Nico stood up reluctantly and followed her to somewhere else.

It's a little weird to hear anyone calls Nico 'sweetie'.

Why?

Does he look like a sweetie?

Fair enough.

"Leo?"

He turned to look at Niel.

"Get you lazy ass off the chair and help me."

"You know, I really miss the old times. Where a captain respected a commander. No!, SUPREME commander."

"Leo, you already sold me out to my mother. I wouldn't push my luck anymore if I were you."

"Well, since you asked so nicely..."

***

"So, you and Trish."

Leo only stopped putting away the dishes for a second before acting like nothing happened.

Oh gods, here he comes again.

"Hum?"

"How did you two meet?"

Why is he pushing this subject?

I wish I knew.

"You know what? I can't remember! Terrible memory, always failing me in the worst times."

"I know you're lying, Leo."

"You know nothing, Jon Snow."

"I know more than you think I do."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Before Niel could answer, they heard a muffled scream.

Was it... Nico?

It didn't sound like a pain scream, more like a...

Protest?

Yeah.

What would he be protesting about?

Leo looked at Niel.

"Should we... I don't know, check on him?"

"No, he sold me out first. Let him suffer."

Well, who am I to intrude then.

"Leo, get the desserts from the fridge, I'll get the plates."

Did I hear him right? Desserts? As in plural?

Let's pray to all the gods that it's.

He opened the fridge and almost dislocated his jaw, of how quick it dropped.

Sweet Rhea, it was plural.

Do you think Debora would consider adopting us?

Doesn't hurt to ask.

***

It didn't matter that Debora had baked five different types of dessert. Between Leo, Ryan and Niel, more than half of it was already missing. Only almost twenty minutes later, Debora reemerged, followed close by Nico with his head hanging low. Niel was clearly holding his laugh while looking at his mother.

"So, what took you so long?"

"Oh, I was cutting his hair. It was so messy and long! It kept getting in front of his eyes all the time, it was annoying. See? Isn't it so much better now?"

Leo could barely hold his laugh, and avoided looking at Niel or Nico at all costs, or he would lose this battle.

It's not that bad. It's still long.

Yeah, the joke is seeing Nico embarrassed for it.

It could have been worse. She could have cut in bowl.

That did it, and it didn't matter Nico would probably find a way to murder him in his sleep, he started to laugh. Niel soon joined and Nico started to slid down in his chair, trying to hide while glaring at them.

***

Leo looked at the diploma hanging in the living room.

"It was my father's."

"And he was..."

"Straight your posture, sweetie, I just fixed it."

They both looked to the couch where Niel's mother kept correcting Nico's posture.

"What did you mean by you just fixed it?"

She smiled at Leo.

"Oh, I'm a chiropractor. Before cutting his hair I gave his back a quick fix, and I don't want him to walk curved again and mess it."

What is a chirowhatever?

Do you think it would be too much offensive if we asked?

Maybe?

Niel smiled.

"We're a family of fixers. My mom fixes people, I fix stuff, Uncle Ryan fixes cars."

"And my deceased husband was a psychologist, so he fixed people's minds."

"Hum, how exactly does a chiro..."

Niel supplied.

"Chiropractor."

"That. Fixes people? Are you some kind of doctor?"

"Want me to fix you so you get an idea?"

"Why not?"

***

"Holy Rhea mother of Zeus, this was amazing."

Debora chuckled, patting his back.

"I'm happy you enjoyed."

"Out of curiosity, you aren't with an open program for adoption, are you?"

She froze for a couple of seconds without knowing how to answer, not that Leo gave it too much meaning.

"No, I'm not. But you're invited to come have dinner with us anytime you want. I'm sure Niel or Ryan would be happy to give you a ride from work, right?"

Both nodded.

Niel is very lucky in the mother department.

He sure is.