[internalized homophobia, abuse]

okay, so foster care fucked leo up. pardon his spanish. wait, no. french. pardon his french.

the whole system left him abused and favored being homeless.

with that, also came the homophobia.

one foster care parent in particular was more abusive. she had given leo a beating after he said one of the male actors on television was attractive.

never again.

leo never found another boy attractive ever again.

but when he met you, he felt his off fluttering feeling in his stomach. he felt the urge to make personalized items for you, but that was just what friends do.

he liked helping you out and hugging you and making you laugh. but that was just what friends do.

he wanted to be so close to you that he could feel your body heat. but that was just what friends do.

leo is not gay. he does not like a boy.

“ughh, school sucks,” leo complains, flopping onto the bed in your cabin as usual, after finishing his year-round camp schooling classes. he turned his head to the window in your room, watching the tree’s leaves turn orange and fall to the ground.

“you got any food?” the son of hephaestus asks, meeting your gaze only the turn his eyes away once he saw you changing your shirt to avoid the pink he knew dusted his cheeks when he looked at you for too long…

…or saw you changing in the locker room for gym in the year-round camper school they have in camp…

…or really anything that had to do with you.

but, no. he likes girl. boys are meant to like girls.