we're having a pjo phase again rn so here is this😁 i mentioned this leo fic idea in a spam chapter which is now deleted so if you recognize it👩‍🔬

UNTITLED.
in which a son of hypnos finds comfort in a son of hephaestus upon the argo II.

"Have you showered lately?" Leo blurted out as he shut his bedroom door behind the other boy, regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth. Basil (as always) was too sleepy to take any offense to the question. In fact he knew exactly where Leo was coming from.

Basil slept a lot. Like, a lot. And that meant when he was awake he barely had the time to even think about taking care of himself, especially when he was taking part in a time sensitive quest that determined whether or not everyone on Earth got to live.

So yeah. He probably hadn't showered in awhile.

Basil shrugged tiredly in response. "Do I stink?"

Leo chuckled nervously and scratched at his dark curls. Now that he thought about it he probably didn't have room to talk, still being covered in machine oil and all, and on top of that his heart hurt at the idea of hurting Basil's feelings. "Maybe a little."

The slightly taller boy nodded and dishearteningly stood to his feet. Leo's breath caught in his throat as Basil shuffled to the door, his hand brushing past the fire boy's and onto the doorknob. The two practically stood chest to chest before the door, but Basil was far too tired to notice (unlike Leo who tried not to become squeamish under his gaze).

"Then I should probably go clean up while I'm awake. Big day tomorrow I heard."

Basil didn't even get a chance to turn the doorknob before Leo was speaking once more. "You can stay. Please. I know you had another nightmare."

Basil had seen this side of Leo Valdez time and time again. It was vulnerability incarnate, and it was the soft tone of genuine care. There would never be a night where Basil wouldn't be so utterly enraptured by this side of Leo. That's why he still blushed, an obvious color against his pale cheeks that rarely touched the sun.

"I- I really should—"

"You can use my bathroom," Leo offered, though it came out as more of a squeak. "So we still have time to talk!"

—

It didn't take much more convincing from Basil, though he asked if he could take a bath instead of the shower Leo had asked about. The latter of course agreed, sitting on his bed timidly as he listened to the splashes from inside the bathroom.

Leo had been lost in his thoughts for maybe ten minutes before he came to, an unusual silence hanging in the air. It immediately set him on edge and so he made his way to the bathroom door and knocked on it lightly.

"Uh... Basil? You awake in there?" No response. Leo knocked a few more times but received the same results, so he took a deep breathe and clutched at the doorknob. "I'm coming in, Basil, you better be decent!"

Somehow the sight was exactly what Leo had been expecting. Basil sat in the bathtub with suds surrounding him, only his upper half peeking through the water as he slouched forward. His fingers were simply lying on his head as if he had been attempting to scrub his hair with the shampoo that still sat there, left to be forgotten as he drifted off.

Leo ignored his raging blush, and ignored how peaceful Basil looked in his sleep, deciding to instead step forward and shake the boy.

"Mi sueño, wake up! It's not safe to fall asleep in water like this, Basil."

The son of Hypnos woke up surprisingly easily, as he always did at Leo's touch, looking to the other boy in confusion. "'m sorry," Basil hummed. His followings words weren't that audible but Leo managed to catch 'so warm.'

The warmth was all that Basil's sleepy mind could think of, which is probably why he subconsciously leaned into Leo's side without removing himself from the water. The tanner boy didn't even care that his shirt was now wet and covered in soap.

He began to run his fingers through Basil's bedhead, using fresh water to wash the product away. It didn't seem to help Basil's state either as the boy merely hummed with content and shut his bleary eyes once more.

Leo let him this time, knowing that he would do whatever to keep his sleeping beauty safe while he rest.