CHAPTER NINE:
FIRE MEETS FATE

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KIT GROANED IN DISGUST at the sight of Festus' bugged-out body laying across a line of Porta-Potties. They were flattened now, but that didn't stop chemicals from leaking out around the dragon, creating a pungent pool of muck that Kit hung back from but Leo didn't hesitate to throw himself through just to reach his beloved friend.

"I'm here, Festus," he cooed as he struggled to heave himself up onto his back. "Kit and I have come to save you."

"Well, Leo has, I'm just here," Kit corrected, then frowned when he realised that he was genuinely treating an inanimate object like a person. Gods, that fall must've killed his brain. "How's he looking?"

"Fine..." Leo frowned, a hint of frustration to his voice. "In fact, he looks unharmed."

Kit scoffed in disbelief, but quickly came to realise Leo was telling the truth. He forced himself to walk through the muck, nose scrunching in disgust as the chemicals squelched like mud beneath his shoes. He mounted Festus' wing, making his way up to where Leo was kneeling. The closer he got, the easier it was to see Leo was right. There were no dents from the fall. There weren't even any scratches. Festus was in perfect condition, and yet he'd given out on them anyway. It didn't make sense.

"Not my fault," Leo muttered to himself with a sigh. "Festus, you're making me look bad."

"You're right," Kit piped up. "This isn't a good look for you, Valdez."

Leo simply glared at him before fiddling with the back of Festus' control panel. After a moment, he managed to tug the door open, revealing a mess of wires covered in a thick sheet of ice. "Oh, Festus, what the heck?" Kit winced at the mess. He didn't doubt that Leo could fix it, but somehow, they'd been tampered with right under his nose. Could they really afford to put Festus back together again just for him to try and kill them later?

"Maybe we should head back to Piper and Jason," Kit suggested, unusually put off by the way Leo's face had fallen in sheer disappointment. He'd pulled out a disc covered in charcoaled splotches, but Kit had no clue what it was. It seemed important, though, if it was even stumping a son of Hephaestus. "We can come back for Festus after the quest or something. But this looks bad, dude. And we don't have much time."

His suggestion had Leo snapping out of his trance. Quickly, he stood to his feet, almost knocking right into Kit as he wheeled around to face him. "No," he said, and shook his head. "I'm not leaving Festus behind."

"Well, it's not like he can go anywhere--"

"Kit, I said no," Leo cut in. "I can fix this, alright? Just let me do my thing."

Normally, Kit would've argued and dragged Leo back to the others without giving him a choice. But there was a rare glint of determination in Leo's eyes, like he would've fought tooth and nail against Kit if he tried. Kit was incredibly ashamed to admit that he found that even a little bit attractive.

"Fine," he grumbled. "But I'm getting down from here. I want to be out of the explosion zone when Festus blows up again."

"He didn't blow up," Leo protested, but Kit was no longer listening as he slid back down Festus' wing right into the chemical puddle. He groaned as the entire sleeve of his right arm sunk into the sludge. He was quick to scramble back and pull it off his body, but the damage had been done. His beloved leather jacket was destroyed. Behind him, Leo let out a laugh. "Oh, dude, that sucks."

"Do you want me to come up there and kill you?" Kit scowled as he pulled the jacket out of the mess. He knew it was no use, but he couldn't help rolling it up and tucking it into his bag for safe-keeping. Already, he could feel the chill of snow in the air, but there wasn't much he could do about it then. Maybe later, if the muck was dry enough, he could stomach wearing the dirty jacket again.

"Hey, I'm just joking." Leo raised his hands in surrender. Uncertainty flickered across his face, but it left almost as quickly as it came. In its place was confidence that Kit's stomach twisted at. He watched almost impassively as the other boy pulled off his army jacket and held it out with a smile. "You can wear this if you want. I won't get cold, but I can already see you're shaking."

Immediately, Kit shook his head. "No thanks," he said. Why would Leo even think that he'd wear his jacket? Kit would rather freeze than share clothes with the boy like they were dating or something. No, he was fine. Leo was just being dumb.

"Suit yourself," he shrugged, but folded up the jacket and put it down on Festus' back anyway. "It's here if you change your mind."

For a while, Kit paced around the dragon's frame boredly, listening absent-mindedly to the sound of Leo's rambling as he pulled different tools out of his belt and got right to work. Occasionally, the cold air would heat up as he produced a ball of fire to melt away the ice on the dragon's wires, and Kit would find himself subconsciously shifting closer each time, just for a second as the alluring warmth encompassed him like a blanket. Leo noticed but said nothing, simply smirking and glancing from Kit's bare arms to the jacket behind him.

Kit sighed. He couldn't wear his jacket, could he? No. He was fine. It was just a bit of hypothermia... oh, who was he kidding? He was being stupidly stubborn. Like wearing Leo's jacket would mean they were friends or something. But this was just a survival move. Kit Dempsey would not be taken out by a snowstorm of all things. So he silently made his way back up onto Festus' back, quickly snatching the jacket and tugging it up his arms. It was still warm from where Leo had been wearing it for so long, and it smelled like him. Kit didn't mind it. Weird...

"Don't say anything," he warned as Leo snickered at him. "This is a survival move."

"If that's what you want to call it," he shrugged, eyes darting up and down Kit's frame with a glint that Kit couldn't comprehend. Like he was... appreciating him? No. That was ridiculous. He'd gouge Leo's eyes out if he looked at him in that way. "You look cute in my clothes, Christopher. Totes adorbs."

Kit scoffed, glaring while Leo laughed. "Don't make me push you into the Porta-Potty sludge, Valdez."

"At least you'd have something to remember me by," he smirked and looked at the jacket again.

"Not if I bury it with you."

"That's dark. You're dark. I like it."

"Oh, jeez. You need better taste, man."

After that, they worked in silence again. Kit climbed back down to keep watch on the ground, and Leo murmured each step to himself as he turned his focus onto Festus' control disk. But after a little longer, it was clear he was just working in circles. He cast the disk aside with a huff, hanging his head in his hands.

"Enough, Valdez," he scolded just loud enough for Kit to hear. "Nobody's going to play any violins for you just because you're not important. Fix the stupid dragon."

Kit rolled his eyes at first, but found himself frowning as Leo continued to speak. What was he on about? Not important? Was this stress or something more that someone like Kit couldn't really understand?

"Uh, Leo," he said, to which Leo's head snapped up in pure panic. Kit frowned in confusion. "Whoa, it's just me. What's up with you?"

But Leo just made a shushing motion, eyes blown wide as he listened close to the roaring wind. Kit glowered but did the same thing. Nothing. The snow had picked up its intensity, but that was all he noticed. So what was the problem?

"Dude, what the--"

Suddenly, the ground just inches away from Kit's feet twisted and swirled. It shouldn't have been possible, but right before their eyes, a face formed. The harsh ridges of a woman's eyebrows, a thin nose, a stern mouth. Her own eyes were closed, but it felt like she was seeing right through them, analysing every inch of them in amusement. Kit immediately reached for his sword.

"What the fuck is this?" he spat at Leo, but Leo was stunned into silence. Kit turned to the sleeping woman then, wondering what it was that the other boy was hearing. Her lips didn't move, but the ground seemed to vibrate like the vocal cords of a throat rumbling to life. It was like she was the earth itself, every bit of the mud gravitating towards her at will. The sight sent an uneasy shudder down Kit's spine as he rushed up to stand beside Leo. He reached for his shoulder before he could second-guess it, shaking the boy out of his thoughts. "Leo, what's going on? What's she saying? Who is she?"

"I don't know," he murmured, shaking so badly he nearly fell right over the edge. Kit sighed and put an arm around his waist. He told himself that it was because they needed him. Without Leo, they couldn't wake up Festus. But Kit felt like a liar thinking that, so he pushed every question away, determined to figure out how much of a threat this... thing was. "You killed my mum."

Kit's eyes widened just as the face shifted. It formed a sleepy smile, but both boys could see the danger to it. Like waking up from a pleasant dream only to be falling thousands of feet to your death... Suddenly, Leo scowled and pulled himself away from Kit, grabbing the nearest thing he could find and throwing it into her face. "Leave me alone, lady!"

And somehow, it worked. Snow and sludge rippled as a freaking toilet seat sank through the earth's surface like it was nothing more than water. When the ground finally settled again, the face had dissolved and they were alone once more. Or were they? Kit couldn't shake the feeling she was watching, a rabid predator eager to see its prey panic.

"We need to get out of here," he said, the urgency not lost on Leo. "Fix this dragon now or we're leaving without it. And I won't take no for an answer."

Leo's mouth opened to retort, but he was silenced by a deafening crash echoing through the air. Kit's first instinct was to look back at the ground, but the woman was nowhere in sight. No, the sound had come from the factory, like someone had taken two of the cars inside and slammed them together. Metal screeched and roared like a monster coming to life, a train sliding off the tracks.

"Well, fuck."

"Not likely," Leo suddenly growled. Kit didn't bother to question it. He was too busy observing the factory, waiting for a sign of life that wasn't Jason and Piper. So far, there was nothing, just eerie darkness. "Gimme the biggest hammer you got."

At the same time, Kit's sword transformed, an extension of his arm returned. The two boys shared a grim but knowing glance. Together, they jumped off Festus' back, leaving him behind as they ran without hesitation towards the warehouse. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Everything was quiet, but that was the problem. A loud crash had come from right where they stood. And yet nothing was out of place? It left Kit with an uneasy feeling, like he was walking through a graveyard or something. The thought was off-putting. Were he and Leo about to meet their deaths trying to save Jason of all people? Kit had to remind himself that Piper was there, too. But if it was just Jason, he probably would've insisted on waiting outside instead.

"What do we--"

He'd barely gotten the words out before Leo clamped a hand over his mouth and shook his head. Kit had only whispered, but the words sounded like a scream in the silence. Kit scowled at him, but before he could bite down on his hand as payback, a stench like burning motor oil and sour breath reached them. Leo backed away from him in disgust, looking around in confusion. Where was the smell coming from? Or who... There was definitely a monster nearby, just waiting in the shadows.

Suddenly, a piercing shriek echoed through the air, a familiar female voice. "Leo, Kit, help me!" It was Piper. But that didn't make any sense. Piper was supposed to be upstairs. There was no way she'd be anywhere near them. So was it her? Or something pretending to be her?

Subconsciously, Leo and Kit moved forward together, their arms a mere breath away from touching as they ducked behind a cargo container. With each step, Kit's heart threatened to hammer out of his chest, his skin tingling with the feeling of a thousand lightning bolts. Leo's shoulder pushed against his as they ducked down behind a row of boxes. It felt like he was on fire.

"Leo? Kit?" Piper's voice was less certain this time, but so close they might've been right next to her.

Kit risked the briefest of glances around the corner and just as quickly pulled back when he saw the two figures crouched down in the centre of the room. Cyclopes. How had he been so oblivious? Suddenly, the singular eye on the warehouse's logo made so much sense. They'd walked -- or rather, fallen -- right into a trap.

"Told you it was nothing," a feral voice that definitely wasn't Piper or Jason said.

This time, both he and Leo looked around the corner, the other boy almost gasping out loud as he took in the sight. In a perfect imitation of Piper's voice, the other monster wailed, "Leo, Kit, help me! Help--" He cut himself off with a laugh, then snarled. "Bah, there's nobody out there. No demigods could be that quiet, eh?"

"Probably ran away," his friend smirked. "If they know what's good for them. Or the girl was lying about a third and fourth demigod. Let's just get cooking."

Through the darkness, a bright light flickered to life, causing Leo and Kit to both squint through the sudden ache of their eyes. Once the spots cleared, it was much easier to see the cyclopes up close. Both had smashed-up faces, like they'd been in one too many fights, and they wore chain-mail armour, like something out of a cheap action movie. Not too far from them was Jason and Piper. Both hung upside down, their ankles tied by thick chains. While Jason was knocked out cold with a bleeding wound over his eye, Piper was struggling in vain to free herself, mouth gagged to prevent her from calling out. The two cyclopes glanced at them in glee, then quickly began to ignite a pile of tires with fire. A big metal pole was suspended over the flames, and what it was hit Kit out of nowhere. A fucking spit.

After a second of analysing the monsters, he decided he could take them. Leo wouldn't be much help, so it would take a bit, but if he struck at the perfect angles and moved in the right direction, he could put these things back where they belonged. He went to reach for his sword but was quickly stopped by Leo. Wordlessly, he pointed in another direction, and that was when Kit saw it.

She was bigger than her counterparts, almost twice the size in width and length. Her hair was pulled back into two ponytails, and she smiled with several missing teeth as she watched what seemed to be sons prepare them a good ol' demigod snack.

Okay, so she complicated things, but Kit's point still stood. If he had his way, he'd kill this bitch's sons and make her watch him tear them apart. Starting with the one in the loincloth. At some point, he'd gravitated over to Piper and was watching her with a creepy smile. "Can I take her gag off now?" he asked, and the eagerness was nothing short of disgusting. "I like it when they scream."

When his mother just grunted, the boy removed Piper's gag and waited. But Piper refused to give in. She simply sighed and looked away. He didn't like that. He frowned and poked her ribs, shouting, "Scream, girl. I like funny screaming."

Kit had to hand it to her. Piper knew how to keep her cool. "Oh, Mr Cyclopes. You don't want to kill us. It would be much better if you let us go."

Out of nowhere, Leo shifted and began to creep away from Kit's side. Kit frowned but followed him all the same, feeling awfully exposed as they moved even closer to the monsters. They stopped behind a robotic crane of some sorts, Leo pulling a stack of remote controls out of his belt and immediately getting to work. It amazed Kit how confidently he moved, even when the female cyclopes suddenly screamed over her squabbling sons and stormed over to knock them away from each other.

"The girl is Venus spawn," she sneered like it was obvious. "She's using charmspeak on you."

Piper quickly shook her head. "Please, ma'am--"

But she wasn't having it. "Don't try your pretty talk on me, girl, I'm Ma Gasket," she roared. "I've eaten heroes tougher than you for lunch."

Kit didn't doubt it. She looked bigger than his mother's old minivan.

"Leo, you've gotta be quick," he murmured, watching on as the boy in question worked furiously. Fortunately for him, Ma Gasket was busy scolding her sons at the top of her lungs, allowing the boys to converse without the risk of getting caught. "I don't think we have much time."

"I know," Leo sighed, then quickly gathered up his things in preparation. He gestured over to the next robotic arm. "Come on. This way."

"You idiots," Ma Gasket roared, Kit almost tripping out onto the conveyor belt. Leo's hands latched onto the back of his jacket, tugging him close before quickly focusing back on the series of wires and switches. "I should've thrown you out on the streets when you were babies, like proper cyclopes children. You might have learned some useful skills. Curse my soft heart that I kept you!"

"Soft heart?" one of her sons scoffed, and Kit snorted in agreement. There was nothing soft about Ma Gasket.

Still, her eyes narrowed dangerously, as if daring him to say it again. "What was that, you ingrate?"

"Nothing, Ma," he whimpered, face paling. "I said you got a soft heart. We work for you, feed you, file your toenails--"

"And you should be grateful," she bellowed. It was a wonder Kit and Leo weren't deaf from the screams. "Now, stoke the fire, Torque. And Sump, you idiot, my case of salsa is in the other warehouse. Don't tell me you expect to eat these demigods without salsa."

Oh, heaven forbid Piper and Jason tasted bland.

"Yes, Ma," Sump said, then thought better of it and frowned. "I mean... no, Ma. I mean--"

"Go get it," she cut him off impatiently, then picked up a nearby truck and slammed it over Sump's head. Kit's eyes went wide as he merely crumbled beneath it, then stood back up unphased before running off to fetch the salsa. Maybe, this was harder than they thought it would be...

Using Sump's departure as a distraction, Leo quickly darted to the next robotic arm. Kit frowned, shaking his head at the boy. He could've at least told him. Now he had to try and make it over there on his own.

"What's the matter, girl?" Ma Gasket asked Piper as she wandered up to her. On the way over to Leo's side, Kit caught her eye and she gasped sharply. She'd seen them. She knew they were coming for her. "So fragile I broke you?"

Kit didn't look at her again, but he could feel the weight of her stare in their direction as he lightly tapped Leo on the back of his head. "Thanks for leaving me, dumbass."

"Don't hit me," Leo whined, then thought better of saying anything else as they saw Torque looking around suspiciously. "And stop talking or they'll catch us."

"You're the one talking now," Kit hissed but managed to bite his tongue afterwards. Instead, his eyes drifted back to Torque, waiting to see if he'd heard them. He hadn't seemed to, but he sniffed the air once, like he could sense demigod. Oh, Gods, just let us have a bit more time.

Suddenly, Ma Gasket bellowed with laughter and looked at her son. He turned away, distracted, and Kit breathed out a sigh of relief. "The last hero we ate -- remember him, Torque? Son of Mercury, wasn't he?"

"Yes, Ma," Torque nodded like an obedient dog. "Tasty. Little bit stringy."

"He tried a trick like that," she told Piper, referring to her previous pleas. "Said he was on medication, but he tasted fine!"

"Tasted like mutton," Torque recalled with a dreamy sigh. "Purple shirt. Talked in Latin. Yes, a bit stringy, but good."

The words hit Kit like a fatal blow. Beside him, Leo's fingers froze on the maintenance panel, gripping Kit's arm in shock. The two shared a grim look, their surprise and suspicion echoed by Piper. "Purple shirt?" she murmured in concern. "Latin?"

"Good eating," said Ma Gasket, oblivious to the way she turned to look at Jason, Kit and Leo following. He'd worn a purple shirt when he arrived at Camp Half-Blood, a strange tattoo on his arm. And the Gods... he kept referring to them as their Latin counterparts. It couldn't be... "Point is, girl, we're not as dumb as people think. We're not falling for those stupid tricks and riddles, not us Northern Cyclopes."

With a warning nudge from Kit, Leo forced himself to get back to work, rummaging around in his belt for more tools Kit didn't recognise. His fingers put the pieces together with ease, and Kit found himself lingering on the way the tendons flexed beneath his skin, like they'd been made for breaking things apart and putting them back together. What would he find if he unravelled Kit? Broken wires for veins? A cold, dead heart that even Leo's warm hands couldn't bring back to life? The thought was dizzying, so much that Kit almost didn't hear Piper's next words. But the charm called out to him, laid on thick even if it would do nothing to phase her captors.

"Oh, I've heard about the Northern cyclopes," she beamed. "I never knew you were so big and clever."

"Flattery won't work either," Ma Gasket scoffed, though she couldn't help sounding pleased from the compliment. "It's true, you'll be breakfast for the best cyclopes around."

"But aren't cyclopes good?" Piper asked. Kit wanted to laugh. Nothing was ever good, not really. "I thought you made weapons for the Gods."

"I'm very good. Good at eating people. Good at smashing." Ma Gasket's amusement slowly began to fade into bitterness. "And good at building things, yes, but not for the Gods. Our cousins, the elder cyclopes... they do this, yes. Thinking they're so high and mighty 'cause they're a few thousand years older. Then there's our Southern cousins, living on islands and tending sheep. Morons! But we Hyperborean cyclopes, the Northern Clan, we're the best. Founded Monocle Motors in this old factory -- the best weapons, armour, chariots, fuel-efficient SUVs! And yet, forced to shut down. Laid off most of our tribe. The war was too quick. Titans lost. No good! No more need for cyclopes weapons."

It was strange for Kit to think about. He'd fought with these monsters' weapons. And now he looked at them in disgust, yearned to bury them six feet under.

"I'm sure you made some amazing weapons," Piper sighed.

Torque grinned with pride. "Squeaky war hammer!" He rummaged around to show her, slamming an accordion-looking box into the cement just a second later. It made a sound like a rubber duck squeaking, almost falling off the end of the large pole.

"How terrifying," Piper deadpanned.

Torque simpered. "Not as good as the exploding axe, but this one can be used more than once."

"You could definitely make something better," Kit absent-mindedly murmured to Leo, and Leo had to fight off a smile. Not the time.

"Can I see it?" Piper asked Torque with an air of curiosity. "If you could just free my hands..."

Ma Gasket screeched as he stepped forward eagerly. "Stupid," she spat in his face. "She's tricking you again. Now, slay the boy first before he dies on his own. I like my meat fresh."

Kit glanced at Leo. It was now or never. But Leo shook his head, visibly panicked as he continued connecting wires. They needed more time, but their luck was really beginning to run out.

"Hey, wait," they heard Piper exclaiming. "Hey, can I just--"

The wires sparked in Leo's hand, and Kit knew they were screwed. In a blink, the air was whistling as a truck soared right for them. Kit didn't think before tackling Leo to the side, their heaving chests pressed against each other as they rolled just out of the firing line. If he hadn't moved then... Leo owed Kit his life.

"Come on," he said, grabbing Leo's free hand. "Let's barbeque these motherfuckers."

Together, they stood, grinning at Ma Gasket's horror. "Torque, you pathetic excuse for a cyclopes, get him," she commanded, but the boys were already moving. Kit raised his sword, already picturing the different ways he could skewer Torque with it. Leo frantically began to push the buttons on his remote. But nothing happened. Torque got closer and closer...

"Leo, now would be a good time for you to do your thing," Kit exclaimed.

But he needn't have worried. The first arm whirred to life, and a giant claw came swinging around to smack Torque so hard in the face, he flew back to lay dazed at his mother's feet. Kit let out a laugh, a sound that fuelled Leo's movements. He quickly pressed another button, and allowed himself to grin with Kit as the claw picked Torque up and catapulted him into the roof. They heard a harsh metal clang not even a second later, then yellow dust rained down as a sign of their victory.

Ma Gasket wailed. "My son..."

But Kit was proud, and this time, he wasn't ashamed to say it. "Fuck, Leo, that was sick!"

Leo beamed. "Thanks, man."

But the moment was short-lived. A second later, Sump lumbered into the room with the salsa in his hands. "Ma, I got the extra-spicy--"

Leo was quick to make his move. The second arm roared to life, colliding with Sump's chest and dragging him several feet before sending him crashing into a truck. He disappeared with nothing but dust and salsa remaining. Just like that, they'd taken out two of their threats. Now the final one, the real one remained, and she watched them like a bull ready to charge.

"You busted my boys," she cried. "Only I get to bust my boys!"

"Leo, get her," Kit said as she began to stomp towards them.

With all the confidence in the world, Leo punched a button, and the two remaining arms swung into action. Ma Gasket caught the first and tore it in two. The second arm smacked her in the head, but she seemed unphased, grabbing it and ripping it free to swing like a bat. Kit's eyes widened.

"Oh, shit."

This time, it was Leo's turn to tackle him. They fell in a mess of limbs just as the arm landed where they'd once been standing.

"Any more tricks, demigod?" Ma Gasket cackled, red eye murderous.

That was all they'd thought to do. And as much as he hated to admit it, Kit didn't think he could take out Ma Gasket with just his sword. But he held it up anyway, scrambling to stand in front of Leo. "Heck, yeah, we got tricks," Leo shouted, nudging Kit over to smirk at her. "Take one more step, and I'll destroy you with fire."

"Leo, are you sure?"

"Just trust me, Kit."

Trust him? Sounded ludicrous, but Kit found himself nodding anyway. "Okay. I'll follow your lead."

Meanwhile, Ma Gasket was laughing, circling them like they were nothing but bugs beneath her shoe. "Would you? Cyclopes are immune to fire, you idiot. But if you wish to play with flames, let me help."

Red hot coals landed all around them. "You missed," Leo said incredulously, but had the sinking feeling that more was to come. He caught sight of the kerosene barrel she picked up, and just had the time to shove Kit's chest before everything lit up in flames.

Kit burned, or so he thought. He'd landed mere inches away from where Leo stood engulfed by fire, a burning star landed on earth. Kit spluttered and frantically crawled away, but something in him yearned to dive in and pull Leo out, even though he knew he was safe. Maybe it was Piper crying. Maybe it was Ma Gasket's gleeful laughter. But Kit wanted to hold Leo Valdez tight and never let him go.

A stupid, reckless thought.

A second later, Leo stepped out into the light, his skin fresh and unharmed. Kit grinned, allowing the boy to pull him to his feet. "You live?" Ma Gasket gaped at them. "What are you?"

"The son of Hephaestus," Leo said. "And I warned you I'd destroy you with fire."

He shot a bolt of white-hot flames at the chain suspending an engine block over the cyclopes' head. It struck just where he wanted it to, but nothing happened. Kit sighed as Ma Gasket laughed. "An impressive try, son of Hephaestus," she conceded. "It's been many centuries since I saw a fire user. You'll make a spicy appetizer."

A metal clang was heard, and with a blink of her red eye, the chain snapped and the engine block fell. A pile of dust was all that remained, followed by sheer disbelief. They'd done it. The cyclopes were gone, and Kit hadn't even stabbed anything...

"Not immune to engines, huh?" he said, then wheeled around to smirk at Kit. "I did it."

He crumpled to his knees, head buzzing, but Kit was there to hold him up with a strange roll of his eyes. Was that fondness Leo saw? Surely he was seeing things. "Yeah, you did," he muttered, and no... he wasn't imagining it.

Kit Dempsey actually sounded proud of him.