(AN: At last, my LeoXReader is out! For the fans of my Daughter of the Sea, which I sadly had to end, I give you....this book of cheesy wonderfulness! I really hope you enjoy and I apologize for taking FOREVER to publish this. Just wanted to make it perfect for my little Leo Lovers. Enjoy and feel free to leave comments, tips, or suggestions as to what you would like to see in this book. I will always take suggestions! Anyways, ENJOY!)

I lied in my cabin, my heart thumping loudly in my chest as I stared at the wooden ceiling and listened to my brothers and sisters heavily breathing. The sandman had just visited, and apparently he skipped over me, because while everyone else was sound asleep, exhausted from a hard day of work, I was staring at the rafters with only one person on my mind. It was about two o'clock in the morning and yet I wasn't tired. Then again, I was never tired, not while he was on my mind. It was like he was my substitute for sleep, my shot of caffeine, my rejuvenation. I sighed, shifted over to my left side, and closed my eyes, only to see his face sketched into my eyelids. His deep brown eyes, his curly hair that is almost always messed up, his classic goofy smile. Just the thought of it was enough to make my heart beat faster.

I was shaken out of my dreamland when my phone vibrated from underneath my pillow, causing me to open my eyes and the vivid picture of him to suddenly vanish. I silently cursed whoever it was that took me out of my own little world. Clicking on my phone then squinting from the sudden brightness, I attempted to read the new message. When that failed, I rubbed my sleep-deprived eyes and tried again. This time, the message was clearly displayed and caused my heart to skip a beat. A swarm of butterflies were released in my stomach as I read the text over and over, unable to believe what I was seeing. I smiled like a complete and utter idiot and replied quickly with shaking hands.

Careful to not wake anyone, I slid out from underneath my warm covers and stepped onto the wobbly wooden ladder. With trembling legs, I climbed down and was relieved when my bare foot hit the solid ground. In one swift motion, I slid on my housecoat, shoved my feet into my soft panda slippers, and swiftly slipped out the cabin door, careful not to slam it behind me. I sighed in relief, glad to know I did not wake anyone. It was already three hours after curfew; I didn't need one of my tattletale little sisters to run off and tell on me.

I rubbed my cold hands together and anxiously waited outside my cabin door. My stomach felt like there were ten gigantic rocks rolling around inside of it, crashing into each other repeatedly. My heart was beating so fast I was afraid it would explode, and I swear, you could hear it thumping a mile away. My mind was clouded by the millions of thoughts racing through it, each one adding to the pile of nervousness that seemed to be rapidly building inside of me.

Without a warning, a voice suddenly hissed from behind me, causing all my thoughts to dissolve. I jumped about ten feet in the air, only to realize the sudden voice was none other than the cutest guy I've probably ever met. The way his soft brown eyes poured into mine, making my heart burst out of my chest and my words get caught in my mouth. He made my hands shake uncontrollably and my head so light I was afraid I would pass out. Just his voice alone was enough to make my heart flutter, yearning for my name to escape his lips. In other words, I feared I was in love with him.

And who is this mystery boy, you ask? Leo Valdez, that's who.

"(Y/n)! Hey, over here!" He hissed from behind me, trying and failing to be quiet. My head whipped around to find Leo hiding "stealthily"... behind a bush.

"What are you doing, Leo?!" I asked, giving a little laugh. I found his dorkiness extremely adorable. I shook my head and smiled a pure, genuine smile.

Leo just held a finger to his lips and motioned for me to come closer. I looked around carefully to make sure nobody was watching, then crouched behind the bush, Leo's face inches from mine. My heart skipped a beat, then started beating a mile a minute. Fireworks exploded in my chest as Leo shot me a mischievous smirk, like he knew something I didn't. His big brown eyes stared intently into mine, causing my cheeks to turn bight red. I nervously bit my lip and broke the gaze, trying to hide the blush that was obviously deepening on my cheeks.

"Uh, Leo. Can you please explain this text?" I smiled at him and pulled the text up on my phone. It read: Hey, it's Leo! Come outside, I have a HUGE surprise for you!

Leo just winked and jerked up, grabbing my hand. My present blush deepened, if that was even possible. Then he guided me out from behind the bush and took off running towards the woods, dragging me behind him. I stared down at my feet, putting all my trust in Leo, hoping he wouldn't guide me into a tree. Happiness was leaking out of me as I giggled, trying to be cautious and control my volume, though it was hard. Leo squeezed my hand tighter as we weaved through the trees, my laughter bringing a smile to his face. I was about to ask him if we were just mindlessly wandering when Leo came to an abrupt stop.

He had me close my eyes and pinky swear not to peak. Although we are much too old for pinky swears, I promised anyway, knowing Leo wouldn't show me the surprise until I did. I mentally squeal as warm hands wrap around my eyes and my heart begins to race. I had absolutely no idea what was going on, but so far, I liked it. I felt him guide me a couple more feet and I squeezed my eyes shut, praying to the gods of Olympus this wasn't some crazy dream I was having. After all, it seemed too good to be true.

I opened my eyes and made a conscious effort not to faint.

A gasp escaped my lungs as my eyes beheld the breathtaking sight in front of me. A long checkered blanket was laid out on the grassy floor of the woods, and a flickering lantern sat in the middle, winking at me. Soft white lights hung in the trees around me, giving the night around us a small glow. The faint sound of music playing wrapped around me and I realized it was coming from an "old fashioned" CD player hiding in the tall grass. My eyes widened as I watched Leo pull a picnic basket out from behind his back. Without thinking, I tackled him in a hug, almost knocking him over. My eyes grew wide as I realized what I was doing and I immediately let go, a dark red blush burning my cheeks. My heart seemed to be screaming, "YES!! YOU HUGGED HIM!! YOU GO GIRL!" as I looked down at the ground. I could feel the awkwardness hanging in the air like a grey storm cloud, completely ruining this incredibly sweet moment.

"Uh, so? Do you.... do you want to eat?" Leo asked, breaking the brief awkward silence. I yanked my head up to find Leo already sitting on the blanket, unpacking food from the picnic basket. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, bit my lip, and nodded vigorously. I didn't dare open my mouth, for I was terrified I would say something stupid or inappropriate, like I always do. So I just silently sat down on the checkered tablecloth, praying to the gods of Olympus I wouldn't screw this up somehow. It was literally a dream come true, so amazing it was unbelievable. I just hoped I didn't ruin it already.

Leo was humming along to the faint music drifting out of the CD player, pouring our drinks, which just happened to be [insert favorite soft drink here], my all time favorite. I smiled like an idiot for the millionth time tonight and shyly took the glass from his hand, our fingers touching. A shock of electricity coursed through my body, starting at the tips of my fingers and ending at the tips of my toes. My heart stopped for a moment and I swear, my cheeks instantly turned bright red.

Leo just chucked and winked at me. "You know," he said, looking down and playing with his fingers, "you look really cute when you blush like that." He looked back up at me, and his brown eyes locked with my own; the entire world stopped spinning for just one moment. It felt like Aphrodite, the god of love herself, was blessing this one moment of pure bliss, and I never wanted it to stop.

I giggled and blushed deeper, "Really? You think so?" I asked stupidly.
Seriously, (y/n)? I thought. After he says something so sweet, that's all you can think of?

"Really," he replies, an adorable smirk plastered on his face. He continued to unload the picnic basket, revealing that he packed almost ALL of my favorite foods. It was enough to make me want to kiss him, right then and there. The gesture was incredibly sweet, and it made me wonder just how much he knew about me.

Once I got some food into my system, I instantly relaxed. From that point on, Leo and I had the best time. We told each other stories, had a corny joke war (Leo beat me at that, he's like the king of corny jokes), and even had a contest to see who could catch the most popcorn in their mouth.

"This one is for all the marbles," Leo said in a deep voice, trying to impersonate a sports announcer. "Are you ready, (y/n)?"

I nodded, suppressing a smile. I needed to concentrate if I wanted to win this.

"Here's the wind up," Leo said, moving his arm slowly backward to 'add dramatic effect', "and the pitch.....TOUCHDOWN!" He bellowed as I crunched down on the buttery popcorn that I caught.

I screamed, not really caring about the fact that it was three in the morning, stood up, and started doing my celebratory happy dance, Leo soon joining me. I laughed at his poor attempt to do the sprinkler, so he picked me up and spun me around chanting, " (Y/n)! (Y/n)! (Y/n)!" I could help but laugh even harder as I wrapped my legs around his torso, smiling at his goofiness that I've come to love.

He looked down at me and a smile played on his lips, "You look so beautiful right now, you know?" I blushed and looked back at him, wanting more than anything to tell him just how much he meant to me.

"I love you," I say without thinking. I immediately slap my hand over my mouth. Did I seriously just do that?!

Leo's eyes grow wide and he drops me, a look of pure shock masking his once adorable smile. Well, that's it. I thought. It was nice knowing you, Leo.

I stood up and rushed over to him, words fumbling out of my mouth, "Leo, I....look I can....I didn't mean....I'm sorry, I was just..." Nothing seemed to make that look of utter shock disappear from Leo's eyes. I really screwed up this time.

"Leo, please, just...listen. I wasn't thinking, I'm sorry, but-" I cut off when Leo's lips suddenly crashed into mine, my heart exploding but my head thinking, "What the heck!"

My puzzlement didn't stop me from enjoying it though. The feeling of his hands on my waist sent tingles up my spine, and I had to fight the broad smile that was trying to force it's way out of me. I could feel the heat of his body, his touch, against my skin and deep down inside, a little spark flickered to life, making the moment even more heated than it was a second ago. If I thought that looking at him gave me butterflies, then kissing him unleashed an entire zoo inside of me. My heart was beating faster than I ever thought humanly possible and my breath was shaky and short, like I had just run a marathon. In short, it was the first moment I had ever felt completely and utterly happy in a long time.

But, to my dismay, Leo pulled away, a deep blush on his face. "I'm sorry, (y/n)....it's just that...well, I...uhm," he ran his hand through his curly brown hair, a wide smile overcoming his nervous eyes, "I....I love you, too...."

It was like someone had literally just taken the entire world off of my shoulders, like I was in the dark my entire life and then someone flipped the light switch. My jaw dropped to the floor and my insides felt like spaghetti being twirled by a giant fork. My heart, oh my poor heart, was beating so fast, I was surprised I didn't pass out, although I felt like I was going to. The only thing I could get to come out of my mouth was, "Really? You do?"

Leo nodded, inching closer to me. My breath became short and quick and my entire body felt extremely shaky, almost as if Leo was taking all my energy out of me. I didn't mind, of course, as he tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear, my skin tingling wherever his warm hand touched. Another smile played on his lips as I bit mine, bracing myself for something magical to happen. In fact, that's what this entire night has felt like, magic. I felt almost as if I was going to pass out, my head was so light. And as he slipped his hand away from my face and to the soft, delicate skin on my neck, goosebumps pricked my arms. I couldn't take it any longer; I leaned in and kissed him softly and sweetly, a parade going on inside my head. I was cherishing this moment of happiness, of pure, unadulterated bliss, when suddenly-

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF HADES IS GOING ON HERE?!" the voice rang out like a gunshot, completely and utterly ruining the perfect moment.

Leo and I jumped about ten feet in the air, setting our eyes upon the scowling faces of Percy and Annabeth. A thousand questions ran through my mind at once as I tilted my head and shot Leo a look of confusion, then Percy and Annabeth. Leo, however, blushed with a guilty look in his eyes.

"What are you doing here?!" Percy angrily hissed at us while Annabeth just stood, arms crossed over her chest, scowling.

"I'm sorry, Perce, but this was a great idea, and you and Annabeth always have the best dates and always get fangirled over. I just kinda wanted to be the Prince Charming for once....." Leo looked down; he obviously felt sorry for what he did....whatever it was.

"That doesn't mean you steal someone else's date idea!" Percy and Annabeth were obviously mad, and Leo obviously looked ashamed, so you knew this wasn't a joke, but you couldn't help but laugh a little bit at the situation.

"Wait, so you're trying to tell me that Leo stole your date idea?" I asked with a little smile.

Percy nodded, a scowl still plastered on his face. At that, I burst out laughing, only to receive looks of confusion from everyone else.

"Come on," I said, "you gotta admit, that's kinda funny," I look over at Leo to see him suppressing a smile, although Percy and Annabeth don't seem to find the humor in the situation.

After getting scolded for what felt like forever, Leo and I leave the woods so Percy and Annabeth can have their "date" (even though the entire place is trashed, thanks to us) and Leo was gentlemanly enough to offer to walk me back to my cabin, an offer which I gladly accepted.

"I really had fun with you tonight," I whispered as we approached my cabin door.

"Yeah," Leo replied, taking my hands in his and sitting down on the doorstep, "me too."

For a while we just sat there, the comfortable silence between us, looking up at the stars. "Hey, (y/n)?" Leo said, turning his soft brown eyes towards me, "I.....I know that we kissed and all....and you said that....that you love me....but.....but I'd really like to seal the deal,"

Were you just imagining things or was Leo blushing...and fidgeting?

"(Y/n), will...will you please be my girlfriend?"

"Of course I will," I replied, sealing the deal with a nice, sweet kiss.