Jason doesn't like being blindfolded.
Eyes are crucial to wolves, as well as humans, and for having been raised by both, his skin scrawls, his mind utterly appalled by the ridiculous idea of willingly depriving himself from one of his senses. He is sure Lupa wouldn't approve, starring him down with her yellow eyes, teeth bared, ears bend backwards.
Foolish, the wolf goddess snarls in his imagination, flicking her tail in annoyance.
I'm in good hands. He says, acutely aware of the warmth on his waist, Leo's hands guiding him through the darkness, muttering to himself in Spanish.
He's repeating directions. Todo derecho, y después el árbol torcido, a la izquierda.
"Are we almost there ?" He asks, trying - and failing - to understand where he is. Maybe they walked ten minutes, or maybe it was thirty, he doesn't know. Either way, he is fairly sure they are still within camp grounds. He hopes so, at least.
"Yes, yes, almost." Leo agrees enthusiastically, fingers digging in his skin, sending warm tingles down his spine. "Take a big step, there's a protruding root in front of you."
"Why are you taking me into the woods for my birthday ?" He asks, lifting his leg high up, taking a large stride, seemingly avoiding the obstacle Leo told him about. "Blindfolded ?"
Even in his state, Jason knows Leo is wiggling his eyebrows.
"You'll see." His boyfriend shots back, cryptic like he knows how to be when he has something up his sleeve, something he is anxious to show but wants to keep the surprise effect he loves dearly.
"Right. I'll see." He repeats, making Leo cackle. He smiles, happy to make him laugh, get to hear the hearty sound coming out of his chest, always loud, unapologetically lively.
They walk a few more minutes, getting hit by low branches Leo forgets to warn him as he gets increasingly more excited, practically jumping up and down behind him, urging to go faster.
"Dale, dale, que ya estamos." He says, patting his shoulder blades. "Okay ! Stop here."
Jason does so, curiosity building up his chest, childlike, foreign. It's been a while since somebody surprised him for his birthday, took the time to organise an event.
Leo's hands leave his waist as he steps away for a short while, coming back giving something Jason to grab. "You can take off the blindfold, for now."
The first thing he sees is what Leo handed him. A baseball bat. Upon glancing questioningly at his boyfriend, Jason finds himself looking at something else, hanging low on a tree branch by a thread.
"Is that Festus ?" He laughs, getting closer to see the cardboard dragon, made of course with great details, practically identical to the real one, except for the size. "He looks amazing."
Leo hums in agreement, leaning against a tree, smiling, wild brown curls framing his lean face, brown eyes shining, satisfied. His hands -always moving, his fingers always working on something- are drumming relentlessly against his thigh, as he waits for Jason to...
Well, Jason doesn't really know what he is waiting for. Is he supposed to get Festus down ? If he pulls strong enough on the string, it'll break.
"Come on, you saw where it was, now it's the fun part !" Leo claps his hands, motioning him to put back his blindfold, which Jason does, still confused. "Break it !"
"What ?" He whips around to face his boyfriend, mouth parted open, mystified. "Why would I break it ? You made it."
Suddenly, the baseball bat makes sense, the situation however, not so much. Children of Hephaestus is notoriously known for caring a lot about his creations, all of them, even the cute cardboard dragon.
"I made it so you could break it, and see what's inside." Leo says, voice closer as his fingers wrap around Jason's wrists, bringing up his lowered arms, raising the baseball bat in the air. "It's a piñata. For your birthday."
His tone mellows out, weighted down by nostalgia, memories of the past resurfacing . "My mother used to make me one every year. I thought it would be nice to start the tradition again with you."
Jason doesn't know much about Esperanza Valdez, except that she was loved by her son with all his heart, and that she seemed to be a kind and wonderful woman, and mother.
It fills his heart with warmth that Leo deems him fit to continue a tradition he shared with her
"Right." Leo clears his throat, stepping away to give him space. "Now, come on, you get three tries. If you fail, Harley gets all the candy inside the piñata."
Unfortunately for the youngest child of cabin nine, Jason has great spatial awareness. And he likes candy. On the first try, the piñata breaks as he swings right into it, smashing it open, sweets and confettis falling on the ground under Leo's cheers.
He takes off his blindfold, watching fondly the mechanic fireworks stashed inside the piñata spell out 'Happy Birthday !!!!' in the air briefly, before the smoke and light thin out.
"You're amazing, Leo, thank you." He says earnestly, kissing his boyfriend, tilting his chin up, pressing his forehead against his when they pull apart, staying in each other's arms.
Warm, so warm, so unlike the cold marble of temples. Bursting with live, fire licking at his fingertips, unrestrained. He is an hearth, someone that welcomes him like he is, that does want the soldier, the son of Jupiter, but himself.
"You deserve it." Leo replies, grinning, dazed. "Now, come on, help me clean everything up, then direction the Pavillon where your birthday cake is waiting."
"Chocolate cake ?" Jason asks, hopeful, summoning the winds to gather the confetti and candy into one pile, that he drops into Leo's waiting opened bag.
Leo smiles, nodding. "Chocolate cake."
Jason kisses him again right there and then.
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