Leo tapped the door with his knuckles smartly. He tapped a word in Morse code: Help me. He heard the sound of footsteps and scurrying feet. His heart pounded wildly in his chest. He was seriously thinking of turning around and fleeing but it was at that moment that the door swung open and Piper looked at him curiously.
Her uneven dark brown hair was messier than usual. Her kaleidoscope eyes shone. She wore her Power Ranger pajamas and was holding Katropolis in one hand. She smiled at him and Leo felt reassured, like somebody had just given him nectar and ambrosia. His eyes drifted to the ground as he said,
"Hiya, Pipes, I need your help."
She raised her brows. "Me? If it's about the ship, ask Annabeth. If it's about swords, ask Jason or Percy but why would you come to a daughter of Aphro—?"
She stopped short when she saw the desperate look in Leo's eyes. She smirked, like; I can't believe he's asking help before putting her hand comfortingly on his shoulder.
"Just give me ten minutes. It's like midnight, Leo. Wait for me on the deck, alright?" she said.
He nodded numbly and before he could say anything else, Piper shut the door.
.
Ten minutes later, Leo stood on the deck of the Argo II, his curly dark hair sweeping in the breeze. The moonlight shimmered on his light brown skin. They were floating above New Rome and the modern lights from below made everything sparkle. Piper stood next to him next to the railings, watching the moon.
"Okay, spill, who is it?" Piper asked.
Leo chuckled as he traced his finger over the Celestial Bronze railing.
"It's—" he grinned like an idiot, "You'd think I'm stupid."
Piper laughed. "I already do, Leo."
He pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at New Rome.
"Fair enough."
They stood there in silence, the wind sweeping their hairs. Leo looked back at Piper and saw that she was humming under her breath. She looked more beautiful than usual and a lot happier, maybe it was because everybody had survived and she was still with Jason. It made Leo's heart ache. He tapped his finger on the railing; a Morse code: I hate my life.
"It's someone you know," he mumbled. He could see the smirk playing on Piper's lips. He could almost feel his nose threatening to catch fire. He wished Percy was here to extinguish the flames he was about to exert from the embarrassment he was feeling. "It's the praetor, Reyna."
Piper's cheeks turned red. He couldn't blame her. She had thought that Reyna was a threat to her and Jason's relationship but in fact, Reyna was pretty cool, strong, beautiful and a true Roman to heart. Maybe that was why Leo fell in love with her in the first place and this time, he felt really different. He didn't feel like this when he met Thalia or Khione or even Hazel. The feelings that were stirring inside him were stronger and more…complicated.
He felt his shoulders relax when Piper started laughing.
"Gods, how come I never thought of that?" she said between giggles before her face turned deadly serious, "You're actually perfect together. Think about it; you're both lonely and you're fiery stupid while she's drop dead smart. You know, opposite attract things like that? Holy Zeus, Mom would be so proud of me right now. I could set up the perfect date for you guys, imagine a stroll in the beach while—"
Leo laughed as well. He held his stomach and grinned. "Whoa, Pipes; don't go planning our wedding or something. She doesn't even know I exist."
Piper shook her head indignantly. She was beaming brightly at him.
"But she will. I always love the 'developing love' idea rather than the 'love at first sight'. Gods, how come you never told me this sooner?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
Leo shrugged even if his heart was pounding rapidly. He had tried to tell Piper but he was always with Jason and he could never really seem to get the courage to do so. He was scared of being rejected again but if he didn't try, then how could he find 'The One'?
"I was trying to sort out my priorities first," he said.
Piper made a tsk tsk sound. "Leo Valdez, I thought being best friends with a daughter of Aphrodite would teach you something. Love is the first list of everyone's priorities."
He snorted. "Tell that to Kronos or Gaea maybe."
She waved off her hand dismissively. "The point is, you have to chase the girl."
"Girls are different. Children of Hephaestus have difficulty with…life forms," Leo said, wringing his hands like he had just made a machine overheat, "We prefer to be with machines instead. I just can't stick a screwdriver in her and voila, she's in love with me and we're skipping to the sunset, holding hands. It's hard. Girls are hard."
Piper sighed. She watched the stars twinkling and her eyes landed on the constellation of Hercules.
"If I were Jason or Percy, then that would be easier. Girls don't look at Repair Boys, Pipes, and she's a leader. I just don't want to be rejected anymore," Leo continued, his brown eyes stinging. He tapped a message on the railing again: Help me.
She put her hand on his shoulder. They locked eyes.
"Leo Valdez, you are amazing," she said, "You are the most important person in this team. Without you, gods, who would've known what would happen? Stop comparing yourself to Jason or Percy or Frank because a team is helping each other out. Teamwork, not leadership or stuff like that. You're as good as Jason, Percy and Frank."
Leo smirked. He nodded and Piper stared at his face for a few moments before dropping her gaze. She grinned at him and clapped her hands.
"Well, thank you for calling Piper's Love Advice. We are going to make you and dear old friend Reyna a match made in heaven!"
.
Love Advice number 1: Don't rush things. Let her see the real you first.
Leo found Reyna in the Arena, teaching a few kids about how to swing a sword properly. Whoa, beautiful, strong and a teacher. Her dark hair was braided and shone in the sunlight. Her skin was fair and she wore her battle armor and usual purple cloak. She looked so radiant and terrifying at the same time. She was flanked by her two silver and gold dogs, Aurum and Argentum who both snarled at him when he took a few steps closer.
Reyna must've heard her dogs growl because she whipped around and suddenly, Leo found himself staring at the tip of a sharp Imperial Gold sword. He laughed nervously as the kids Reyna was teaching applauded.
"Leo," Reyna said coldly. She didn't even look fazed. She straightened up and nodded.
"Reyna," he said back, remembering Piper's words: Don't rush things.
The praetor turned to the children and told them to have a twenty minute break. They gave Leo a look that clearly said Good luck. He tried to take it as more than a warning.
Reyna regarded him with half closed eyes and he found himself wishing he had his magic tool belt with him. She looked like she wanted to skewer him with that sword.
"Uhm." Now that Leo was facing Reyna, he couldn't even find the right words to say. What sort of topic did she like? Did she want to talk about movies or slashing a sixteen year old son of Hephaestus to pieces? Gods, he never felt this nervous before so he said the only thing that came to his head:
"Nice sword."
Reyna studied him warily. He realized what a stupid thing he had just said.
"Erm—Reyna, I just wanted to say how truly and terribly sorry I am for aiming at your city a month ago," he stammered before cracking a nervous and sheepish grin. "So, do you forgive me?"
The praetor sheathed her sword. She looked at the sky, her face so calm yet guarded. Leo found himself admiring the curve of her lips and the sharpness of her cheekbones. He blinked and shook his head. Focus.
"Leo Valdez, you and the other six saved the world so of course I can forgive you," she said and he could swear she sounded disappointed. Leo tried to focus on other things like the Imperial Gold surrounding the place and the marble floor and the open ceiling, showing off the white clouds and the bright shining sun. His fingers tapped nervously on his knee and he found himself constantly running his hand through his hair. He wasn't this nervous when he talked to Thalia.
"Well, thanks for not hating me," he muttered.
Her dark obsidian eyes glittered.
"Have you ever used a sword?" she asked suddenly.
He scratched his head. "No, not really. I just use my powers, my hammer and my charm. Works every time."
The corners of her lips twitched. He was really expecting her to smile but was left disappointed when Reyna turned to a table of swords and axes and other really sharp stuff. She examined a gladius, the same type of sword Jason usually used. Leo was just staring at her back and the twirl of her braid when she turned to him again, holding the sword handle.
"Try this." She handed it to him.
"Er, can I ask? Why are you bothering to teach me this?" he asked nervously.
"So that you can be useful in battle. We Romans believe that offense is the best defense," Reyna said, pulling out her sword from her scabbard.
Leo swung his gladius a few times. He was good at making weapons and other stuff but he had never really tried one at swordplay. He preferred to be in the Armory with the smell of Celestial Bronze and the fire nearly burning the curls of his hair. That was where he belonged.
But looking at Reyna right now with the way her posture was steady, graceful and prepared, he felt this desire to prove himself. He had to because it was the thing to do—wooing the girl. He leaned forward, his weapon raised. He wanted to look like a lion ready to pounce but it must've looked like he was trying to tumble forward and kiss the ground.
Reyna charged first. Leo nearly had his arm slashed off but he managed to back off really quick. Good news: he avoided the blade. Bad news: he dropped to the ground on his butt. His gladius skittered out of his hand a good three feet away. He tried to reach for it without turning his back on Reyna but she just kicked the sword away.
Damn it, he thought.
She pointed the tip of her blade beneath his chin, almost trying to slit his throat. She had this proud blazing look on her face and Leo would've embarrassed himself a hundred times to see it again.
She pulled her weapon away and he stood up, his face burning.
"Well, that escalated quickly," he mumbled.
Reyna sheathed her sword again and studied him. He tried to look gallant at accepting his defeat but his face was sullen and bitter. He got beaten in battle for like, ten seconds! That must be a new record for losers like him. He ran his fingers through his hair and tapped a Morse code on his scalp: I'm stupid.
"You should practice more often," Reyna said.
Leo felt his blood pounding wildly in his ears. He looked at her like, Are you serious? But no, Reyna never joked before.
"I'm that bad, huh?" he asked.
She shrugged. "Yeah, you kind of are."
He cracked a grin. "That's me. Leo Valdez, Bad Boy Supreme."
He was about to turn around and strut out of the Arena with the dignity he had left when he saw the smile playing on Reyna's lips. It was an actual smile, one that made him forget what his name was or what he was doing. She looked so beautiful like that and it lightened up her entire face. She looked like she wasn't handling a war camp every day; she looked more like a normal person, a real life form, a human being.
"You should smile more often," he found himself saying, "It looks good on you."
Her face hardened and her dark obsidian eyes got cold again.
"Thank you for the compliment," she said with no warmth or any indication that she really cared, "I guess I'll be seeing you more in the Arena, right? Good day, Leo."
And just like that, she turned around and left.
.
Love Advice Number 2: Don't let her see that you're insecure or weak. She has to see your potential.
Leo found himself in the Arena next day, testing out weapons. He held an Imperial Gold spatha then a gladius. He found it oddly uncomfortable to be holding these protections and wearing battle armor that was too big for him but he thought of Piper's advice. Reyna had to know that he was strong like Jason or Percy. She had to see his potential.
He was just about to lift up a battle axe when he heard footsteps from the doorway. He turned and saw the praetor walking towards him with such pride and dignity that he wanted to kneel down and worship her. He doubted that she would like that so he smiled nervously instead.
"Hey," he said like they were meeting for lunch rather than for practice.
She tilted her chin upward. She was so emotionless; Leo wished he could read minds or faces like Piper can.
"You came," he continued, "Good because I'm not really good at fighting with swords. I prefer using my powers, you know. Maybe it's because I belong in the Forges with my siblings. This is a spatha, right? It's great to use while being on a horse. Gods, I'm stuttering…but you do get what I mean, right?"
Leo mentally slapped himself. So much for not being insecure or weak. When did he stutter? He didn't act like this with Thalia or Khione or even Hazel. Maybe because Reyna was different. He looked at her and saw that she was wearing a half smile, not a full complete smile. He liked that but he loved the fact that it was because of him that the upturn of her lips was possible.
He cracked a grin and grabbed the hilt of a spatha. He could the damages inflicted on its Imperial Gold blade but it was still usable. He pointed the tip at Reyna.
"Let's duel to the death," he said like a true Roman soldier would say.
Reyna smirked cockily. It wasn't a smile but it still made Leo's heart race.
"Let's hope it doesn't have to come to that," she said.
She unsheathed her own gladius and Leo charged first. Yeah, he knew that that was unfair but surprise is a great element when it comes to duels. He swung his sword but Reyna countered it. Blades clashed against each other. He tried to push it down to her but she was strong, too strong for his liking.
He looked at her. Bad idea. She was so mesmerizing with strands of her dark hair coming loose and her dark obsidian eyes glaring daggers at him. He lost his focus and his grip so she kicked him in the chest so hard; he made a sound like a squeaky toy. He stumbled back, trying to catch his breath and Reyna lunged at him.
Maybe it was because of his wits but Leo unwillingly burst into flames. Yes, that was unfair but he wasn't thinking straight. He certainly didn't want to be shesh kebab. Fire curled in his body as Reyna stepped back, looking for a moment surprised.
"You're cheating," she growled.
He laughed. "It's my powers. I told you I prefer to use it."
She scoffed. "Try to be fair, will you?"
Leo concentrated and he could feel the flames extinguishing themselves. Reyna nodded and this time, she was the first to charge. He sidestepped easily but she swung her gladius at his feet and he tripped. He fell back on his back and groaned. Before he could pick himself up, the praetor kicked his spatha away and pointed the tip of her sword at his nose.
"Beaten by a girl again," he muttered.
Reyna chuckled and sheathed her gladius. She offered him her hand and he gladly took it. His nimble and long fingers clasped hers. He could feel the heat of her palm. His heart began to race. They stood there like that, almost holding hands. Reyna was staring at him and her face was full of curiosity. Leo realized that this was the first time she allowed herself to show her emotions.
Then Jason suddenly came, holding Piper's hand. They stopped at the doorway and Reyna quickly let go.
"Jason, Piper," she greeted.
Jason looked handsome and rugged, as usual. His electric blue eyes shone. He smiled and the small scar on his upper lip looked almost invisible. He was holding his gladius over his shoulder. Leo looked at Piper who beamed at him. She was clearly sending out a message that read: I saw that. Great progress. He glanced at Reyna whose face hardened incredibly. She looked beautiful but as beautiful when she smiled.
"We were just practicing," Leo said matter-of-factly. It was the truth, wasn't it? But he saw Piper roll her eyes and shaking her head while smiling. She looked like she was enjoying an inside joke.
"Oh, sorry for interrupting," Jason said cautiously. He looked at Leo like, What happened, dude?
"It's alright, man. At least you didn't get to see Reyna kick my butt," Leo joked, shrugging and grinning.
Reyna didn't say anything. She was eyeing Jason and Piper's intertwined hands. Leo thought his heart must be falling into Tartarus and believe it or not, he's seen that happen. He always knew that Reyna had a thing for his best friend Jason but he could see the look of hurt in her eyes and it made his chest ache.
"You can use the Arena now," Reyna said coldly. She nodded to Leo and walked past Jason and Piper. She basically left without acknowledging the fact that Leo was waiting for her See ya tomorrow, Leo.
"Sorry for ruining the moment," Jason said, his voice full of fresh guilt. He wasn't looking at Leo but at the ground. Piper was frowning now. She looked at Leo and her face said, Go after her. He nodded and was about to leave when she grabbed his arm. She leaned down and whispered so low that he barely heard her:
"Love Advice Number Three: No matter what she says or does, don't ever leave her."
"Thanks, Pipes," he said.
Piper hesitated and Leo realized that she was close to tears. Her kaleidoscope eyes shone. "Look, Leo, tell her…tell Reyna I'm sorry, will you?"
He wasn't sure whether she was using charmspeak or not but he nodded again. He went outside the doorway and made his way to find Reyna.
.
After one hour and thirty minutes, Leo found Reyna outside Camp Jupiter, resting near the shoreline of the Little Tiber. Her hair was no longer braided but tumbled over her shoulders. Her gladius was shining below the waters of the river like she had thrown it out of frustration. She was crying and it was so painful that it made Leo's heart feel like it was being squeezed. He cautiously approached her.
"Hey," he said.
She looked up, her face tear streaked. Her dark eyes were red and her shoulders shook.
"Great, you're seeing me like this," she mumbled.
Leo sat down next to her. He took of his shoes, hiked up his jeans to his knees and placed his feet into the cool water. He could feel the river surging with power. His curls covered his face as he watched fish swim past his toes. He was painfully aware that Reyna was so close that their shoulders were touching but he just couldn't bear to look at her. He wasn't as good as Jason, he was never going to be like Jason so there was no way someone like Reyna would like him.
"Stupid fish," he muttered.
Reyna sighed.
"It still hurts, you know," she said. "I've known Jason for years and…well, Juno happened."
"Piper said she was sorry," he blurted out.
Her dark eyes glazed over. She was silent for a long time that Leo was able to count the fishes swimming around his ankles. When he reached forty-five, Reyna spoke again.
"I don't need to pitied," she said, "I know that she feels guilty but honestly, I just want things to end. I just want to move on from Jason. I want to find someone else. I want to have a happy ending with that special someone."
"You really don't anyone, Reyna," Leo told her, "You're so beautiful and so strong."
She touched the water with her index finger. Her face was reflected on the river.
"My sister Hylla said that to me but I feel like I'm missing something," she said.
"Maybe you haven't tasted Nutella yet," Leo found himself saying. He mentally slapped himself. He didn't realize he was hungry until he said that. His stomach rumbled like an earthquake.
Reyna stared. "Really? Nutella?"
"I thought—I thought you hadn't had the chance to taste them yet," he mumbled.
She snorted. "That's likely."
They were silent for a full second before Leo burst out laughing. Reyna couldn't help but join him as well. They sat like that, holding their stomachs while their throats burned with pain. He didn't know why they were laughing but it felt really good. He had made her laugh and he liked that sound.
"Leo, of course I've tasted Nutella," Reyna managed to say, wiping happy tears from her eyes, "They're the best."
"Good," Leo said, grinning like an idiot, "I was hungry when I said that."
"Maybe you should eat already," she said in a clipped tone.
He shook his head. "And leave the prettiest girl in camp? No thanks."
She cracked a full smile and Leo found himself staring. She really was beautiful when she smiled. His heart jumped to his throat. His palms began to sweat so he ran them through his curly hair. His head was racing. She was smiling again and he had cost it. He could feel his spirits lifting up. Maybe it was good that he wasn't like Jason. Maybe it was good that he was a blubbering joker.
"So…yeah." He cleared his throat.
Reyna laughed again. His face began to burn red.
"We should really go already before the entire legion wonders where their praetor is," she said.
He stood up first. He stretched out his hand for her to take. She hesitated but took it anyway. He hoped that she didn't think his sweaty fingers were gross. Her fingers, however, were soft like silk and when he looked at her, her eyes reflected the sun behind them. They looked brown.
She let go and together, they walked back to Camp Jupiter. On the way, they found themselves talking and Leo thought everything was a daze because the whole time, Reyna was smiling.
.
For the next few days, Leo and Reyna practiced swordplay during the mornings. Reyna always won because…well, because she was Reyna. She always wins but Leo didn't care. He was spending time with her and that was all that really mattered. As their swords clashed, they would talk about each other's lives.
Reyna was born without a mortal parent because her father abandoned her. Together with her sister Hylla, they found a home in Circe's island. She didn't really liked the place but at least she was safe; until Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase set loose some pirates who kidnapped them. They had to fight their way through and they managed to survive since they were natural fighters. They walked down into different paths later, Hylla with the Amazons and Reyna with Camp Jupiter.
In turn, Leo told her about his mother. He told her about the incident at his mom's workshop, his jumping to foster home after foster home and his time at the Wilderness school. He told her about how he didn't use his powers for a long time because he was scared that he would be the cause of another accident.
They shared stories about their past. Like the time Leo put a chipmunk into Dylan's underwear in the locker room and the time Dakota almost killed her when she was forced to take his Kool-Aid flask during a Senate meeting. They laughed about it all and Leo thought he must've died. There was no way Reyna was talking to a loser like him but there she was, smiling and laughing as she looked for another weapon to skewer him with.
Then everything changed. It was a hot afternoon and Leo was resting. His arms were sore and he was drinking some nectar and ambrosia. Reyna sat next to him, watching the blue sky and the white clouds when somebody came.
It was Frank. He was scratching his buzz cut and looking nervously at the two of them. His bottom lip stuck out. He looked so big and chubby that Leo found it hard to believe that the guy was a son of Mars, or Ares, whatever. He looked really uncomfortable.
"Hey, Reyna, Leo," he greeted shyly.
"What's up, Zhang?" Leo asked.
"There's going to be this party later, at the dining pavilion," the son of Mars said, "Percy told me to invite you guys. It's a celebration for the defeat of Gaea."
Reyna cursed. "Party. Dakota. Kool-Aid. Not a good combination."
"Not to mention the sons of Mercury," Frank agreed, "It's going to be one hell of a party."
Leo cracked a grin. "Hehe, I can't wait."
.
Frank was right. It was one hell of a party. The pavilion was packed with legionnaires and demigods. Food appeared out of thin air and the cornucopia Piper had was making the place shower with roasted ham and sometimes, ice cream. The sons of Mercury, or Hermes, were up to no good. They played pranks on everybody, setting a bunch of people's pants on fire which Percy had to control. Music was blaring from the children of Apollo who played a bunch of awesome songs. Jason was clearly seen flying above the crowd, picking off food from other people's plate. Everybody was laughing, pushing each other and dancing. Leo thought the place couldn't get any wilder.
Then a daughter of Venus came up to a platform so she was clearly seen. She used her charmspeak to make the children of Apollo to play sickly love songs and she forced everyone to dance with their loved ones. Leo didn't have any so he walked through the crowd, watching couples like Percy and Annabeth slow dance to the beat.
"Pretty gross, huh?" somebody behind him said.
He turned and saw Nico, smiling glumly. His dark hair was ruffled and messy, as usual, and his dark eyes looked sad and melancholy. He looked so pale that Leo always mistook him for the vampires he watched on movies.
"No girlfriend?" Nico asked.
"Of course I do, she's somewhere around in my imagination," Leo jokingly answered.
"Well, I'm thirteen and a son of Hades. Nobody would come near me," Nico said.
"Hey, you're pretty cool, Nico."
Nico wrinkled his nose. "I smell of death, remember?"
They stood like that, staring at each other.
"I see that you're spending time with Reyna," Nico said suddenly.
Leo's gaze dropped to the ground. He knew that he was blushing furiously. He sipped his cup which was Pepsi and cleared his throat uncomfortably. He looked up at Nico and saw that the son of Hades was smirking deviously. He shrugged.
"Hey, I'm just asking but you're perfect for each other, man," he said.
Leo was so embarrassed, he thought his nose might burst on fire but thankfully, he controlled himself.
"She just thinks of me as a friend," he said.
Nico wriggled his brows. "Yeah but I can feel something happening."
Coming from the son of Hades, Leo wasn't exactly reassured. Nico said his goodbyes and left to go find some Lares. Leo stared at the spot where he had left; trying to figure out what was going on with his thrashing heart when he was suddenly jarred back to reality because Reyna put her soft hand on his shoulder. His entire arm tingled.
"Hey," he said as casually as he could.
Her dark eyes sparkled as she smiled. She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.
"Hey," she said back, "How come you're not dancing?"
Leo broke out into a sweat. He avoided her gaze and mumbled something like, "I have no one to dance with."
She rolled her eyes and pushed her hair off her shoulder. Was it Leo's imagination or was she blushing ever so slightly? He smirked and a fiery light erupted in his eyes. He bowed down and held out his hand.
"May I have this dance?" he asked gently.
"Courtesy doesn't suit you, Valdez," Reyna told him but she took his hand anyway.
Leo straightened and he hesitantly placed his hand on her back. She placed hers on his shoulder. He hated the fact that he was only a few inches taller than she was but at least he was able to dance with her. He could feel her armor underneath his fingers as they slow danced to the music. He tried to look at anything else but her dark alluring eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"You're so beautiful, you're blinding me," he said stupidly.
She laughed and Leo relaxed. He could see Piper smirking at his direction.
"How come you're always so nervous?" she asked again.
"Nervous is the new hot, my Queen," he jokingly answered. At least his humor was back.
Reyna smiled at that. They danced for awhile until Leo again caught Piper's eyes. She nodded encouragingly and mouthed the words: Tell her already.
He shook his head, obviously baffled. She rolled her eyes. What more do you have to lose? She asked.
My life? Leo mouthed.
"What are you doing, Leo?" Reyna asked.
He blushed. "Just talking to Pipes over there."
At the mention of Piper, Reyna's face hardened. Her grip on his hand slackened. Then a huge shout came from their left. Reyna quickly let go, muttered something about "Dakota and Kool-Aid" before leaving quickly.
Leo glanced back at Piper. Really? He seemed to say. Piper shrugged and mouthed,
"There's still a chance."
.
When it was finally midnight, most of the demigods went back to the Barracks. A handful of people remained in the pavilion. The seven, Nico, Dakota (who was fuming as he drank his Kool-Aid) and Reyna. Leo looked at her but she seemed to be avoiding him. She kept talking to Frank who looked like he wanted to shrink into a skunk. Man, that dude was scared of her.
Leo was seated next to Piper who punched him in the arm.
"Why didn't you tell her?" she demanded.
"I was too busy worrying for my life!" Leo answered, rubbing the place where Piper had punched him.
She rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless, Leo."
"I'm scared, Pipes," he suddenly confessed.
Her kaleidoscope eyes softened. She took his hand and squeezed it, like an older sister would do.
"Love Advice Number Four: Girls love confessions."
Leo sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. He looked back at Reyna whose face looked harder than usual. He tapped his finger on the wooden table: I love you.
Yeah, way too fast right? But for the past few days, Leo felt like he was on Cloud 9 and it was usually because of Reyna. He knew so much about her now and whenever she pulled away, his heart felt like it was being squeezed. Okay, Leo Valdez confessed. He finally truly loves someone and that someone could really be the death of him. Literally.
"If I die, Piper," Leo said, cracking a grin, "I'll come back and haunt you."
"That's likely." Piper snorted.
Then Percy stood up, holding a blue donut. Leo never really got the reason for the blue food. The son of Poseidon was grinning broadly.
"Let's play a game," he said. "Truth or Dare, anyone?"
Everybody cheered with Leo being the loudest. Piper smirked like she was getting a brilliant idea. Percy grabbed an Imperial Gold dagger and the demigods pushed the tables away and huddled on the ground. Percy spun the knife and it was about to point at Jason but a gust of wind made it point back at Percy.
"Jason," he yelled, "No cheating!"
Jason laughed and grinned. "Sorry. Sorry."
Percy spun the dagger again and it pointed to Nico who seemed to grow paler.
"Alrighty, son of Hades, Truth or Dare?" Percy asked.
"Truth," answered Nico bravely.
"Have you ever kissed a girl?" Dakota asked.
If it was possible, Nico blushed. "No, I haven't."
"That's just sad, man," Leo commented.
"I'm thirteen!"
"Hey, I'm pretty sure you haven't kissed a girl as well, Leo," Jason said, smirking.
Everybody laughed, except for Reyna who looked at Leo curiously. He blushed.
"Shut up, Sparky," he growled.
"You too, Repair Boy."
Nico sighed loudly and spun the dagger. It pointed to Frank who yelped.
"Truth or Dare?" Nico asked.
"Truth."
"If Hazel went back to the Underworld, would you go with her?" Annabeth asked.
Frank looked at Hazel whose curly brown hair was covering her golden colored eyes and coffee colored skin. He smiled and nodded. "Of course." Hazel blushed.
"Awwww," Piper moaned, sniffing.
Frank rolled her eyes. "Geez, Piper, you do that when a love story is so great."
Everybody agreed. Frank rolled the dagger and surprisingly, it pointed to Leo. Leo felt himself break into a sweat. He looked at Reyna and his heart thrashed wildly. She was so beautiful that it hurt. Piper smiled knowingly.
"Truth or Dare?" Frank asked.
"Truth," he mumbled hesitantly.
"If you were to die, what would be the last thing you said to everyone here?" Piper asked.
Leo cracked a nervous grin. He looked at Jason and said,
"If you do something to Piper that she's going to regret, I'll haunt you, man."
Jason turned red. So did Piper. She slapped Leo on the arm. Leo winced and turned to Percy.
"Kick Octavian's ass for me, will you?" Percy grinned at that.
He glanced at Piper. "Thanks for the advice, by the way."
Nobody would know what he meant. The two shared a secret. If Leo were to die, that would be really the last thing he said to Piper. Her face softened and she nodded. Leo looked at Hazel.
"I'm not Sammy, okay?" She sniffed and nodded. She looked close to tears.
He stared at Frank and said, "I'm sorry."
When it was Nico's turn, Leo looked amused. "I'll see you in the Isles of the Blest."
He turned to look at Annabeth. "You're awesome."
He grinned at Dakota. "Quit Kool-Aid, man."
When he finally looked at Reyna, everything seemed to slow down. Her eyes narrowed and he could feel his breathing hitch. He was seriously starting to wonder if he could back out and leave like a coward but he just couldn't leave her. He took a shaky breath and wiped the sweat of his palms. He cleared his throat.
"Erm," he began. Everybody was looking cautiously at the two.
His mind was racing? What could he tell her? There were a lot of things he wanted to say but they all became jumbled. He couldn't handle this. What was wrong with him? Reyna was waiting patiently.
"Erm, you...you're—argh—you're amazing, Reyna," he managed to say. He was beginning to heat up. "And for…the past—for the past few—the past few days…"
His tongue was getting twisted and tight. He needed to find words that were short but meaningful. And he finally found them. Three words.
"Iloveyou," he whispered to himself. It was so low that nobody heard him.
"What?" Reyna asked, smiling slightly.
"If I were to die," Leo said more loudly, "the last thing I'd say to you would be…I love you."
There was a stunned silence. Everybody stared at him. Piper was beaming. Jason looked so shock that sparks flew from his hands. Percy stumbled back. Frank turned into a dog and covered his eyes. Nico was smiling shyly. Annabeth studied the situation like she was wondering who would explode first. Hazel looked nervous while Dakota spilled his Kool-Aid flask.
Reyna looked surprised alright. And she looked even more beautiful than usual.
"Leo," she said her voice tight, "You're not going to die."
He felt disappointed. He looked away, wishing he would die when Reyna stood up, walked over to where he sat and kissed him on the lips.
It was soft and sweet. Leo's hair burst on fire. Percy quickly doused it. Her lips tasted like candy and milkshake. Weird but he thought he could really get addicted to it. He sat there, stunned and eyes wide. She was really kissing him? Then she pulled away, smiling and blushing.
"I'd say I love you too."
The rest of the night was a blur but the only thing Leo could remember was that Reyna was holding his hand as they went home.