Disclaimer: I'm thinking about cutting my hair... but I doubt I'll look like Rick Riordan.
The wind was blowing warmly and steadily over the green grass by the deep blue lake, the branches of the tree playing their melodious music as they moved with leaves rubbing on each other. His back pressed to the tree trunk, eyes closed, Jason enjoyed the rays of the sun on his skin, and listened to nature's sound. He didn't even know in which forest he was but he didn't care at all. He heard birds singing, the sound of the water stream but he also heard something so deep and soft that made him open his eyes at once. His gaze met deep yellow glittering eyes.
Suddenly, a big creature came out of the bushes in front of him. Jason didn't move an inch. The wolf growled, but it wasn't a threatening sound. He didn't panic. Jason Grace wasn't one to panic in front of danger, though this time, he didn't even sense one. He looked steadily at the animal, studying it, not moving from his spot on the tree. He kept breathing evenly, not disturbing the melody of the nature around him.
The wolf moved forward, toward him, it's gaze changing from murderous to friendly, it's growl less fierce and more like a deep rumble. Jason watched as the creature continued to approach him soundlessly, until its snout was two inches away from his face. From that small distance, Jason could smell the wolf's scent, though it wasn't the scent he expected. The odor of jasmine filled his nose and without meaning to, Jason raised a tentative hand and to pat the wolf's head. The wolf let him. Jason kept caressing it, scratching carefully behind its ear, and feeling the soft white fur of the animal, the scent of jasmine overwhelming. But then something strange happened.
As Jason looked at the wolf's eyes, they began to change and look more human. The amber color progressively turned as black as obsidian, the white fur turned into the same color as the wolf's eyes and became silkier, longer, and more lustrous in the sunlight. The wolf took a step back from Jason. It raised it's paws and Jason watched as it's four legs lost their fur and became longer and thicker. Progressively, the front legs turned into human arms, and the ones in the back into human legs. Soon enough, the whole wolf's body began to loose all of the black, silky fur—except for the head—and changed gradually into a girl's body. The face changed too, but Jason didn't seem to be able to concentrate on it. Every time he looked at it he could only stare at the black pupils. The color was as black as a night without the moon, and Jason felt like he was falling into an endless black tunnel as he looked at them. He could only see the girl's eyes. He wondered for how much time he stayed like that and if he will ever be able to stop when his gaze shifted suddenly to the girl's lips as they mouthed the words: "Wake up."
Then the girl slapped him hard across the face.
Jason woke up, in his bed howling softly as his fist collided with something hard and his other hand already rubbing the other one. He opened his eyes, and tried to blink the sleep away. He heard someone blurting a very colorful choice of curses.
"Bloody…" the person kept muttering. "I swear…kill…son of a…"
Jason tried to sit up but he fell on the mattress of his bed hard again and his chest started to hurt from a deep, sharp, compressing pressure on it. Jason opened his eyes fully and his gaze was met with the angry glare of his cousin. With a look like that, Percy looked even scarier then the she-wolf in his dream, Jason thought, but he wasn't scared one bit. Jason actually smirked.
"Well, Percy," Jason started, keeping the smug look on his face, "Wouldn't you like to kiss me now as you are practically on top of me?"
"You idiot!" Percy grumbled back, applying more pressure on his elbow then before and then he stepped back from Jason and started rubbing his soared jaw. "Bloody imbecile! Why did you hit me, you stupid prat?!"
Jason shrugged and grinned as he sat up on his bed and crossed his legs childishly.
"I warned you not to wake me up after a full night of drinking, mate," he told him. "And besides, you interrupted quite an interesting dream."
Percy shook his head but raised a comical eyebrow.
"Let me guess," he started, "a fountain of wine? A pile of knickers?"
Jason sighed.
"Unfortunately, no, but there was a wolf!" his grin widened and he threw his legs off his bed and made his way to the window and pulled the curtains open to let the light enter in his room. He winced a bit at the intensity and blinked again.
"Your ability to escape a hangover still amazes me, little brother," Percy told him as he practically jumped on Jason's bed and passed a hand into his jet-black hair, messing them even more. He still must have his headache.
Jason snorted as he drank directly from the pitcher of water Charles had the intelligence to have left for him in the morning when he found that he was still asleep.
"Please," he scoffed as he set the pitcher on the table. "I'm not your little anything!"
Percy grinned.
"I'm still older by a year, little brother!"
Jason eyed him threateningly. He was on his way to retort something but then stopped himself as he noticed what his cousin was wearing.
Percy was wearing his dark grey evening dress and polished shoes. Though he just messed his hair by running a hand in it (they would have been a mess after anyway), they were still more arranged then the usual battle there was before. Jason raised an eyebrow questioningly and Percy's grin widen.
"You did not forget that we were going to receive guests, did you?"
Jason thought about this. Yes, he had a vague memory about his mother and his aunt being excited to receive a certain woman with her daughters at the manor for the winter but it really was not any of his business and it was not about him. He did not care as long as it was something important. So he shrugged to show his disinterest to Percy.
"Don't you even want to know who is coming?" The latter asked, his grin widening by the seconds. Jason knew he was up to something and he thought that maybe it would be interesting.
"Who?" he asked as he walked in front of his mirror and looked at his reflection. His golden hair had a pillowcase. He was shirtless but still sweating, as Charles didn't bother putting the fire off in the chimney. His icy blue eyes were still alert and calculating as always, without betraying a hint about him drinking a whole bottle of alcohol the night before. He looked at Percy in the mirror, his grin still remaining.
"Mrs. and Miss Solis, my dear friend," his sea green eyes holding back a mischievous glint. Jason cursed under his breath and resisted the urge to yell or break his mirror.
"Bloody hell," he said softly as he started remembering when he was an eight year old at the last winter ball his family had at their manor. "Please do not tell me these madwomen are going to be all living here?"
Percy sniggered.
"Lucky you, one of them is not joining us since she got married and went off living with her husband in America."
Jason gritted his teeth. He could only hope that the one who got married was the one he hated the most. He didn't even bother learning her name, that little rude, arrogant, men-hating, power-hungry…
"I suggest you prepare your dancing shoes and extra ice-pack again," Percy started laughing and got off the bed as Jason threw the water-pitcher at him.
"My," Percy continued laughing as he got up and went for the door, "you are in a bad mood. I think you should take a bath and get changed; they will arrive in an hour. Do you want me to get Charles to help you?"
Jason shook his head as rubbed his face with his hand to get rid of his annoyance.
"I can do it on my own, thank you. Is mother waiting for me?"
Percy nodded.
"Has she snapped yet?"
Percy shook his head no with a hint of a smug smile
"Is she waiting for me to get downstairs?"
Percy nodded and smirked.
"I shall be there in an hour and thirty minutes then. She might throw the table this time!" he grinned and Percy shook his head mockingly and got out of Jason's room.
Jason took all his time for his toilet. He took a bath and when he got out, made a point of making his bed (it was a first, really!) to loose more time, and took out a new, black and white evening dress for him to wear. As he wore it, he heard the noise of horses and went to stand by the windows to have a closer look. He saw a black carriage, with the emblem of a torch and a sword crossed together. It pulled through the gates of the manor, by two of the most beautiful stallions Jason has ever seen in his life. The first one was white but looked almost silver and the other one seemed to be golden. He saw Charles rushing to help two figures getting out of the carriage, and taking their luggage.
Jason stepped away from the window. He took a deep breath and ran a hand in his damp hair. He could still wait ten more minutes before his mother snapped again. He enjoyed the sight of her cursing and throwing random things at him when she was mad. He was used to it after all, since his father decided to leave them. And anyways, Sally and Poseidon—Percy's parents and Jason's aunt and uncle—were more parents to him then his own parent's were. After all, his mother hated him and no matter what, he couldn't blame her for turning a bit crazy after all these years.
Jason heard someone knocking on his door. He allowed the person in.
Millie, one of the maid of the house entered shyly in his room, muttering softly "Good evening Master Jason."
Jason flashed her a quick smile and her cheeks turned a bit red as she readjusted her cap. Millie was a year younger than Jason and had immense respect for him, contrary to most people he knew. She seemed so fragile that Jason himself didn't want to act destructive around her, unlike with the rest of his surrounding.
Millie immediately went for Jason's bed and gasped as she saw that he already made it and changed the bed sheets himself. She gaped at him and Jason smirked. She glanced away from him, took the pitcher of water, the old sheets and started for the door without glancing at him again. She stopped in the doorframe.
"Master Jason," she started softly, her gaze still on the floor, blushing. "Mrs. Grace has been waiting for you to be introduced to the guests. Please go downstairs before she starts breaking the portraits on the wall and adds more work for me."
Jason couldn't help it. He started laughing and Millie looked up at him with a shy smile and her brown eyes sparkled. Jason walked toward the door until he reached her and patted her shoulder.
"My dear Millie," he continued still laughing, "What am I going to do without your shy but still funny attitude, hmm?"
Millie turned crimson red and left the room. Jason chuckled softly and deciding that she was right, got out of his room and made his way for the dining room, as he knew everyone would be there. He accelerated his pace as he walked through the many corridors, took the stairs that led to the first floor—actually slide on the ramp— and walked until he arrived in front of the dining room.
He heard people speaking, Percy's natural laugh, his mother's false one and aunt Sally's scolding but loving tone as she told Percy to stop whatever inappropriate behavior he was showing. As always, uncle Poseidon was too busy eating Jason assumed because he didn't hear him speak. He opened the door and stepped inside.
All eyes turned to him as he entered. Percy grinned and patted the sit next to him. His mother looked like she really wanted to throw the spoon she had in hand on his forehead. His uncle was still eating and Sally gave him a warm smile and gestured for him to come join them. But Jason didn't really pay attention to all of that.
Right next to his mother was a woman with her dark hair in a strict do, and small but athletic frame. She wasn't like his mother at all. She looked younger though he assumed she was in her late thirties. She looked more composed though, her brown eyes looked warm but scary. They were analyzing him, like wondering in how many ways she might kill him. Jason had the feeling that the fork and knife on her hands could morph into war weapons anytime. He let his gaze trail to the person who was sitting next to Mrs. Solis. He almost stopped breathing.
At Mrs. Solis right was a young girl, probably sixteen or seventeen—like Jason—, eating. She wore a champagne colored silk dress, the neckline showing a little of her white bosom, the sleeves short. Her glossy raven-black hair was slightly curled at the end, and unlike most girls of her age, she let them down. A simple necklace was decorating her swan neck, plunging into the neckline of her dress. But no matter how much Jason was studying her—whether it was rude or not he didn't care at all—she was not even glancing in his direction at first but he did saw them, those big dark, obsidian eyes and they were already attracting him into an endless twirl of blind jump in the tunnel. She was the she-wolf in his dream and for the first time, Jason didn't know how to act in front of a lady.
"Jason, dear?" Sally's concerned voice brought him to reality and he tore his gaze away from the younger Solis girl. "Are you quite all right?"
"Oh do leave him with his inner demons, Sally," Cecilia Grace told her sister-in-law. "He will come back to us eventually," she sighed. Jason somehow figured out by the way she that 'he will come back to us' she wasn't entirely speaking about him.
Sally still looked concerned and she ignored Cecilia's plea. Jason could feel Percy's smirk like someone threw hot water on his face. He also couldn't ignore Mrs. Solis's analyzing look on him, as she didn't move an inch. Jason looked at Sally and gave her a quick smile and nodded. He took his chair out but before he could sit down, Sally gave him a pointed look meaning he should wait to be introduced first. He fought a groan and almost rolled his eyes but stopped himself. This was Sally asking him for a favor, not his silly mother.
"Bellona, please let me introduce you to my dear nephew, Jason Grace," she smiled at her guest and the latter nodded, her face softening a little. Jason almost thought he caught a hint of a smile on the woman's stern face.
"Pleased to meet you, Jason," she told him then turned to Cecilia. "Is he your son, Cissy?"
Cecilia sighed and shook her head, as if she was ashamed or sad about this news.
"Yes, the last one of my two kids. You have also met Thalia the last time you came to visit us, I reckon." She answered simply. Jason almost clapped. Congratulations, his mother could look and act sane when she wanted to.
"I do remember," Bellona assured her. "She is the one who got married two years ago isn't she? Lovely girl, she has the aura of a fighter."
Cecilia smiled, though it still seemed forced. She never liked it when somebody complimented girls with the attributes of men. She liked feminine, pretty and lady-like adjectives when a girl was involved.
Bellona turned to Jason and the corner of her lips turned up. "You have grown up into a handsome young man. The last time we saw each other you were only a small kid whining for you have been forced into a dance with my daughter here, Reyna."
At the sound of her name, Reyna put the fork and knife she had in hand back on her plate. Her delicate, long and slim fingers took the cotton napkin and whipped the corners of her mouth delicately, and put it back on the ebony table. She raised her eyes and looked at Jason but didn't say anything. She only stared, her face showing no emotion but her eyes, Jason saw, were defying him sort of and he refused to back away from a fight, even if it was an imaginary one.
He perfectly remembered her seven-year-old self as she had her hair in pink and purple ribbons with a dark pink dress. Reyna was getting bored and wanted to dance like the grown ups but couldn't because she was too shy. Thalia being thirteen at that time begged her little brother to be her escort but he had refused until his mother planted her sharp nails in his arm and threatened him, forcing him to act like a gentleman. When they started to dance, Reyna had tried to make little conversation with him but Jason had been rude to her. She had stomped her foot on his in an unladylike manner and insulted him in Spanish. They never spoke to each other again but sometimes things never changed across the time: they hated each other even if it was a silly childish argument.
Now they kept staring at each other, daring the other to make the first move of politeness. Jason smirked. Reyna's eyes twinkled the side of her almost-red mouth turned up slightly. Jason could have won this if it hadn't been for Poseidon.
"Well," he started. "Are you not going to introduce yourself to her so that you can eat?"
Jason resisted the urge of glaring at his uncle. He clenched and then unclenched his fist and kept looking at Reyna whose mouth almost reached a smile. He tipped his head at her once and muttered quickly that he was enchanted to meet her again. He didn't expect her to answer him, though.
"Equally, Mr. Grace," then she smiled fully, and it reached her eyes this time, illuminating her face. Jason didn't know what to respond. He decided to keep fuming alone. But after that, the sound of her melodious voice didn't leave his mind as he ate.
Next to him, Percy was sniggering and Jason glared at him.
"What is happening, Jase?" he taunted. "Has she got your tongue like ten years ago?"
"Shut up, Perseus," Jason answered back and Percy's look darkened. Then Jason saw a flash of blond entering the dining room and he grinned. Now was the time to embarrass both his cousin and enrage his mother.
"Oi, Annabeth," Jason called as a girl entered the room. Percy's head turned towards her direction so fast that he winced. His cheeks reddened as she approached. Jason grinned. Percy was mad. Ever since Jason could remember, Percy fancied her greatly, but then who could blame him? Annabeth Chase had this honey colored sandy hair, curled like a princess. Her stormy grey eyes sparkled with intelligence, like the sky ready to thunder and pour lightning on earth. She wasn't like the others because she spoke her mind, without even meaning too and she was honest in her intentions. Jason guessed that those actions were the things that caught his cousin's attention. The family trusted her with almost everything though she was still really young and Jason suspected that Sally considered her as a daughter. But there were two problems: his mother who was the only one who hated her, and the fact that she was a maid, the parlor maid.
"Yes, J—Master Jason?" she answered as she put the second part of the meal on the long table, almost forgetting to use his title. He had asked her not to and she gladly accepted, as she wasn't one for formalities.
Jason glanced at Percy and smirked. He could see Percy's sea-green eyes warning him but at the same time not being able to move his gaze from Annabeth's tanned face.
"Do you mind bringing me something for my headache? My head still hurts from all the drinking I had last night." He grinned at her, as he heard his mother gasp from fury. Annabeth almost smiled. She was used to Jason's rants on drinking, they seemed funny to her. She nodded once and excited the now silent room as everyone was looking at Jason. Cecilia was red in the face and she looked like she was about to take the saucer to throw it at him but Bellona Solis stopped her just in time, probably knowing what she was about to do.
"Sally, your son seems quite lost in his thoughts," then she turned to Percy and studied him a little. His cheeks were still red, and he immediately stared at his plate, playing with his fork.
Sally smiled at her friend.
"Well," she stole a quick glance at her son, "Perhaps your daughter has caught my son's attention."
Percy glared at his mother. Bellona raised an eyebrow.
"Is marriage a matter of discussion then?" she asked, her lips slowly morphing into a smile. Reyna's head snapped up from her dinner as she looked at her mother, her mouth opened a little, a faint pink on her cheeks. Percy was even redder than before. However, Jason who would have laughed at that didn't say a word and was somehow bothered by what Mrs. Solis just said. He shrugged that feeling off and shook his head. Behind him, he heard a clatter on the floor.
When he turned around, he saw Annabeth taking the spoon that fell on the floor. Her head was ducked, not meeting anyone's gaze. She rose and put the spoon back on the tray she carried where there was a bowl of something for Jason's said headache. She muttered a small apology and started to turn around when another noise stopped her.
Jason smirked. He had seen Percy's hand on his fork, deliberately dropping it. His cousin's eyes were on Annabeth.
"Please bring me another fork," he told her, not breaking eye contact while she was all but trying to avoid his gaze. She walked toward him, and took the fork on the floor. Jason saw Percy's lips moving, saying something very quickly and only audible for Annabeth. She blushed and exited the room without another word.
Cecilia snorted when Annabeth left.
"Parlor maid, eh?" she sneered, "Honestly, Sally, how could you have chosen her? She is rather clumsy, you have to admit. And everything you do for these maids, I always say that it is too much, you ought to change them soon so—"
A throat clearing cut her. Jason turned his gaze towards the person who made this noise and he was surprised to notice that Reyna was clutching her napkin tightly, frowning slightly, making her gaze a little bit more alive with controlled anger. Jason knew what it was; after all, he was like that half the time.
"Pardon me, Mrs. Grace," she started in a calm but cool voice. "But I believe that you are not the one running this manor. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson are. Perhaps Mrs. Jackson can continue to rule it without you interfering?"
Jason's eyebrows shot up. No one ever talked to his mother that way. Even Poseidon froze in the process of taking another bite of his potato-salad.
"Reyna…" Mrs. Solis looked at her daughter, warning her to say no more but Jason saw her trying to hide a smile. Reyna wasn't listening anyways.
"Please excuse my audacity but maids are still human beings who have the right to be respected. If you want respect in return, you have to earn it Mrs. Grace." She shook her head and wiped her mouth after drinking a bit of water. She got up, revealing the hoop skirt of her dress, showing the way it perfectly shaped her small waist. "Please excuse me, I do not feel well." And with that she went out of the dining room, chin raised, back straight and an elegant demarche.
Jason whistled and Percy raised his hands to clap but Sally looked at him and he stopped before he could do so. Cecilia was glaring with fury and red splotches of anger and fury appeared on her face and throat. Jason has never seen her so mad.
"Bellona!" she started and Jason rolled his eyes. "Have you not taught anything to your daughter and the respect for her elders?"
Mrs. Solis looked at Cecilia, the hint of a smile still remaining.
"I have taught her everything about respect, Cissy. Perhaps, she had more notions about it then you had."
Cecilia groaned, but Bellona continued, ignoring it.
"We may be higher in the society class than maids, but they are still human. My husband, bless his soul, was a man of honor and was known for his respect and being respected. He taught his beliefs to our daughter."
Cecilia seemed to be on her way to answer back, or to throw her bread (whichever came first, really, Jason thought) but Sally cut her.
"Bellona is right, Cissy. Do not take Reyna's words in the wrong way, dear." Sally's features softened. "I remember her as a little girl. She loved her father dearly. It is only expectable from her to defend the values he passed on to her."
" 'Intelligence is the value of a man, the character is dignity.'" Poseidon quoted and then turned to Bellona with a grin. "French woman, Madame de Girardin, said so. Your daughter is growing up to be just like her father and yourself, my dear friend."
"Thank you, Poseidon." She answered back and resumed eating.
Cecilia looked wildly around her, her eyes wild, the red splotches on her pale face still not disappearing.
"So that is it then?" she cried between gritted teeth. "Everyone is all right with a seventeen years old child humiliating me. What kind of family—"
"Oh for the love of God, mother you are dramatic!" Jason blurted. He didn't care; he was tired of her overreacting for nothing. "She did not say anything to offend your selfish person, now do be quiet and finish your dinner!"
Percy exploded from laughter and Bellona smiled fully. Poseidon choked on his potato-salad and Sally tried to stifle a small laugh.
Jason received a spoon right on his forehead and ducked before the bowl of soup had him.
Late during the night, wandering around the cold corridors of the manor, Jason was thinking about the past events of the evening. He was replaying different scenes and felt like going back to the moment where Miss Solis put his mother back in her place. Jason chuckled softly and shook his head. This girl was trouble, he felt it. The way she kept raising her chin deliberately as if she was expecting a fight, showing that she was not some kind of fragile porcelain doll. He was still hearing the faint taint of her voice in his head as she had said 'Equally, Mr. Grace'. And the look of pure disdain she gave to Cecilia—
Jason stopped in his tracks. He had heard something. He listened as he turned carefully towards another corridor. The noises weren't voices. Jason recognized them and his heart quickened. He wondered who was practicing sword-fighting now. He knew Percy was already asleep and Poseidon would never practice at a time like this. No one could do this but…no. Jason shook his head. His father had left them, there was no way in hell that he would come back now after so many years. But still, Jason continued to walk until he reached the room where the sound came from.
The door was opened a little and Jason heard the sound of the blade cutting in the wind. He pushed the door slowly, careful not to be seen and took a glance inside. Jason saw the flames almost dying in the fireplace, the room getting colder. He saw a single candle near the four-poster bed, illuminating the spacious bedroom. Some furniture, like the sofa and vanity table has been pushed again the walls. And in the middle of it, stood a figure with a sword in hand. Jason's heart skipped a bit. He had to make sure it was not his father. He opened the door a little bit more and stepped inside the room, still careful not to make any sound.
Jason blinked. This person, who had his back to Jason was tall and had an athletic frame, but smaller than him by three inches. Jason suddenly felt really stupid to have thought that it was his father, especially if the person in front of him had braided his hair down his back. Jason studied the way he was using the sword. It wasn't brutal, but careful in a calculating way, the technique reminding him of romans. He was moving with such grace that Jason almost thought that the blade was part of his arm.
Jason watched as the person brought the sword back to his side vertically, trusted it forward and making an arch with it, fending the air again. He gasped soundlessly as the person twirled on his heel and turned. His jaw dropped.
Wearing men clothes, with her sword extended and pointed the tip of the gold blade on Jason's throat, Reyna Solis was glaring fiercely at the boy in front of her. She was breathing heavily, her silky black hair falling a little out of her braid, framing her pretty face. Her black eyes were misty, like she had been crying or was about to, and her expression changed from pure rage to recognition and then she raised her chin and glared some more at Jason, the sword still pointed at his throat.
"Mr. Grace," she started slowly. Jason noticed the way she was trying to control her anger, not breaking eye contact. "May I ask you what you are doing in my room?"
Jason looked from the sword on his throat to her and raised an eyebrow.
"Then let me answer you by another question," he told her as he smirked. "Why would a seventeen year old lady wear men clothes and use a sword?"
Her eyes glinted dangerously and her frown deepened.
"What are you implying?"
Jason's smirk widened and he almost grinned.
"Only that it is a shame that women are not supposed to wear what you have on you, Miss Solis. Your shape is quite… attractive."
Reyna stepped forward and pointed her sword to Jason's heart, her expression not changing.
"I suggest you not to say another word."
But Jason couldn't stop himself for what he asked next.
"Who taught you?"
Her eyes widened and she looked away from him.
"Papa did," she told him with a softer voice.
Jason looked at her more closely. He realized that he had been interrupting a private moment, which explained the misty eyes when he first looked at her. He tried to take a step forward but Reyna sensed it and kept pointing her sword a bit closer to his skin. He stared at the sword and recognized the metal. He even felt his face softening as he looked at it.
"Imperial Gold," he whispered and Reyna's gaze turned curious, friendlier even. Jason looked at her. "I recognize your style. Roman-like." She continued to look at him with big black eyes.
"Do you practice too?" she asked, looking very interested for once, her hostility lowering.
Jason grinned. "You have in front of you the best swordsmen you've ever met, milady."
Reyna actually snorted, and raised an eyebrow as the side of her mouth turned up.
"I doubt it," she said and she lowered her sword and stepped back. "Papa was the best, and I don't think a pretentious, arrogant boy would have stood in front of him."
Jason raised his eyebrow as well and looked at her maliciously.
"Coming from a fine lady like you, I would like to say: 'ouch'!"
"Who taught you, then?" she asked innocently as she carefully set her sword on her night table.
Jason's breath caught in his throat. He didn't like to talk about his father. Reyna seemed to have sensed his hesitation because she said, "I am guessing your father did too."
He nodded, staring at a blank spot on the wall. She sat on the edge of her bed and motioned for him to take a seat on the sofa next to her.
"You know," she continued, " I might understand things better if you just talked about your past." Then she added with a hint of teasing, "then I might change my former thought about you being hopeless self-centered prat."
And with that she gave him a smile, the kind of smile, which illuminated her face, and lit up her black pupils. Jason felt a tug in his chest. Somehow, he thought that maybe because they both lost the same parent, it might be easier to talk about this. He sighed, as her smile didn't fade.
"Father taught me how to use a sword," he started and sat on the arm of the sofa. "I learned everything with him. I used to love it but now…"
"He left you," she filled in for him and he looked up at her. He nodded and continued. "Right. The thing is that… my father…"
He clenched his fist. He wasn't used to opening up to anyone except Percy. He was not close to anyone. Thalia got married when he was only ten years old. She visited from time to time but it wasn't the same anymore. His father left a year before she got married. He didn't know where he was. He accepted the fact that he left for good, unlike his mother. But even if Jason knew the truth, his heart wasn't willing to let go and that, no one would understand.
He felt something soft on his arm and raised his head to stare at Reyna's eyes. He didn't hear her getting up. Somehow her proximity wasn't irritating Jason like before and he even felt more relaxed. Her hand on his sleeve seemed to radiate warmth and just like in his dream, he couldn't look away from her eyes. He swallowed. Her eyes looked at him kindly and what he appreciated was that there was no pity in them. They were honest.
"You don't have to—" she started but he raised his hand and kept looking at her.
"No. It's fine, it's not like no one knows about his treachery. We were close, he and I. He used to train me all the time but he ran away with this Italian woman, leaving our family behind… The bastard!" Jason spat letting his anger loose with this one word, not even caring that he swore in front of a lady. He breathed deeper and unclenched his fist then looked at his palm and stared at the half-moons left by his nails before continuing to talk. "I train with Percy now. Poseidon, sometimes but mostly my cousin."
He looked at Reyna again and she looked angry for a second and he knew that it wasn't directed at him. She shook her head and went back to sitting on her bed.
"Forgive me if I'm rude," she started and Jason snorted, "But your family has lack of morals!"
Jason blinked and stared at her then pointed at himself.
"I am the result of this lack of moral!"
To his delight Reyna let a laugh escape and covered her mouth with her hand to stop the giggles.
"You shouldn't do that," he told her immediately. She raised an eyebrow, her laughter still echoing in his mind.
"Do what?" she asked, and the humor in her voice was noticeable. Jason felt a smile forming on his face, no matter how hard he was trying to refrain it.
"Try to stop your laugh, I meant. We're not in public, and I don't mind listening to it."
Reyna looked at him with big eyes and a small smile appeared on her face. In the dim light of her room, he wondered if he was imagining the soft pink on her cheeks.
"I should try to make an effort then, Mr. Grace."
Jason stood up and went for her door with a nod to her but stopped before going out and turned to look at her.
"Jason."
She raised an eyebrow questioningly so he repeated himself.
"Mr. Grace is too formal," he explained smirking lightly. "Jason is better."
She smirked too and tilted her head to one side as she looked at him.
"All right then," she whispered, fatigue evident in her voice. "Goodnight, Jason."
He didn't know what was happening right then. The both of them just kept staring at each other. Jason could feel his throat closing softly as he took on how she looked with the small flames dancing on her silhouette. Her messy hair was and out of her braid and her black eyes looked like they were dancing, a small smile still playing on her natural red lips. Some small locks were falling on her cheek and he soon realized that he would very well like to brush them behind her ear—
He blinked. Twice actually. He had to get a grip before he did something stupid and he wondered what was his problem but before he knew it, he answered her by saying, "Goodnight, Rey..."
"I didn't gave you permission to call me by my Christian name, Jason," she interrupted him with a sly smirk. "You have to win it!"
Jason had to laugh at his silliness but soon had an idea and he grinned.
"How about a duel with the swords? And if I win I will get the right to call you by your name!"
It was her turn to grin.
"And what if I win?"
Jason shrugged. "I doubt you will, so it does not matter."
She laughed again.
"You really are arrogant," she told him but he knew that she was joking. "But I accept the challenge. Though if I win you will have to stop acting so coyly."
"I don't know what you are talking about, but I am fine with it," he smiled at her, feeling happier by the minute. "Before dinner then, I shall come and tell you were we'll train."
She nodded and waved goodbye mockingly. Jason chuckled and closed the door of her room. He released a breath he didn't know he was holding but as he walked back to his room, he felt lighter somehow, and his smile didn't fade until he reached it.
A/n: My first fanfic ever! I know, some characters are OOC but I wanted a new Jason sort of. Btw, English is not my first language so if there are any mistakes, sorry :P . I'm looking for a Beta right now. I know, it looks boring at first but I promise it'll get better, though there won't be a lot of chapters.
I still hope you liked it. Any thoughts ?
Thanks for reading :)