Well, hello there! So here I am again, this time writing in English and about a series of books I have been obsessing over last year and this year: Percy Jackson. And yeah, this is a Reynico Fanfiction. I know, I know, weird ship. But hey! There's this whole, BIG LACKof them around the internet, and I ship them. Hard. Anyway, maybe it'll be a one-shot but I'm kind of thinking of a second part, so I'll leave it open for a next chapter.

Thanks to Upstart Demigod for asking me (and convincing me) to upload this story even before reading it :D

Disclaimer:I don't own PJO, HoO or any of its characters. All rights go to our awesome Uncle Rick Riordan.

Reyna looked across Salona. This was not going well, not at all. They had only travelled a few miles since they decided to take the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood. They had just landed right beside the ruins of the amphitheater, and Nico di Angelo had just collapsed on the ground. The statue stood tall behind them, and she didn't really know what a mortal would see. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, there was no one in sight.

Coach Gleeson Hedge stood up, after examining Nico's face.

"He needs some water," he decided, swinging his baseball bat. "I'll go see if I can find something for him to drink. It's normal that he's not in a good shape after every jump."

Reyna frowned and crouched down beside the son of Hades. His face was naturally pale, his eyes were as shadowy, and his hair was as shaggy and messy as usual, like he had just gotten out of bed. That image didn't look well, but she couldn't help but find this somewhat cute. But there was something else. There was a look of exasperation in his unconscious face, as if something was bothering him even in a fainted state. She couldn't decide if he looked frustrated, scared, or even pained. It looked like a tear wanted to be shed, and getting closer, she noticed his eyes being pressed hardly together, as if he didn't want to wake up. But he wasn't pretending.

"Are you sure it's just the shadow-traveling? He doesn't tend to automatically faint every time, he only gets weak." Reyna stood up, unsure of what to do.

"It's okay, cupcake, he must be exhausted. Watch the statue while I'm gone, it'll only be a few minutes." On that note, he walked away, his baseball bat rolling on his hand.

Reyna took a step behind, realizing she was almost stepping on Shadow Boy. What was wrong with this guy? At least, there wasn't any monster in sight. Although they were never in sight at first.

She looked around, hoping to see if there was any chance Coach Hedge could find a cafeteria of shop here. Nothing. They were in the middle of nowhere. Why had Nico stopped here? It didn't seem like an important place. But still, she noticed something in the air—a feeling of dreaminess and sorrow. The amphitheater beside them caught her attention. Somehow, it looked like it was the source of that sensation. Maybe she could take a look at it. It wouldn't hurt anyone, right? Right?

Stay focused, she ordered herself. She had to stay put, watch over Nico and the Athena Parthenos and wait for Hedge to come back. But there was something about that place… there was something in that place. Reyna could feel it, and she didn't like it. There was something dangerous inside there, and she had the thought that maybe, just maybe, it could have something to do with di Angelo's state right now.

This time, she walked to the amphitheater in her five senses, determined to find out if there was a monster in there, and willing to fight it. As she paced around the place, the feelings of dreaminess and sorrow grew heavier, and they seemed to be fighting over each other. Through the ruins, she could distinguish Nico starting to tremble lightly. But for some reason, she didn't go back to him. Or maybe it was because she felt something getting near her.

"Had trouble on your journey, dear?" a voice from nowhere spoke.

Reyna almost jumped of surprise, because when she turned back, there was nobody behind her.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"I am your best friend, and your worst nightmare." The voice introduced itself.

She reached for her spear, and realized she had left it with the statue. Just. Her. Luck. What kind of monster was this?

"Show yourself!" Reyna ordered, her voice as firm as the praetor she was. "Don't be a coward."

"I am not the coward here, Reyna." She shook at the mention of her name. This creature knew her. "And to see me, you will need to do more than ask for it."

She noticed this thing hadn't attacked the statue yet. That was a relief, for now.

"The statue? Oh, now why would I want that." It could read minds? "I just came to talk to you, since you're the one visiting my territory." The voice had moved now, like it was walking around the place, admiring the construction. Reyna identified it as a male voice.

His territory? She tried to make her mind work, tried to remember what was Salona apart from Diocletian's birthplace. Before Diocletian, it was something that had to do with this monster, but her brain wasn't working now. There seemed to be a curtain of smoke inside her head, clouding her thoughts. She tried harder, concentrating on her mythology knowledge, on every being that once crowded this place…

"Cupid!" the name of the god suddenly clicked. "You are here. You came to talk to me. What is going on?"

"Reyna, nobody enters my town without speaking to me." He turned his attention to the unconscious body of Nico di Angelo. "Ask your little friend there."

Reyna's head was spinning now. She recalled the story she had been told by Coach Hedge, back in the Argo II. Nico and Jason had come to Salona to retrieve Diocletian's scepter, and the rumors said something strange had happened there. Did that have to do with the god of love?

"I don't care about your place. In fact, I'm trying to leave." She tried to distract his attention to her again.

"If you want to leave, you have to get rid of me first. You don't want to fight a god, do you?"

Reyna gulped.

"Don't you have some other problems? The conflict between your Greek and Roman side, for example?"

Cupid shook his head in disappointment.

"I thought my mother had already told you that," his tone remained amused. "No matter wherever you go, love is always the same. It's where you least expect it and it's never fair." Now he sounded bored. "Do I have to repeat my speech? You better tell Nico to wake up, he knows better about this subject.

She was starting to get angry now.

"Nico is not able to wake up, because of you! What did you do to him?" she was surprised at her tone, which sounded like she was begging.

"He's still affected, isn't he? He's been to Tartarus and back, but he can't face love twice. Do you see now how this works, dear?"

"Face love? What on Bellona's name are you talking about?" Reyna questioned.

Cupid sighed heavily.

"Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano. Daughter of Bellona. Praetor of Camp Jupiter. A beautiful, strong girl, tough and an excellent warrior. Look at her. Why would she have any reasons to feel bad? But look at your face. Look at the masquerade you put on yourself every day. Brokenhearted, and no one knows. Heartsick, and no one knows. Are you really willing to stay this way your whole life?"

Despair started to form in her throat. This was a whole new kind of challenge. She needed a plan, but how can you have a plan against love itself? Even if she ran for her spear, how would it help? She didn't even know where Cupid was. She didn't know what to say, either. There was no answer to what he was saying. Love couldn't be so… cruel. This was monster of huge proportions. She knew it to be only sorrow throughout her whole life but she didn't expect it to be even worse. She didn't want to admit this either, but the image of love Aphrodite showed was ten times better than this. She started to miss the goddess by now, and this was only her son.

"Reyna!" a pained voice behind them shouted. Nico's voice. "Don't listen to him! He'll crush you to pieces."

Reyna turned around to see Nico crawling towards the amphitheater, trying to reach them and stand up at the same time. She tried to shout back, but Cupid was determined to keep her attention on him.

"You have your own story of tragedy and abandon haunting you. You worked for Circe, tried to give up on men. But Percy Jackson and her girlfriend blew up your home. Then you found Camp Jupiter. You became praetor; you had friends by your side. Jason Grace came into your life. He was the first one to turn you down."

"Stop it!" Reyna pleaded, screaming by now. "Why are you talking about that? How do you know about it?"

"I am love, Reyna. And you almost fell in love with him. Almost. Because he disappeared. Thanks to Juno, he disappeared and left you with all the weight of the camp on your own shoulders, and found another girl. He came back to you with his new girlfriend; he found true love in front of your face and never regretted it! Not only that, but you found Percy. Percy Jackson also came from nowhere and you also fell for him. And he rejected you, too. The story repeated itself, and his girlfriend appeared in front of you, right before your home was bombed. Each one of them forgot about you, and turned their attention to someone else. You were never good enough. You were never an option."

"Shut up!" she fell to her knees. This was too hard for her. Tears were freely strolling down her face, falling to the ground, one after another. "They weren't… They aren't…"

Right then, she felt someone's arms wrap around her. She looked back to see Nico di Angelo hugging her.

"It's okay. He's trying to get into your mind, touch your sensible part. Don't listen to him." His voice sounded soft. Reyna didn't know he could have a sweet voice, and she also didn't understand how he could be so calm right now. But when she looked into his eyes, she saw he actually wasn't. His eyes shone with fear. Was he trying to be strong for her?

"If you want to leave, you will have to listen to me," Cupid insisted. "Poor Reyna. I bet you didn't actually want this boy on your quest."

Nico looked down. Still, he didn't let go of her.

"It wasn't like that!" She cried. "It wasn't."

Cupid laughed a deep, sarcastic laugh which coming from love, sounded more evil than Ares's laughter.

"I don't mind," Nico looked at her again. "This is usual for me. Don't be afraid. He played with me once, too."

"I see you've regained your strength, son of Hades. You must really care for this girl, to be here looking so tough. Your feelings have changed since your last visit."

"You don't scare me any more than you did that day." Nico looked at Reyna, trying to lift her spirits. She was crumbling. Nothing she had ever lived had prepared her for this.

"As for you, dear," Cupid started again, still not appearing. "Don't be afraid to put your feelings out there. It might help you, you know."

"I don't have anything to 'put out there', Cupid. I don't need this."

"You entered my territory, you accept the consequences!" He chided. "You can't run away from love. If you want to get out of here, then face your feelings!"

"Stop this, Eros!" Nico intervened. "You already did this to me. Don't hurt her! She doesn't deserve it."

"Oh, but she does. Do you know what is going on inside her heart, Nico di Angelo? I think she's pretty sure. You fell for two men, dear, and both of them pushed you away. Now you go for a third one and he is known for never loving back…"

"I don't want… I only thought…" Reyna couldn't find words for this. "Why is he bringing this up?"

"Reyna, don't push it anymore. Just give him what he wants and he'll leave you alone."

"No… no. I don't want to." She stated, looking at the place where Cupid should be.

"Nobody wants to."

"But everybody has to," Cupid observed. "Tell him, Reyna. Tell him that he's not the only coward here. Tell him that you didn't want him on this quest, and not because he's a son of Hades."

"Never!" Reyna started trembling right on the spot. "I will fight you if I must!"

"You can't fight love, Reyna. You can't fight love if death itself is kinder." Nico told her. "Just tell him and get this over with, I won't mind."

"You don't understand." She sobbed, covering her face in her hands. "I'm over Jason and Percy, I can tell you that. But I can't say…"

"Tell him who the third man is, Reyna. Let's see if you are strong enough to stare at love in the face. If you want to leave, you have to see me. If you want to see me, you have to share."

The son of Hades still hadn't let go of Reyna.

"There is a third man," Reyna confessed, sighing heavily. "I wanted Frank to—"

"It seems di Angelo isn't the only one who likes to hide, since you keep lying." Cupid interrupted. "But at least he had the strength."

Right after he said that, Nico started screaming a deep, guttural scream, which made a crack open on the floor, letting out dozens of skeletons. Dead roman warriors, which seemed to be acquaintances of him. They threw themselves at the place where the two demigods had heard the voice before. But the love god only laughed cruelly.

"Did your skeletons work that day, Nico? I think not."

Nico di Angelo ignored his taunts and kept making the skeletons attack him.

"What do you think about this, Reyna? Will you let him fight your battle? I knew you weren't brave enough."

When she heard this, Reyna gave up. She couldn't let anyone else fight her battles. She lifted her left hand and put it on Nico's chest. "Cut off the skeletons."

Nico didn't need to be told twice. He immediately raised his hand and the skeletons returned to the crack on the ground, which closed quickly.

"What do you choose, daughter of Bellona: you can run away from your feelings and never leave this place, or you can be brave and face them. You don't have much time, Camp Half-Blood awaits you."

And after saying this, Cupid became visible. Reyna absorbed his blood red eyes, his wings, his quiver and bow, his handsome and harsh face.

"I choose bravery." She said. "The third man is… I am in love with—"

In that very moment, she was interrupted by Coach Hedge, who came in, bat in hands, yelling, "DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

He circled Reyna and Nico to smash the creature in front of them, and stopped in his tracks when he saw who he was.

"Eros," the satyr put down his bat. "I didn't recognize you."

"Gleeson Hedge," Cupid greeted. "Long time no see."

The satyr bowed, strangely polite. "It's been some time since our talk."

Nico and Reyna looked at each other, both confused.

"How's your wife?" Cupid asked, like in a conversation between two friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time. "I heard she's pregnant. Is the baby alright?"

This made the two teenagers almost jump. "Wife?" Reyna asked, wiping her tears and trying to put on a brave face. "Baby?"

Hedge started rubbing his hand on the bat. "Uh, yes, sir. They are waiting for me in Long Island."

"What is going on?" Nico spoke with his eyes open like plates.

Cupid smiled archly. "You should go protect your statue, Gleeson. It's better to come home with a gift."

"Yes, sir." Coach Hedge bowed again, and left as if he was hypnotized by his words.

The god turned his attention back to the demigods.

"Very well, Reyna". He started again. "You were saying?"

Suddenly, the situation hit her hard: she still wasn't free. To leave the amphitheater, to go back to Coach Hedge and the Athena Parthenos, to go back to her home, she had to tell the truth.

"I…" her voice broke. She had been so close, how could she not do it now? "I can't."

Cupid's smile turned into an angry face.

"I knew you couldn't do it." The god of love stared straight at her at her with his cold eyes. "You don't have the strength. You claim to be brave and tough, but can't even—"

"I am in love with the son of Hades!" Reyna shouted so loud, even Coach Hedge could hear from the statue. Her words surprised even herself. New tears rolled down her face. "Nico di Angelo is the third man. That is why I didn't want him on this quest. But don't ever question my strength or bravery. Ever."

Nico jumped back, astounded. Cupid, as he always did when someone faced love, smiled sympathetically. "I won't. You have proved yourself, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano."

Reyna didn't look happy. "Are you pleased? Don't you see what you just made me do? At least let me get out of here."

"Don't underestimate love, daughter of Bellona. It may be useful more than once. And this just might be the start."

She looked down, starting to blush. "What do you mean this might—?"

But when she lifted her head, Cupid was gone.

Reyna tried to find him again. She went around the amphitheater, searching for Cupid. She had faced her feelings, alright. But she couldn't look at Nico di Angelo in the face.

"Reyna, he's gone, you won't see him again." Nico followed her, trying to stop her from making a hole in the ground, looking for the god. "We can leave now."

But she didn't listen. Every time he walked up to her, saying it was time to go, she ignored him. Until he took her hand.

"Believe me; you don't want to search for love." Her cheeks were bright red, and he noticed this. "You might find it."

"I…" Reyna felt a lump forming in her throat. "Nico, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… I didn't expect…"

"It's okay," he calmed her. "You don't need to explain."

"Right."

"We better go back to Coach Hedge and the statue."

She gulped. "Right."

"You aren't going to say 'right' forever, are you?"

She gazed down, where he was still holding her hand. "No. Sorry."

And they left the amphitheater, still holding hands.

Please review! :)