Best Friends

By Envied kamikaze

This is a Jayna friendship one-shot with a bit of Piper/Leo friendship. I ship pretty much every Reyna ship because she is; 1. My favorite character of all and 2. She is, as the Roman praetor, my leader (daughter of Minerva here)

Reynico, Jayna, Reypollo, Reynus, Reyleo, Reytavion, Reynabeth, Reyiper, and many more I can't even recall at the moment, if you have any ideas for any of these let me know. I am on a campaign to add more Reyna fans to the Rick Riordan world!

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Breathing heavily, Jason placed his last box by the door. Assorted cardboards rose above his head, filled with his personal belongings. They would decorate the large empty temple of Zeus back in Camp Half-blood. He was cleaning out the praetor house for Frank to move in.

Piper and Leo were in his living room-The two of them were at Camp Jupiter to 'help' Jason to pack up to move to the Greek camp. At the moment they arguing about which movie to watch, their voices comically rising over the TV.

"Jason! Tell Piper that Horror movies is NOT stupid!" Leo wailed. A thump and a "Hey!" rang from the living room. Jason grinned and rolled his eyes. Absentmindedly, he walked to the kitchen and slashed water from the sink onto his face. As he dried his face with a towel he looked up through the window, pass the courtyard between their two houses, into her kitchen and through the door to her living room. Identical to his house, the TV flickered across the walls; same as his. It was nearly 12 A.M. What was she doing up?

"Jason! Are you coming?" Piper called, covering the opening credits blaring loudly in the background.

"I'll be there in a second. I've got some more things to do first." Jason called, making his choice. Quickly, before he lost his nerve he opened his back door and marched across the courtyard passed the ancient, broken fountain and small herb garden. He knocked, trying to convince himself that this had been a good idea.

Just as Jason began to turn away the door opened, florescent light spilling over the red brick walkway.

Reyna stood in the doorway holding a mug of hot chocolate. Her long, dark braid poked out of a huge gray blanket that dragged the ground and covering all but her head. Yet her back was perfectly straight with her head held high, and even in undignified clothing, she radiated an aura of command.

"Yes?" She queried, unsmiling.

"I- Can I come in?" Jason asked, wondering what he was going to say.

Quirking an eyebrow, Reyna turned silently from the door, leaving it open.

Jason followed her toward the living room, staring as they passed through the hallway and kitchen. Everything seemed to hold a memory.

The hallway to the back door was where he had found her after one of the worst War games the camp had ever seen. Reyna, having hidden her wound because she didn't want to deal with the flirting medics, came back to her house with a bloody blow to the head, which ended up being a concussion, and a slash down her back. Jason had found her slumped on the floor leaning against the wall.

In the kitchen was the stove and counter where they had cooked and baked countless times together.

At the desk in the corner he had found her several times still deep in paperwork at various times late at night and early in the morning.

And then there was the living room. There was a lot of firsts in that room.

Their first meeting.

First fight.

First apologizing.

Their first movie, first board game, first nap.

And their first, and only, kiss-

"Did you want some hot chocolate, or something?"

Jason shook his head, part answering her question and part bring himself back to the present. She stiffly sat on the arm of the brown leather couch.

"What did you want then?" She said, firmly setting her mug on the end table.

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Piper was annoyed. Not only did the movie turn out to be completely ridiculous, but Leo was actually really getting into it and she didn't even have Jason to make fun of it with her.

A few scenes back a woman had been chasing a dog, trying to talk to it. Leo had said that the dog was her 'true love' or whatever.

The screen kept going back and forth from two people fighting hand-to-hand, which was alright, and to this this random couple (the woman and the man no-longer-dog) making out intensely.

Piper sighed and look down at her empty popcorn bowl.

"Hey, Leo?"

"Shhhhhh!" Leo flopped a arm at her. "It's just getting good!"

Piper raised her eyebrows incredulity and looked back to the screen. The two people who had been fighting were now sucking face even more intently then the dog couple.

Now it was getting just a bit uncomfortable.

After a bit more of this Piper began to really wonder where Jason was. She sat up and look around the room. It was large, with dark wood floors and the brown leather couches Leo and Piper half-lay atop.

She turned around and peered into the kitchen. No Jason.

"Hey, Leo?... Leo?"

"...Yeah, yeah, hold on a sec."

She rolled her eyes. Leo was literally on the edge of his seat, he was so incensed by the film. So she reached for the remote. Not finding it, she leaped up and when to the cord of the TV. Grabbing it, she yanked it from the wall.

He stared, mouth gaping, at the black screen.

"Why-? What did you did?" He squeaked.

"What? I paused it." Piper said.

"...No- no you didn't. You unplugged it!"

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"I was..Uh..What's up?" Jason fould himself asking lamely. Reyna simply raised an eyebrow, incredulous.

"Yeah..." Jason mumbled awkwardly. "So, how's Praetor Zhong holding up?"

"Frank is doing well." Reyna said stiffly. Then softer, "He has really stepped up to the job." She moved down onto the seat of the couch, tucking her legs under her and drawing her blanket closer.

"I remember how grueling it was." He said without thinking. Reyna's eyes shot up to his. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "I came to say that I'm sorry- that I left you here- and I wanted to say thank you for doing both our jobs while I couldn't."

There was a pause.

"Thank you." She said quietly and Jason look up from the floor.

"I know that this doesn't make up for it but-"

"No, it doesn't, but Jason, that doesn't matter anymore. The war is over and done with. Gaea is defeated and life can go back to normal- as normal as life as a demigod can be. And sure there will be changes, but most of them are for the better."

Jason broke out in a grin- grateful to be past that- and sank down next to her on the couch.

"You know that your my best friend, right?"

"Do I? That camp-bomber has been looking pretty chummy lately." Reyna replied, teasingly.

"Leo is my other best friend." Jason half-laughed.

"You can't have two."

"Why not?"

"Because one will always be more important."

"Did Hylla tell you that? Or Nico?"

"Does it matter who told me it?"

"You know what? Fine. You can be my first best friend."

"...Well, alright then, just as long as he knows that."

"Reyna!"

"What? I have to enact some kind of revenge for blowing up my camp."

"That was weeks ago. And he was possessed!"

"Why did he even have ballistas on the thing anyway? It was supposed to bring peace to the two camps. Honestly, not very good planing on his part."

"Maybe you should just take it up with Leo, Reyna. I can't answer for him."

"Hffm." She narrowed her eyes and brought the blanket up to her nose, glaring toward the door that led it Jason's former house.

Jason laughed, "Drink your cocoa, Queenie, it's getting cold."

Reyna smirked at the old nickname and brought the mug up to her mouth. Sure thing, Mr. Saving Grace."

"Lupa called me that one time!"

"Eh, what can I say? It works."

"Ugghhh!"

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"Ugghhh! How long is this thing?"

"Shush, let me think."

"...Uggghhhh!"

"Leo! Stop whining. Its monopoly. It's meant it be long."

"Then why are we playing it?"

"Um, maybe because the movie you picked was stupid?"

"That was a classic!"

"Oh please, I didn't recognize a single person in that film."

"You don't like any movie that doesn't have anyone you know!"

That's not true, I liked that movie I saw with Jason. Remember?"

"Um, I wasn't there. And you probably didn't even watch the movie."

"Yeah, that make-out scene was pretty fantastic." Piper, playing it up, rested her chin in her palms and gazed off into the distance.

"Stop! I don't want to hear about my two best friends swapping slobbers!"

"Ew, Leo! Why do you have to call it that?"

"What's happening now?" They heard Jason's voice coming from the kitchen and Leo jumped up.

"Jason! You got here just in time. Now we can end this horrible game and I can show you this great movie I found." Leo pulled his newly returned savior into the living room and an back to the kitchen yelling, "I'll get the snacks, Dude! Start the CD in the player!"

As Leo rustled around in the boxes filled with food, Piper went and leaned over the back of the couch where Jason sat.

"Just a warning, the movie is terrible." She said.

"Lies! Don't listen to her, Jason! She does not speak the truth!" Leo called from elbow deep in a cardboard box of chips. Though most of it had expired months before, given Jason's unexpected trip, Leo had been steadily eating away at the collection since they had arrived.

"Busy night?" Jason asked as Piper fell over backwards next to him on the couch.

"Of course." She said as she rolled her eyes, "I think all these Romans make Leo nervous. All the rules and such. Like he's scared that ones going to come and make him drop'n give them 20 or something.

Jason laughed, "Or he's just anxious to get back to Calypso before some Greek snatches her up."

"Yeah, that probably it." Piper said distracted.

Jason sighed, sensing her uncertainty on raising the subject. "I was at Reyna's. I wanted to settle things between us. Clear the air." He looked at Piper, who was smiling at him. "What?"

"I'm just glad I have a wonderful boyfriend."

Jason laughed, "How did you get that from what I just said?"

"Pretty easily, I thought. Reyna's not a bad person and I'm glad you made peace with her. I saw how you would look at her when we first came to Camp Jupiter. It was like you had lost your best friend and I don't want to be that girlfriend who keeps you away from your friends. I know how much she means to you and I won't be the one to take that away from you."

Jason simply looked at her, blank-faced, until he said, "How did I get such a wonderful girlfriend?"

Suddenly Leo appeared from behind the couch clutching a mountain of snacks. "Ok! First of all, gross. Secondly, I didn't know Reyna lived right over there! Why didn't you tell me this, Jason? She can come over and watch this epic masterpiece of film with us! I assume you, Piper, will not be watching it a second time?"

"Good guess." Piper said blandly, "And trust me on this, Leo. Reyna is going to end up hanging out with me after she sees a single scene of that thing."

And with Leo defending his movie and Piper digging through the snacks Leo had brought, Jason headed once more to Reyna's house to bring together all of his best friends.

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(What should have happened.)

And there it is, my first attempt at PJO/HOO fan fiction.

Liked it or not? Either one don't forget to favorite and review!

Signed,

The Envied Kamikaze