Drawing her fingers through her hair to loosen the braid she breathed a sigh of relief. It had taken her the best part of three hours to finish up all her paperwork but now she was finished and free to relax.
Catching her reflexion in the curved silver of Argentum she groaned. Her two greyhounds turned back to her questioning, their twin ruby eyes unblinking. With a slight flick of her wrist she dismissed the automaton's concerns.
The polished silver reflected her usually immaculate hair loose and unruly, deep purple bruises ringing her eyes from the lack of sleep and in place of her usual toga and violet cloak she was wearing Piper's loose grey sweats and her camp tee. The gold SPQR so faded she had to squint to make it out, the surrounding laurels completely chipped away.
She bit her lip at the thought of Piper, remembering the cool fury that had stolen the mirth from her usually bright eyes. The way she had bit out her words before turning away, her shoulders tight and fist clenched.
She had messed up really and this time. And like always she was far too stubborn, too set in her ways, to apologise. She had told Piper... Well she had said a lot of things all of which she regretted but the one that had hurt the worst, she had seen that written all across the Cherokee's features, was telling her she was a spoilt rich girl and she would never stand down from praetor, not when Rome needed her.
'.."and what about me? Don't I need you Rey" there was a desperation in Piper's features that made Reyna regret her words. "You know whatever! Fuck you Arellano, I'm done being second place to your pride, your ego, your fucking job" ... '
She regretted it. Ignoring the signs. Throwing herself into her work, the cleanup after the giant war was well... Giant. She was needed everywhere at once and she had pushed their relationship to the side, Piper to the side.
And now she was gone. And there was nothing she could do. Piper would never answer her calls or texts , she knew that from Pipers break up with Jason, three years on and those two were still barely speaking , and their breakup had been mutual.
Moaning she slumped down onto her desk ignoring the sharp pain as her forehead cracked against her desk. She could just make out Frank's worried face from her angle. Sitting up she turned to shoot her fellow praetor a reassuring smile.
She was glad they were alone, usually the praetorial offices were filled with legionaries filing complaints or reports, centurions arguing over who's turn it was to use the field of Mars.
Of course she had spoken too soon because before Frank could speak Leo and Annabeth, pipers best friends, rushed in and with Annabeth came Percy , who brought Hazel with him, they were probably at the stables, and Jason, who had somehow convinced tempest to stay at the stables.
With Jason came Thalia, bonding? Or maybe to beat her up for upsetting a maiden who might have joined the hunt? Thalia brought Bianca for back up and Nico trailed behind the pair looking thoroughly confused. At least she'd have someone on her side, she shot her surrogate brother a weak smile before surveying the remarkably huge group of demigods littering her, their - franks remember - she chastised herself, office.
Leo and Annabeth glared at her before starting into their ranting. Hazel frowned slightly but didn't say anything, she was too nice for any real prejudice, Percy waved shyly, Jason awkwardly and the two huntress just stared at her daring her to say a word, was that an immortal thing?
Nico padded around the group carefully and sat down on her desk pulling out his new gamer shooting her a smile before starting up the game.
Two hours , many lectures explanations and stray daggers later the whole story was out in the open. And of course they all had their own advice to give. Everyone yelling their suggestions over each other and arguing.
"Apologise"
"Are you use you two were right fo-OW!"
"Roses, "
"Chocolate"
"Grand romantic gesture!"
"Hot make out sessi- ow"
"One night stand"
"Find someone else"
"Um ? "
"Why don't you just go talk to her? Explain?" Nico offered.
The whole room turned towards the fourteen year old, "what? I mean like what's the worst that could happen?"
They all shared a look nodding in agreement smiling uneasily.
"No"
"Worst Idea"
"Could we film it?"
"Do we have that many healers?"
"Forget healers what about bandages?"
Another hour of arguing over the best way to deal with her failure of a relationship found her standing awkwardly in front of Calypso and Piper wearing her best I'm sorry face, outfit courtesy of piper's sibling's, carrying a box of chocolates, a bouquet of white roses, and a gang of completely idiotic demigods.
She could hear Percy and Jason arguing from behind the fountain. Annabeth sitting completely inconspicuously in the bench reading a book upside down, Leo peering out from behind the edge of the next building over. Their group seems to have grown, because she could see Will Solace hoisting a pale faced Nico on his shoulders , while he stumbled around so they could get he best view, clarrise
La rue and chris Rodriguez had a camera and were recordings. And as she stood their more curious demigods appeared.
Coughing awkwardly she held out the flowers and chocolates trying to remember the speech they had gone over .
"Ugh?" She bent down on one knee "Piper I... Love how you... Em And even... But ... Uh?" Calypso took the flowers and chocolates from her and shot her a comforting smile. That girl was too nice.
Piper just laughed. Loud and boisterous. She composed herself to look at Reyna before laughing again so hard she fell off her seat , or maybe she was just pretending to fal to humiliate Reyna, maybe this was her revenge...
Pulling the hair pins from her hair, she kicked off the stupid ballet flats and glared at Piper "go to Tartarus" turning she stormed off, none of this was worth it, she didn't know what she had been thinking, Piper was a selfish bitch and no amount of flowers or chocolates were going to make their relationship better, no kisses could make it bearable.
Storming passed a whooping Clarrisse , an opened mouthed Nico and an otherwise shocked group of idiots she disappeared to the stables to calm down.
Not a minute later she was standing leaning against Scipio's old stall sobbing. Hearing the door swing open she turned to yell at whoever it was to get lost when she spotted Piper standing awkwardly just inside the stables.
"I -uh- I " she stammered before taking a step towards Reyna, then another and another, until she was hugging he close lips pressing against the taller girls cheek, throat, lips. "I am so sorry. I love you. I suck." She babbled as she leant in close , pressing Reyna up against the low wall separating the stalls. "So so sorry"