Leo had known there was something about Reyna from the moment he had laid eyes on her, when he was standing there at the helm of the Argo II. Something about the way she held herself - like she was in charge, and she knew it. Something about the way she studied him with her intense eyes, like she was searching through his mind and flushing out every word he thought.

She was just so... Reyna.

In a good way.

However, after that first time when they had docked at Camp Jupiter, she had never looked at Leo. He was fairly sure she had no idea he existed, even though he was constantly present, always trying to catch her eye. But she never looked his way.

Somehow, this made him even more determined to get her to notice him.

Leo was wandering aimlessly around Camp Jupiter, bored out of his mind. Percy and Annabeth were no doubt having another one of their sickly-sweet-sappy moments (in other words, they were probably making out in a corner), and he didn't really know anybody else.

Well, except Piper and Jason, and they were probably having another heated discussion about Reyna. ("She looked at you funny earlier!" "She did not, Piper!" Et cetera, et cetera.)

So, Leo was alone, bored, and walking near the Pegasi stables.
And then he spotted her. Reyna was stroking the mane of her pegasus Scipio. She looked different than she usually did - more relaxed, almost like she had taken off a mask that made her seem so cold.

Leo wondered if it would be creeper-ish of him to just stand there, watching her, and not go over and say hi.

She saved him from making the decision.

He shifted his weight to one foot, and a branch snapped under his sneaker.

Quick as a flash, Reyna spun around to face him, drawing a dagger that had been concealed in a scabbard at her waist. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned all around her, finally coming to rest on Leo.

In the back of his mind, part of him was delighted (she was finally looking at him!).

And then the other part of his mind was thinking: "Oh, shit, she has a dagger and she looks pissed..."

He laughed nervously, and put his hands up. "Seriously, dude, you keep a hidden dagger?"

She rolled her eyes and sheathed it, much to his relief. "What are you doing watching me?"

'I knew it was creeper-ish,' he thought, kicking himself. Outloud, though, he said: "Um... Watching you?"

"Smart ass," she muttered. But to his surprise, the mask wasn't back, like he had expected it to be. She wasn't glaring at him, and she didn't look like she was planning his funeral.

He took this as good news.

"Uh... So, h-how's yo-your horse?" He asked, too quickly, and stammering. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Scipio is not a horse. He's a pegasus. In case you hadn't noticed the wings," she added, pointing to the wings protruding from his back. He laughed.

This was strange. He was having a conversation with Reyna. And she was looking at him. And she wasn't threatening him. And he hadn't embarrassed himself (too much).

It was a miracle.

That night, while Leo was laying in bed, his mind went to Reyna. He wondered if he was just imagining it earlier, or if she really had seemed less tense than usual.

Well, whatever had been happening, one thing was for sure: she had looked at him.

He felt a small smile creep across his face.

Leo took a deep breath and fiddled with the bouquet of flowers in his arms. Valentine's day. Why, oh, why had he let, that girl from the Aphrodite cabin (no, not Piper) convince him to give Reyna flowers?
Well, sure, it was two months after that day at the pegasus stables, and sure Leo had been trying to get up the guts to tell her how he felt, but he had never actually planned to tell her. It was more like imagining what he would do if he were braver.

"Come on, Leo," he muttered to himself, "If you can face a giant, you can face a girl."

At least, he thought that until he saw her coming towards him, where he was standing near the front door of his house. He panicked. He dropped the flowers on the doorstep and then ran behind a tree, hiding and praying she wouldn't notice him.

She stopped and leaned down, to pick up the flowers. She raised an eyebrow. He winced and shifted, trying to get better hidden.

Reyna sighed. "Leo, get out here."

Sheepishly, he came out of his hiding place. "Hi."

"Did you leave these here?" She asked, gesturing to the flowers. He nodded. "Leo..."

"Because it's Valentine's day," he added quickly. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, and didn't speak for what felt like a lifetime. Finally:

"Leo... No. No, I'm sorry."

He felt his heart drop. "No," he repeated quietly. "Oh. O-okay." He turned and began to walk away.

"Leo," she called.

"What?" He paused, but didn't turn back around.

"Just... Give me some time," she said quietly, so it was barely audible to him.

With his back turned, she couldn't see the giant grin that spread across his face. "Okay, Reyna."

A month later found Leo and Reyna sitting together on a bench, not talking but just sitting in comfortable silence.

After a while, Reyna said: "Well, I think I've made up my mind."

"Hmm? About what?" Leo said, snapping out of a reverie.

"About you," she replied cautiously. He turned his head quickly to look at her.

"And?" He asked nervously.

She half-smiled. A good sign. "And... I think that– Leo, why is your hair on fire?"

"... Oh crap."

But hey: at least she was looking at him.