All characters below belong to Rick Riordan.
Reyna's POV
'Aw, c'mon Queenie. It's cold outside and I don't feel like walking all the way back to my cabin. Let me stay please,' Leo begged.
I gave him a stern look. 'No. Besides, you wouldn't have a bed to sleep in if you stayed here.
It had been three months since we – Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood – had defeated Gaia.
After the war, both of the camps had decided would be better to form one big camp, since a lot of Roman and Greek demigods had become friends.
Leo and I had been dating for like, one and a half month now? And even though the thought of actually trusting and being attached to someone scared me, I really liked him.
The campers were sorted by their godly parent into cabins, just like the old Camp Half-Blood, but some of the cabins weren't finished yet. Including mine, the cabin for the Roman goddess of war, Bellona. So, until then, I still lived in my old praetor home.
'Well,' Leo said with a suggestive smirk. 'I can always sleep in your bed.'
I rolled my eyes.
Sigh. I guess I should've seen that one coming.
'No! And by the way, you really need to stop calling me Quee-' my sentence was cut short by a huge thunderclap. Short after, it started to pour.
Leo pouted.
'You still want me to walk back to my cabin? All alone? In the pouring rain?'
He effectively played the guilt card.
I sighed, finally giving in.
'Alright, you can stay. But on one condition.' I smirked. 'You're sleeping on the floor.'
Leo's POV
I tossed and turned, but I just couldn't fall asleep.
Maybe it was the fact that my pretty girlfriend – dang, I still couldn't believe she liked me back – was asleep in the bed next to me and she didn't allow me to kiss or even touch her. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the fact that I was sleeping on the floor, and even though I was lying atop of four blankets, it wasn't exactly comfortable.
Next to me, Reyna sniffed and shifted in her sleep, mumbling something I couldn't quite understand. I stared at the ceiling, counting sheep.
1… 2… Reyna shifted again. 3… 4…
She bolted upright, stammering. 'N-no, no no no please…'
I jumped, not expecting it.
'Hey, are you okay?'I whispered, not knowing what to do.
'Yeah, just a bad dream, go back to sleep. I'm fine,' she replied, but her voice trembled.
I got up and sat next to her. 'No, you're not. What was it ab- wait, are you crying?'
Shit. Reyna never cried, she was supposed to be strong and intimidating. She never showed any signs of weakness.
She frantically shook her head, wiping her tears away.
'No, of course not,' she answered, but her voice sounded small.
I'd never seen her this vulnerable.
I awkwardly patted her arm.
Dang, I thought. Why do I have to be so bad at these things?
I hugged her, still not knowing what to say.
She said something, but her words were muffled by my shoulder.
I drew back, still gripping onto her shoulders with both hands.
'What were you saying?' I asked, examining her face. She looked anxious, sad, and most of all, tired.
'It's just…' She started. 'I don't know. Ever since the war ended I've been having terrible nightmares.' I nodded, wanting her to keep talking. 'I see everyone dying, all over again. Innocent children died, and I couldn't save them…'Her voice faltered and she bit on her lip. Her big, dark brown eyes, now shiny with unshed tears, looked straight into mine, unsure of what I was going to say or do.
I hugged her again.
'I- uhm…' I searched for the right words.
'You know what?' I said, patting the empty space on the bed next to me. 'Just go to sleep alright? I'll keep the bad dreams away.'
The corners of her lips curled up. 'And how are you going to do that?' Reyna asked sceptically.
I grinned and flexed my biceps. 'I have my ways,' I replied smoothly.
She smiled a full smile this time and crawled under the covers.
'Can I, uhm…' I started. 'Can I hold you?' I scratched the back of my neck, almost sure she was going to make me sleep on the floor again.
She stiffened and then nodded.
Reyna's POV
I'd cried in front of my boyfriend. I cursed at myself. I broke down because of a stupid dream. I'm Reyna, praetor, a leader. Leaders don't cry.
Leo hugged me again.
'I- uhm,' he said, obviously not knowing what to say.
'You know what?' He said and patted my bed. 'Just go to sleep alright? I'll keep he bad dreams away.'
Despite the embarrassment of crying in front of him, I could feel my lips form a little smile. 'And how are you going to do that?'
He gave me his famous lopsided grin and flexed his biceps. 'I have my ways,' he answered.
I smiled again and crawled under the covers.
He scratched the back of his neck. 'Can I, uhm…' He looked away. 'Can I hold you?' He finally asked.
I stiffened, alarm bells going off in my head.
Too close, too close , too close.
But I could feel myself nod, as if my head had its own will. He smiled before wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer. 'Go to sleep, mi amor,' he whispered, tracing patterns on my arm. 'I'll be there when you wake up.'
I sighed and snuggled further into his chest.
A warm, unfamiliar feeling began to spread from my chest to the rest of my body.
And although I didn't want to admit it, it was the first time I felt safe in months.
Hi, thanks for reading!
I'm kind of a fanfic virgin so reviews etc are much appreciated.
Once again, thanks :)
