Hey everyone! As you might've guessed, I love the Leo/Reyna pairing. I've written a collection of one-shots that sort of tie together that have been prompted by a word. So yeah, this is just the first, based on the prompt 'notice'. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy and don't forget to review!
Disclaimer: The Heroes of Olympus series belongs to Rick Riordan.
notice
She's everything he ever wanted in a girl.
Reyna doesn't take any nonsense, has a great poker face and is breathtakingly beautiful. She probably has a crush on Jason judging from the looks she gives him over dinner (not that he was staring or anything) and she thinks he's an idiot.
Basically, she's beautiful and unattainable. That makes her perfect for Leo.
Jason's trying to figure out the confusing puzzle that is his relationship with Reyna, which leave Leo and Piper slightly uncomfortable. They don't belong here, they don't really know Jason like Reyna does, and she likes him a lot – that's apparent. But one day he stops heading towards the Praetor's villas on the end of the Via Principalis unless he's heading to bed himself. Leo notes that Reyna stops looking in Jason's direction at dinner, and he's quite sure they've come to some conclusion on what their relationship is now. Piper's still got the majority of Jason's affections.
And although it's selfish and cruel for him to be thinking this way, Leo can't help but think: Hey, at least I have a shot now!
Reyna still ignores him, much like Thalia did when they first met. (They're on civil terms now; his crush has faded because of his devotion to constructing the Argo II, although he does get glared at when he uses some corny pick-up lines for fun.) In fact, at this rate, Reyna's probably more likely to end up with Percy than she is with Leo, even though everyone knows Percy and Annabeth are pretty much the perfect couple. Aphrodite drills that into their heads.
He needs to impress her. He brings up the massive Greek warship he's built, but apparently to Miss Praetor of the Twelfth Legion, that's not impressive. ("Is there anything else someone would like to add to this discussion?" "I designed the Argo II when I was five years old. And then Hera made my plans fly away and I burned my hands into the wood of a park bench." "… Anyone?")
Either he's invisible, or he needs new material. After she ignores him the next day, he decides it's because he needs something else to impress the daughter of Bellona.
He tries everything – corny pick-up lines, jokes, random statements that make him seem particularly awesome, but Reyna ignores him as if he's merely a fly on the wall. She doesn't notice him at all, and it bugs him.
In his frustration, he finds himself overheating and causes a fair few people the shock of their lives as he walks around Camp Jupiter with his head on fire. Percy has to run by him and douse him in river water to stop him from exploding into flame.
Reyna stares at him, eyes wide. His power is extremely dangerous and it's obvious that even here, among the mighty Romans, it's a rare ability. She stares at him for a long time, before shaking her head. And all Leo can be happy about is that she's actually – finally – noticed him.