Hello, friends! I know, I know. You hate me for all of eternity. (Personally, I think it's just my best friend, Identity Crisis.)
Just a semi-short Leyna story. That's right, Leyna. Have fun, all you ravenous Leyna fans!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything. (Other than my house. Oh wait, never mind. My parents own the house.) All of the characters are from the great and beautiful mind of Rick Riordan.
Leo
Leo decided to avoid Reyna's gaze. It was painfully difficult. He kept finding himself looking at her beautiful details. Her dark eyes, blending in almost completely with the irises. One random curl of hair, always separated from the others.
They were seated awkwardly across from each other, awaiting Percy, Jason, Frank, Hazel, Piper, and Annabeth to come back from the bathroom. Leo was wondering how they had all just happened to disappear all at once. The next think he knew, he was looking at Reyna from across the table.
Leo cleared his throat and tapped the floor with the soles of his shoes. His shirt felt itchy and his tie was too long and it felt tight around his neck.
He constantly glanced at the bathroom doors, waiting impatiently for his friends to come out. They had been gone for more than ten minutes. Finally, he spoke up.
"I'm gonna go check on the guys. From the looks of it, they're trying to dismantle a bomb. Or build one. My specialty."
With a nervous smile, Leo stood and hurried to the bathroom. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. The three guys were standing at the sinks casually. Frank had loosened his tie and undone the top button of his shirt.
"Leo," squeaked Percy when he saw the demigod standing in the doorway.
The three guys turned and looked at Leo for a minute. Then they looked away in shame.
"What in hades is the matter with you guys? You just left me there with Reyna. Alone! Do you realize how awkward that felt?"
"Awkward? This is not happening the way we planned it."
Frank turned to the other guys and they seemed to come to an agreement. Of course, Leo was forced to sit down at the table again. He stared at the empty chairs around him then realized Reyna was gone. Just as he was wondering where she was, he heard the bathroom door swing open.
"What—no! You can't just—"
Leo turned his attention to Reyna who sighed and straightened her dress. She walked toward him with her short-heeled shoes clicking against the floor. Leo stood and straightened his tie. He walked over to Reyna's chair and pulled it out so that she could sit in it. (Jason, Percy, and Frank just went over "how to treat a lady like she was the queen of the world" for him. )
After Reyna was situated, Leo decided to sit closer to Reyna rather than having to speak to her from across the table. He sat in the chair next to her and interlaced his fingers and set them on the table.
Leo noticed the girls had emerged from the bathroom and were now approaching the front desk like three hungry lionesses hunting for a baby gazelle. They spoke quietly to the man and Piper turned to look at Leo. She smiled and gave him a big thumbs up, like, "we're doing something terrible to you. Try not to ruin it. Enjoy!"
Soon after the lionesses left, the baby gazelle announced there was going to be a couple's dance.
"Those vile bitches," muttered Leo under his breath.
"This one's for a special couple. Come on, Leo and Reyna!"
"I'm going to kill them."
Leo was surprised to hear Reyna threaten her friends. She never threatened anyone unless she was really, **really** angry. Leo predicted a cat-fight in a few hours. And a fifty percent chance of mauling.
Smiling at his own joke, Leo stood and held out his hand to Reyna. When she looked up at him skeptically, Leo smiled at her as casually as he could.
"Better give them what they want. The crowd is hungry for romance."
"Not too much, I hope."
Reyna took Leo's hand rather hesitantly and stood with him. To break the awkwardness, Leo tried to smile at her. She smiled back. Sorta.
Ooo-kaay. This is going to be a total disaster.
"Do you know how to dance?"
"Unfortunately, yes. Why, do you?" Leo tried to joke with Reyna. Wasn't working.
"I suppose so."
Leo took Reyna's hand and thought its temperature was weird. Cold on the fingers but rather warm on the palm. Strange.
Reyna awkwardly held Leo's hand and shoulder until Leo laughed at her position.
"What?"
"You're doing it all wrong."
"What do you mean?"
Leo chuckled and pulled Reyna close to him. She would've jumped away if it wasn't for Leo's strong arms. Leo felt butterflies in his stomach. Since when did he like Reyna so much?
"What are you doing?" Reyna was no longer trying to get away and was actually going along with what Leo was doing. She had her face close to his, which made him feel special inside.
"We're supposed to be a couple, remember? And this is how you slow-dance."
Reyna stayed quiet for a while and put her head on Leo's shoulder. Leo really couldn't resist the urge to smell Reyna's hair. She smelled like a mixture of lavender and honey.
Why do I want to kiss her so badly? Leo was having trouble not turning his head to kiss Reyna. He couldn't resist any longer.
"Reyna," he whispered softly into her ear.
The second she turned, Leo went in for the kill. He could feel Reyna resisting for a moment, then kissing him back. Leo hoped he wasn't smiling at the same time as they were kissing. In fact, he was too excited to tell. Or to even care. When he pulled away (and he was the one that pulled away), he saw Reyna's eyes were closed.
Score, he thought.
"That was part of the act of being a couple, I presume?" She was sort of breathless.
"Of course. Everything I do is part of a plan."
Reyna nodded on Leo's shoulder. He hoped Reyna was smiling as much as he was. When the song ended, they walked hand in hand back to their not-as-awkward-as-before-because-they-kissed table. The waitress came by and dropped the bill next to Leo.
"Thank you," he said, but she was already gone.
Leo looked at Reyna first then down at the check. Two hundred and thirty five dollars. And with a tip, two seventy. He took out his debit card and laid it inside the little card.
After paying the bill, Leo and Reyna walked out of the restaurant. Only when he saw the Valet guy at his stand did he wonder how they were going to get home.
"Shit," he muttered under his breath.
"Name?" The Valet Parker seemed extremely tired and unamused.
"Um, Leo Valdez?"
Leo tried not to look nervous but after saying his name as if it were a question, he didn't have much willpower left. The Valet Parker looked down his list and without looking up, gave Leo a slip of paper. On it was small, neat print. Jason's handwriting.
I guess I trust you enough with my car. Don't scratch it. Leo must've read the paper fifteen times, surprised. After a little while, he stuffed the the paper into his pocket and looked at Reyna. He offered his arm to her and she took it after a lot of looking up and down from Leo's face to his arm.
"You have a way of getting home, I hope?"
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes."
"Then yes, I do."
Leo and Reyna watched the silver Porsche drive up to them. Reyna looked completely surprised when Leo walked over to the passenger door with her still holding his arm. Leo opened the door and let Reyna sit. She smiled up at him, a real smile. Leo smiled back, broader than ever before.
Once Leo closed the door, he walked around the back of the car. Leo walked up to the Valet Parker and gave him a tip. Ten dollars. Just as he was about to go to the car, Leo turned and asked the Valet guy a question.
"What do you think?"
"Go for it, man. I would, with a fine woman like that."
The Valet Parker went back to his stand and looked at the car. Leo turned and walked to the car.
"Sure."
(Reyna's POV)
When I woke up, I stretched, got out of bed, took a shower, and finally, thought of Leo. I kept thinking back to the part of the night when we kissed before I went into the camp entrance. I practically skipped through the tunnel.
I was sighing all morning and Octavian noticed. Frank and Hazel were there and noticed me staring into nothingness. Everyone was wondering what was wrong with Reyna. Finally, Hazel asked how dinner went. I decided to tell her later, when we were alone. If we could be alone.
All I wanted to do was to see Leo. I spent my day just sitting in my chair and looking at the horizon. At sunset, I couldn't help think of Leo. It was red and orange, like fire. I thought it was absolutely beautiful. I thought of Leo's eyes, how they were a beautiful brown, his hair the same color. He looked so handsome last night, I thought.
"Reyna!"
I turned toward the person calling my name. Leo. He was running toward me and slowed once he was about ten meters away. I got up and walked toward Leo. I unconsciously yelled his name and ran.
We collided and my feet left the ground completely. Leo turned and fell on the soft, grassy ground. I didn't even realize I was kissing him until I felt I was holding my breath. He was kissing me back. I pulled away and looked into Leo's eyes. They had crinkles at the edges from smiling. I was smiling too.
"I take it you enjoyed last night?"
"All too much. I thought you left."
Leo shook his head and kissed me again. I held his neck and ran my hands through his hair.
"How could I," said Leo, "when I had a beautiful woman here in Los Angeles?"
"I thought you would leave."
Leo got up and held out his hand for me. I took it and pulled myself up. We stood there in the darkening evening, just staring into each other's eyes. Then, suddenly, Octavian appeared next to us.
"Hello, Leo," he said distastefully.
"Bear killer."
"I don't kill bears! They're sacrifices!"
"Okay, fine. Teddy Bear killer."
"Leo," I chided.
Neither of us had looked at Octavian. We were still looking at each other. Leo took me by the shoulder and kissed my cheek. I felt my face getting hot.
"Come on," I said. "Let's go meet the rest of the camp for dinner."
"Oh dear."
"What's the matter?"
"Will I have to sit next to you at the praetor's table?"
"Why? Don't you want to?"
"Well, of course. It's just—"
"The camp?"
"Yeah. I don't exactly want any ghost people calling me Graceus."
We were already walking toward the mess hall. I was getting nervous, hoping I didn't have to re-introduce Leo to the Romans. What was I going to say?
"Romans! May I introduce you the guy who almost burned down the whole camp, we all know him, I love him, Leo Valdez!"
I shook my head at the thought and looked up at Leo. Still smiling. He was smiling all the time. That was what I loved about him. He might be thrown into the open street and run over a hundred cars but he would still be smiling.
"What are you thinking about?"
"You," Leo said rather dreamily.
I blushed and looked down. I glanced at the via Praetora. I looked back up and saw some campers walking into the mess hall. I hadn't ever allowed myself to look vulnerable in front of camp Jupiter. I wasn't going to start now.
"Um, Leo?"
"Yes, my queen?"
"Um … " I really didn't know how to break it to Leo that I couldn't actually be seen with him.
Leo sighed, getting what I meant to say. "I'll sit in the corner until you make your speech."
"It's not a speech."
"Same difference."
"Oxymoron," I responded automatically.
Leo smirked and responded with, "that's exactly what I like about you. Always the pessimist."
I playfully pushed Leo. "Shut up!"
"Well, I'll see you later, Reyna." Leo leaned in and kissed my lips softly.
I felt a warm and nervous feeling inside my chest. For a moment, I couldn't feel the cold winter breeze that passed by us. I was vaguely aware of the goosebumps dotting my skin with all of my little hairs standing up. I didn't even notice that my arms had moved to Leo's neck. All I knew was that I felt happy.
"Reyna," bothered Octavian, "it's time to go to dinner."
"Shut up, teddy bear killer," mumbled Leo between his lips and mine.
I laughed and pulled away. I looked into Leo's eyes and saw something different in them. Not exactly a spark, but a bright light. I saw it every time he looked at me and also when he kissed me.
"Well, I've got to go talk to the camp."
"Talk away, your highness."
I slipped out of Leo's hands and walked into the mess hall. I felt happy but wasn't smiling. Standing in front of the camp, I told them the summary of the day. What I said every day at dinner.
Once everyone started eating, I turned toward the door and saw Leo standing there. I motioned to him that it was okay to come in. He smiled and crept inside, crouching behind chairs to get to the praetor table.
I sat down and pulled up a chair next to me for Leo to sit in. He took my hand as soon as he sat down. I felt his warm hand touching my cold hand. I had never felt so happy that I remembered. I looked at Leo and saw he was smiling at me. Still smiling.
"Leo?"
He turned to look at Hazel who was sitting next to me. He smiled at her and said hello to Frank as well.
"You stayed?"
"Yup. I couldn't leave. Plus the plane was too full."
"The plane?"
"Well, I was going to fly with Jason and Piper, but, like I said; the plane was too full."
"And I take it Percy and Annabeth are driving?" Frank asked.
"You got it."
Leo looked back at me and smiled broadly. I couldn't help thinking about our kiss the night before. Although we had just kissed, I thought the other one was much nicer. I did think our most recent kiss was wonderful, but I had kissed him before.
I looked up, confused. "What did you say?"
"Um, … "
He has? I thought. Leo said he had loved me since he saw me at Camp Half-Blood. I could feel my face get hot and Leo just stuttered nervously.
"Uh, I, um—"
"Stop. Are you serious?"
Leo shrugged. "I kid sometimes, but not now."
I kept blinking and pushed away the smile that wanted to form on my face. Oh, forget it, I thought. I let my smile show and couldn't help kissing Leo on he cheek. He smiled and sighed in relief. He gave my hand a quick squeeze. I had a thought that was constantly repeated in my mind from that day forth.
I love you.
I hope it wasn't too confusing since I changed the story from third person to first. What do you think? Please review! And post me some new ideas please! In any case, send me a PM. (I hate to admit it, but I need help with coming up with new stories.)