Hey guys! :D
This is just a test of sorts, an attempt at romance. I'm actually not sure what to do with it but Cockapoo said I should go for it :)
I simply found it kind of interesting the sort of detail Riordan went into about that jar of jellybeans on Reyna's desk. He seemed to make it look so much more important than all the other things in the room. It got me thinking and I decided to write a story about it :) Yaaaay! xD
(Don't worry, I WILL be continuing Simple Nightmares. However, I will be doing both at once :))
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: No, I don't own PJO. If I did, I'd be rich, now wouldn't I?
(NOTE: Yes, I know Reyna is EXTREMELY OOC in this. HOWEVER, I did that on PURPOSE. Did you all really think she was ALWAYS so no-nonsense? Seriously, we were all kids at once and so was she! Just because she's a Roman doesn't mean she lived her whole entire life following their principals. HOWEVER, I WILL be making her more in character as the chapters go by.)
The soft breeze ran through her hair as she pulled at the soft, pink flowers in the trees. A sweet tune escaped her lips, note after note of pure melody finding its way into the air around us. Her hands pulled at yet another petal, sending it fluttering to the ground at her feet like a bird without wings. She was beautiful.
And so was the day around them. Not a cloud had dared form in the sky nor had a single droplet fallen from the trees were the colour of peacock feathers, a deep green shade, causing contrast to the soft, almost white, pink flowers that sat on their branches. The water glinted with the sun's light. There wasn't a shadow to be found in the almost pastel world around them.
Jason sat in a tree, watching her, wishing he could be with her in this small garden oasis that sat at the edge of camp. Yet if she knew he had followed her, she would have no problem pointing her spatha right at his neck. And by far, she was the better fighter.
Yet for some reason, he seemed to enjoy the idea, the simple fantasy that one day he would be relieved of his duty and allowed to simply sweep her off her feet. Yet what would he have done? Ten year olds don't usually go on dates. But they also don't fall head over heels in love with people either. It was... unnatural.
Careful not to make a sound, Jason slipped out of the tree and made his way towards his bunker.
He loved New Rome. He loved the smell of the fresh baker's bread that always wafted through the air. He loved the old, worn cobblestone streets and watching the kindergarteners playing soccer in their togas. Some called it old fashioned, yet he called it wondrous. The idea that life like this had continued even when the outside world had evolved gave him hope. Hope that something's never changed.
His greatest fear was that one day, Reyna would become like every other member of camp; angry, bitter, hostile and completely no nonsense. He feared that one day she would become like him. That one day she would put duty before happiness. He feared she would one day find it more important to fight than to enjoy life itself.
You aren't thinking like a Roman, he thought to himself, you aren't thinking straight.
He arrived at his bunker and flopped down on the bed, taking in what little warmth still radiated off the covers. At first, he twisted and turned, attempting to find a way to nap despite the awful gash in his back. Yet eventually, he simply gave up, retreating to the desk in the far left corner of the room.
He pulled out a large package of papers, notes from the last praetors' meeting, and read through a few pages. It was all gibberish in his mind; cabins that needed to be repaired or repainted, a collapsed portion of the aqueducts that needed to be fixed, a warning that Camp Jupiter was not responsible for any missing, stolen or burned stuffed animals if the issue at hand involved Octavian. Some things were so trivial, as if things were just brought up to fill up time. They never spoke of anything of importance at these meetings anyways.
Dropping the pages onto the desk, Jason leaned back, simply relaxing this time. He stretched slightly, arms pulling above his head until they hit the wall. No. Not the wall.
He rubbed the small object with his thumb, trying to identify it without having to leave his comfortable position. It had a smooth finish, sleek. Yet the back had a papery feel to it as if the smoothness was only on one side. Taking more of the foreign object into his hands, he identifies the shape. Square. Like... a photograph.
Jason frowned slightly. A photograph? What of?
Fumbling slightly with the tack that held it to the wall, Jason managed to pull the photograph down.
The photograph wasn't taken that long ago, maybe two, three months back. It was taken at Reyna's arrival and it was one of the precious few photographs he had of her.
Looking at the photograph he remembered the occurrences of that day. He had awoken to screaming, the loud, piercing kind, at nearly three in the morning. Still, he pulled himself out of bed and ran towards its source. There she laid, a hellhound sitting on her chest, its paw raking slowly through her skin, leaving a deep gash down her chest.
At first, Jason simply stood there, paralyzed with fear, unsure of what to do. Another scream, however, changed that. Suddenly he was slashing at the beast, the force of each blow almost knocking him over. Eventually, he managed to pierce its heart and the animal exploded in a shower of yellow goo that rained down on the pair of demigods.
Jason scooped the girl up in his arms, running back towards the infirmary. She was light, making his little jog quite a bit easier. Still, upon arrival, his knees gave out, causing him to collapse with the girl still in his arms.
All he remembered after that was the sweet scent of cherry blossoms and a few fuzzy voices.
