Disclaimer: SwanDestiny doesn't own the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series.

"Reyna!"

Nico stumbled to the cabin Reyna resided in, bringing his hands to pound on the door.

She ignored him. She refused him. She barely aknowledged him. She didn't even give him a smile. She turned back to the cold, distant girl she once was, shutting everything out, including him.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Reyna was inside. Nico knew it, yet Reyna wouldn't open the door for him. Nico, the person who used to understand her, having similar past experiences. Nico, the person who used know exactly what Reyna was going through. Nico, the person who used to be able to reach past the deamonor of the praetor of New Rome that nobody else in the world has been able to see. Nico, the person that Reyna used to see as a little brother, who used shared a bond with him that was so special and unique. Nico, the person that was Reyna's best friend, and the boy that fell hopelessly in love with her.

Used to, Nico thought unhappily, used to. It's pointless now. I just "used to" mean so much to her. Now I'm nothing.

Nico slammed his knuckles into the door once more before slumping down onto the doorstep, feeling disappointment and misery seep into his senses. Why? Why would the gods and goddesses decide to inflict internal pain on him, of anyone? Why would he be the one sitting outside of Reyna's door, head bowed down in defeat? Snow started gathering on Nico's shoes as he shivered. He'd like to think that he shook from the cold and not from the quaking within him, but he usually could with stand the cold. No, he knew it was the pain - the shaking, terrible pain he felt throbbing inside his heart.

What did he do wrong? Where did he go wrong? Nico searched his mind for all of the time he's been with Reyna, looking for moments where he went wrong and his actions were flawed, but Nico wasn't able to see anything. He needed to know what's going on inside Reyna's head.

Reyna. Nico groaned as he closed his eyes. Gods, this was the girl that turned him into the young Mythomagic-obsessed boy he used to be. Reyna was the one who was able to thaw his frozen heart, and convinced him to love again, after Nico distanced himself away again, afraid that those he loved would wither away. But Reyna was strong, and not loving her would be saying Zeus wasn't king of the gods.

He changed so much since Bicana's death, discovering that he was a son of Hades and all. He changed a lot. Her death didn't just open the wound of losing a beloved sister - It stabbed him for lonlieness, and for being a child of Hades, and for never being able to fit in ever again. His world used to be so bright and cheery, and then it drastically changed. He forgave Percy, and didn't hold hatred towards anyone, but he knew that he wouldn't be welcomed anywhere. And then... there was Reyna.

Reyna managed to awaken the awed young teenage boy inside him, and got him to see the world bathed in light again. He still wasn't the same, but he was better than he was before, and felt so important and cared for again... Yet, Reyna didn't care enough to shatter his heart into pieces.

Nico's eyes fluttered open to look at the door behind him. Reyna could not open the cursed door if she didn't want to. Like Nico would care. He would stay here until she'll open it, and she'll see how pained he was. She'll see what exactly she's done to him. Reyna will be able to witness the half-dead Nico, staring into oblivion. Yes, Reyna would feel guilty about her actions of ignoring him.

Nico was standing in front of Reyna's door, knocking against the hard wood and knocking away the alone feeling inside him as well.

He expected the door to open immediately, welcoming his presence like nobody else would. He would be ushered in, and then he and Reyna would talk, and Nico would feel light again, understood, cared for.

Then Nico realized that he loved Reyna.

An elated feeling rose in him. What wasn't there to love about Reyna? Her outside and inner beauty, her strength, her hidden kindness, how she lended her power to everyone, and the way she was the only one there for him, deep, deep inside. It all made sense!

For once, Nico felt happiness. All Reyna had to do now was open the door-

But there was no answer.

"Reyna? Are you in there?"

There was a second. Then two. Nico didn't care if it was an hour or a century, or if a thousand days past and the sun was setting - a sad, beautiful mix. Nothing, no time would prepare him for what happened.

There was only silence, a crestfallen, hope crushing silence. Somehow Nico knew it was coming, but it stung more than anything.

No. Clearly he meant nothing more to Reyna. Maybe he was just seen as a mistake for her. He just used to be the boy who hung out with her in private, making their own jokes and talk about their own life that only they would both understand about. He used to be the boy that was so important to her, and watched out for him, and in return he would watch out for her. He used to be the one who cut down Reyna's walls, and got to her true self. No... But now he was like everybody else. Just another boy who means nothing to her.

Nico felt another throb in his chest. Did Reyna really not like him anymore? The pain increased. Why did Reyna ignore him?

Nico sunk his head into his knees. What did he do wrong? He would do anything to fix it...

He looked on to the shut door. Reyna was in there. She was ignoring him.

Why would she ignore him? Did she find a new pair of friends that were better than him? Nico's heart ached at the thought. What if she really wanted to get rid of him all this time?

What did he do wrong?

There was the cold, defeaning silence.

Nico turned, thinking that Reyna wasn't in there.

Then came out a muffled sound... But not the words he was hoping for.

"You shall adress me as praetor, son of Hades."

Though Nico hated to admit it, he wanted to cry. He wanted to sob like the young boy he used to be.

He used to mean something to Reyna. He used to be the most important person in Reyna's life. He used to be able to connect with Reyna, and dig deeper than the praetor Reyna was seen as. He used to be able to see what Reyna was on the inside, but now he was shut out. Again.

Maybe this was his fate. Doomed, cursed to forever be alone. To find himself back in his state of innocence, only to shatter that part of him and bring him back to the stage of his life where he was to be alone, with nobody to find him or know him or anything. He'd be back to shadow traveling, lurking in the darkness and no longer able to see the light.

Nico had to blink back a few tears. Why did Reyna push him away? Why...?

"Dad," Nico pleaded. "Zeus, Poseidon, Bellona, Aphrodite, anyone. Please tell me how to earn back Reyna's trust..."

Though Nico didn't know how he got pushed outside the barriers within Reyna's spirit, he didn't know how to get back in either.

Nico wanted to break something. He was definitely cursed. Cursed to lonely, wandering his last days with no one to care for him...

Reyna was gone.

"Reyna?" Nico said, half relieved and half angry that Reyna answered him with 'You shall adress me as praetor, son of Hades.' "What happened?"

Nico could almost hear Reyna pacing inside the walls.

"That isn't your buisness, son of Hades. Leave."

The words stung like fire, feeling even more cold than all the blizzards and seastorms in the world combined. He felt as if he was stabbed with his own sword, and everything in his life has turned against him. He was hurt, even more hurt than Bicana died. He lost Reyna. His Reyna.

Nico turned around.

"Fine." He spat, hoping that Reyna would burst out and apologize.

She never did.

And then he left.

"Nico," The door opened to reveal Reyna in her purple toga. She never wore that around him, and would simply wear a Camp Jupiter shirt and some jeans. She was never formal around him either. "You cannot stay in the cold."

Nico was surprised that Reyna spoken to him, but that didn't cure him of his anger and her supposed ignorance of their friendship. How could she just leave him, and tell him to go get warm and not die? She didn't care anymore!

"Wasn't it 'son of Hades'?' Nico said, spitting venom. He was now tracing 'x's into the snow. "I could stay out here and die, and you probably won't even care."

Reyna flinched at his tone and his words, and Nico felt a twinge of guilt build inside of him. He was in no place to apologize though.

Reyna then sighed. "I cannot let a demigod stay in the cold. Come in,"

Nico felt his shoulders drop. He was almost sure she would say sorry, and they would be back to being friends. Nope. It was all formal, as if between strangers.

Nico slumped inside, flopping on her couch. He breathed in a breath of warm air, feeling his fingers warm at being near a fireplace.

Reyna stared at him, examining him for a second before carefully seating herself next to him.

They looked down at the ground for a few awkward moments before Nico broke the silence.

"Why?"

Reyna blinked. "What?"

Nico shook his head. Of course she would pretend she didn't know.

"Why would you leave me? Push me out?"

Reyna looked down. It was almost as if she wanted to say something, and she couldn't.

Nico's face softened.

"It's okay, Reyna." He said quietly. "You could tell me anything."

"You don't know what this is," Reyna said coldly, before burying her face into her hands, losing all of her distant praetor attitude. It was as if in one single line, Reyna broke, shattering the line between Reyna and praetor. Reyna looked vulnerable - like she wanted to cry.

What could she not possibly tell him? Nico knew everything about Reyna. He could understand anything she could say. Nico had an urge to bring Reyna close to him and whisper soothing words into her ears, but he settled for silence instead. It was better this way.

"You don't know one thing about me," Reyna mumbled into her palms.

Oh.

"Reyna, you can tell me," Nico said confidently. "You could tell me anything."

Reyna seemed defeated, shaking her head. "This is the exception, Nico."

There was a quiet silence, like the cloudy skies before a huge thunderstorm.

Nico and Reyna stared anywhere but each other, while Nico decided to study Reyna's room, even though he done so many times.

The walls were painted a royal purple, and there was a gold color for the soft carpet Nico felt beneath his feet and a golden color for the ceiling as well. There was Reyna's wooden desk pushed up against the side, with a few stacks of thin papers all over her desk. Reyna had to fill out many papers as praetor. Her sword rested in a glass case on the wall, gleaming in the little lights in Reyna's room. The fireplace at the center of another side of the wall was facing the couch, warming Nico's cold body as he inched closer to it. Along the end of a wall, there was Reyna's closet which wasn't filled with much clothes. On the opposite end of that same wall, there was also a storage room for weapons. There also hung a few medallions and pendants around her room.

He knew this place so well, yet it seemed so far away ever since Reyna ignored him.

And as Nico kept on studying the room, his patient wore thin.

"Gods, Reyna!" Nico lept to his feet. "What happened to our friendship?"

Reyna looked hurt and shocked at his sudden shout, and no longer did she answer in the calm, praetor's voice of hers.

"You don't understand, Nico." Reyna said, turning away, a single tear streaking her face.

"Reyna," Nico explained impatiently. "You turned me back to the little Mythomagic boy I used to be, and you understand me, and you're the only friend I am so opened to. Why-?" Nico's voice cracked. "Why don't you trust me?"

Reyna slowly stood up as well and faced him. "Nico," She said softly. "I-I... I can't tell you this."

"Why?!"

Nico almost expected Reyna to say, "You won't understand," but her answer was something else completely.

"Nico... What do you want of me?"

Nico hesitated. Did he have the guts to tell Reyna he loved her? And take the risk of Reyna running away from him? Nico internally shook his head.

Choosing his words carefully, Nico said slowly, "I want to be your friend, Reyna."

Reyna threw her hands up in frustration as Nico jumped back. "Exactly!"

"So... You don't want to be my friend anymore? I understand you, Reyna. We used to be so close. What happened to that?"

Reyna shook her head. "It's not that. What if..." Reyna sighed. "Let me tell you a story Nico."

Nico nodded, having no idea where Reyna was going with this.

"Once, Jason and I were searching for something. We found a maiden, but she would disappear evertime we neared. I thought since I was a girl, it would talk to me. So when I approached her, it was actually Lady Venus."

Nico was quiet. Where was the story going to go wrong?

Reyna's face was now purely crestfallen. "Venus cursed me, saying my heart will never be healed by any demigod." Reyna's eyes turned from hurt to misery and regret. "I-I'm sorry Nico."

Nico felt a rush of sympathy towars Reyna, but he felt something similar to her. Nobody dared near him, because he was "mysterious, creepy, and a son of Hades." So his only true friend was Reyna, and of course no girls were interested in him. He thought he never would have the capability of loving again - but he had.

"I don't see the problem," Nico finally said, though it sounded more broken than before.

Reyna let out an angered sigh. "You really don't get it, do you? When I found someone who actually understands me, and we became great friends, it would never be that simple, wouldn't it?"

Nico was silent for a moment, trying to decipher her words. It can't be... It wasn't possible...

Reyna looked down on him with sad eyes. "It's best that you leave, Nico. It'd be better for both of us."

Was it possible that Nico would be able to break Reyna's heart? That their fate is doomed? Nico found fragments of his heart slowly breaking. Now he'd have to push everything back again. Soon, he'll be thinking he used to love Reyna...

But how could he not love her? How could he even stop? He felt like as if he found his other half...

"Have you even considered how I felt?"

Reyna snapped her head back, her eyes saying, 'you're not gone yet?'. She stood there, her beautiful black hair cascading down to her back and her obsidian eyes staring back at him until the words sunk in?

"But what about the curse?"

Nico felt a surge of courage and took a step forward. "The cruse could go to Tartarus for all I care." His voice lowered down as he murmured. "I swear on the River Styx that I'd never intentionally hurt you, and that I love you."

Reyna blinked, as if in a trance. Then she threw her arms around Nico.

"Are you sure?" She whispered, tears starting to stream down her cheeks, which was unusual for Reyna as the praetor of New Rome.

"Am I dead yet?" Nico joked, knowing he could only act this way around Reyna, and nobody else. Nobody else would ever make him happier.

The corner of his lips lifted up in a smile. He loved Reyna.

"I love you Reyna," Nico said, leaning closer even though he knew Reyna already knew it.

Reyna drew closer as well. "I love you too."

Nico has never been so happy, and felt a burst of joy explode inside his chest, his wounds now healed. Nico felt a feeling so foreign yet so sweet as he dipped down to kiss her.

Love.

At the touch of their lips, Nico felt as if his heart could explode, and like he was wielding a weapon even more powerful than anything he's ever known.

As Nico continued kissing Reyna and as they broke apart, smiling at each other as if there was no one else in the world, Nico knew that he would never be a "used-to" for Reyna. He'd always be by her side, and he didn't care if the gods and goddesses tried to seperate them because Nico couldn't live without Reyna, and that she was the only one to understand him, not used to understand him, and that he could only love her.

Nico smiled at Reyna - a true, geuine smile. "What would I ever do without you?"

Reyna shrugged, acting like herself around him. "Not be able to kiss me?"

Nico let out a small laugh before dipping down his lips to kiss her once more.

SwanDestiny: Please review... All of you... I'm begging you! Also, please follow and favorite! We want Reynico to prevail! Do it in the name of this story and Reynico!

SwanDestiny: This one-shot was actually inspired by Of All the Princesses in the World by CrazygurlMadness. No, it has nothing to do with Percy Jackson or Heroes of Olympus, and it is in fact a fanfiction in the category the Legend of Zelda. Nayru, I love that game and fanfiction archive. And Zelink.

SwanDestiny: This'll never be as good as Of All the Princesses in the World, but I'm satisfied with this. Reynico for the win!

SwanDestiny: Still, please review and tell me what to think! Bye, readers.

~SwanDestiny