A/N: Next chapter! I can't write anyone under fourteen! This is Jason and Reyna at age thirteen being kind friends but more rivals. It's really difficult showing how their friendship changes over the years. Working on editing the next one and plotting the last few. There should hopefully be six chapters of this series. Thanks for your wonderful reviews, favorites and follows! Keep it up, everyone!

XIII

"You're thirteen now, Jason. Quit sulking." Dakota insisted as he plopped down beside the blonde. The hot sun was beating down on the younger members of the Fifth Cohort in the dusty Colosseum, listening to Felix lecture about swordsmanship. Jason tried to ignore his friend's babble as he jiggled his leg, restless from sitting for an hour. "Just because Felix chose Reyna instead of you to demonstrate means nothing. You're still his favorite."

"I'm not sulking." Jason grumbled as his blue eyes tracked Felix's fluid slashes. Reyna's spear clashed against Felix's sword, barely moving underneath the boy's force. Her signature stoic expression hid everything but to Jason, she looked bored. "Why is she training with us?"

"Because Felix asked her? Because she's really good at fighting? Because she's not a sulking son of Jupiter?" At the last comment, Jason gave Dakota Lupa's signature wolf glare. Undeterred, Dakota leaned back on the marble benches, stretching his long legs from his latest growth spurt. He was now nearly half a foot taller than Jason. "Why are you a grouchy Roman? Are you still bitter about your last sparring match with her? What's the record now? Ten to eleven?"

Jason didn't say anything to his friend. He just crossed his arms and kept his eyes focused on the fighters' movements. In reality, Jason hasn't won a practice match against Reyna. Their record was wildly lopsided in favor of the daughter of Bellona. Jason was grateful Reyna didn't flaunt her record. She was easily one of the best fighters in their age group. She just possessed a natural intuition for battle strategy and weapons along with her lightning fast reflexes. "This is a basic class. She just looks bored."

"Really? She looks the same to me." Dakota commented tilting his head. The two boys studied the girl as she stretched her arms while Felix finished his lecture. She was idly tapping the blunt end of her spear against the side of her white tennis shoes. Dressed in jean shorts and Camp Jupiter's purple shirt, she looked like a typical summer camp teen. Except for the lethal weapon in her hands. Her spear was a foot taller than the thirteen year old girl. Jason knew how dangerous she was with her spear. "How can you tell? Do you have a crush on her?"

"Shut up, Kota." Jason ordered, shoving the lank boy. Dakota burst in a fit of laughter as he fell into the poor soul beside him.

"Do you need something, Dakota?" Felix asked, wrapping up his lesson.

"Just a request." Dakota replied with a gleam in his blue eyes. "Jason wanted me to ask you to pair him up with Reyna!" Jason's blue eyes grew as he realized his friend's words and tried to grab the laughing boy who already ran to his usual partner. Jason groaned as he felt everyone's gaze on him.

"I'm going to kill you, Dakota." He swore, standing up and meeting Reyna's gaze. The girl shrugged her shoulders, unbothered by the pairing. Her face seemed impassive but he swore he could see her lips curled up just a bit.

"Is that how you treat all your friends?" Reyna asked as Jason approached her, grabbing a blunt training sword. He swung it experimentally, testing the weight of the blade. The pair started circling each other, falling into the familiar routine they've perfected over the year. Around them, Jason could hear the clanging of the other training pairs. With Jason and Reyna, it was always about choosing moments, when to attack, to defend.

"Dakota's a special case." Jason replied, eying her long spear. It may give her a longer reach but her speed would be a lot slower. "Are you sure you'll want to use that?"

"Positive, Grace." She replied coolly. "It would be too cruel to beat you with your best weapon." Jason frowned and lunged, going for a downward strike. Reyna blocked it easily and retaliated with the blunt end of her spear. The son of Jupiter jumped back, noting the smug smile tugging against her lips. "Is that your best?"

"You'll know when it's my best, Ramirez." Jason replied, studying her stance for any weakness. Grudgingly, he found none right now.

"Go easy on him, Reyna! It's his birthday!" Dakota shouted from his spot across the Colosseum. Instinctively, Jason turned to yell at him, forgetting the dangerous girl in front of him. She swung her spear like a baseball bat, smacking the staff part against his side. The wind was knocked out of him and he couldn't react when Reyna moved in, kicking his legs out from under him. Wordlessly, Reyna held the sharp edge underneath his chin. "Oops…" Dakota murmured awkwardly.

"Happy birthday, Grace." Reyna teased, pulling her spear back slightly. Recklessly, Jason grabbed her spear staff and kicked her unprotected right knee, landing a painful hit. The shock girl fell forward, giving Jason enough leverage to toss her spear away. She didn't relent though, kicking Jason's sword across the training arena and landed a well-aimed punch at Jason's side. The boy grabbed her arm, rolling them in the dirt, trying to get the upper hand.

"ARG, god damn it!" Reyna growled in frustration when Jason finally pinned her underneath his slightly larger body. His forearm was pressed against her neck, hard enough to be a threat but nothing to seriously hurt her. He held both of her thin wrists in his left hand. Jason sat on her legs, careful of her powerful kicks. Reyna struggled still, testing his grip, until sighing in defeat. "Ok, you win." She admitted in annoyance.

"Happy birthday to me." Jason grinned triumphantly, panting from exhaust. His ribs were sore from her strong punches. He could feel the bruises forming but he finally won. Reyna shook her head and rolled her dark eyes, muttering something in a different language, definitely not Latin. Jason blinked, about to ask what she said, when the light just peeked out from behind the clouds. Somehow, the light seemed to make Reyna's tan skin glow accenting her sharp features. Even with a layer of dirt and sweat clinging to her, Reyna was a very pretty girl.

"What are you staring at, birthday boy? Get off." Reyna demanded, shoving him off as she sat up, avoiding his gaze. Jason laughed awkwardly as he scratched the back of his neck, fighting the blush threatening to appear on his cheeks.