I'm back! And I've decided to continue this. Yeah, I know, I seem to have a knack for hating the canon couples…anyway, here you go.

Percy couldn't believe she still liked that Jason guy. Let's see: Jason had talked to her and been there for her for about four years, and then he'd disappeared for eight full months, and had left her alone and confused and broken, with the responsibility of New Rome and camp on her shoulders. Though the disappearing part wasn't necessarily his fault.

He hated the son of Jupiter, and he felt that Reyna should too. After their little 'talk' near Little Tiber, he sensed pretty clearly she still had feelings for him. It was the only thing that had stirred Percy up violently, as he had this sneaking suspicion that Annabeth's place in his heart was being taken control of by a certain Praetor of the Twelfth Legion. What, could you blame him? Reyna was not that intimidating once you get to know her. In fact, she could get so nice that you'd fall for her hopelessly. Percy could now understand how Jason must have felt. The daughter of Bellona was powerfully Venus/Aphrodite influential.

He was just sitting on his 'Praetor's throne', collecting his thoughts. Footsteps sounded behind him, and he heard someone clearing their throat. He was pretty sure who it was.

"Hey, Reyna."

He sensed her smiling. "Well, reflecting, aren't we, Percy?"

"What, did you think you were the only one who had the authority to daydream? If you do, just pay attention to what Octavian does all the time."

There was silence for a minute, and Percy thought he was gonna get it. But instead of a curt response, he got a surprisingly warm one.

"Are you okay, Percy? You really sound quite shaken."

He slipped off his throne, and turned to face his co-praetor.

"That's news."

"What?"

"That you actually have a heart."

Reyna smiled, shaking her head. "It will take a while for me to get used to your absolute humor. But I think I'll survive till then."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Percy said in mock horror.

"Of course I am. Seriously, though, I don't think you are. You can go back to your quarters if you want. There's not much work today."

"Can you help me there?"

Reyna looked a bit taken aback, but she noticed his serious expression.

"Sure."

Percy arrived at his quarters, Reyna behind him. As she observed the cabin, Percy thought she seemed quite impressed.

"Nice place you have here, Jackson."

"Gee, thanks. But can we get over the small talk, please? Come on in."

She obliged with a surprised laugh, as she noticed a little carved figure of Bellona on his table.

"Very nice indeed, Percy."

Percy found it hard to suppress a smile, and he could feel himself swoon in front of the beautiful raven-haired demigod. Not much time had passed since he'd realized how beautiful the daughter of the war goddess was.

"I just like to keep little figurines of my friends' godly parents. I have a mini Athena, a Hermes, a Zeus…over at my Greek camp, that is."

"Interesting." Reyna was apparently absorbing the smallest details of his room. "I wish I could just charmspeak you into giving me all your stuff."

"I wish I could just charmspeak you out of your feelings for Jason." He muttered.

"What was that?"

"I said that I wish I could charmspeak you out of observing the room and actually talking to me."

She smiled brightly. "You don't need to charmspeak me out of a little thing like that. Just say that you want to talk."

"Okay, I want to talk."

Reyna sat down cross-legged on his bed. Things had opened up a lot between them since the riverside talk. Part of Percy wanted to believe he knew everything about his fellow praetor. But part of him knew better.

"What's happened to you? Getting homesick because of those memories of home?"

"Yeah." he said. And also because of keeping everything inside, he thought.

He was all right; he just couldn't differentiate between his different feelings for Reyna. Or that he couldn't bring himself to tell her. Dang Aphrodite, he thought. Dang Aphrodite and dang her love.

"You seem to be missing the Greek way. Unfamiliar to the Roman approach, aren't you?" her gaze was soft.

"You could say that." He sat down on his bed, in front of her.

"I miss Jason too. Everything isn't the same without him."

There it was again. Jason. Percy felt like he was going through the same Luke and Annabeth episode.

"You could move on. Give someone else a chance." He lifted her chin and looked straight into her eyes, finding himself leaning in. Inches apart. Closer. Almost…

A horn sounded outside. The next words of the legionnaire were the ones which Percy didn't want to hear, at least not now.

"The Greeks have arrived!"

Hope you like it. R n R!