AN: A few of these scenes are pulled from TFLS, but are told from the character's POV, rather than third person.
Remind Me
Part 2
Dakota and Reyna
I knew he couldn't lie to me now; the spell prevented it. So, I asked him why he did it, why he left me. I needed to know. I needed closure. I could tell this wasn't going to be easy for him. The look on his face was pained, but I didn't care. I had to know the truth.
He began by telling me that leaving me was the hardest thing he'd ever done, that it was torture and still is. I wanted to know why he did it if it was so painful for him. He told me that Venus, the goddess of love, gave him a warning. She told him I would live a tragic life filled with heartache and death if Kota and I stayed together. He wasn't willing to let me have that kind of life or possibly die because of him, so he ended our relationship.
I was so angry. He should've told me this before he just left me with no explanation. Maybe we could've figured something out. Really, did he think my life could possibly get any worse? Even after the break-up, my life was filled with tragedy and death. It's simply the life of a demigod.
We began to argue about it. This was the first time we'd really fought about the split; for the longest time, I didn't want to even speak to him or look at him. Things had been awkward between us for a while, but over a year had gone by, and it was getting easier to be around him. Right now, though, it wasn't easy at all. To think, if he would've just been honest with me then, all the heartache over losing the man I loved more than anything could've been avoided. I was raging mad.
I stomped up to Kota, reared my arm back, and slapped him across the face just as hard as I could...three times. The fist slap was for lying to me, the second, for not even asking me what I wanted, and the third, for breaking my heart. Kota's eyes were blood-red, but not out of anger. It was out of guilt, regret, and sadness over what he had done to me, what he had done to us. When I swung at him for the fourth time, he caught my wrist before my hand struck his face. He asked me what that one was for. I was crying and tried to catch my breath. I was so mad, frustrated, and overcome with regret and sadness. My voice cracked when I told him it was for making me love him. As much as I wanted to say I wished I'd never loved him, I couldn't because that was a lie. As much as I wanted to say I didn't love him anymore, I couldn't, because that was a lie, too.
The steady rain couldn't even disguise my tears, and when Kota looked into my eyes, he pulled my arm to his chest, then leaned in and kissed me softly on my lips. And I didn't fight it. I wanted to fight it, I just couldn't.
I finally stepped away from Kota and turned my back to him. It was quiet between us for a moment before he asked if it was too late for us. He wanted to make things right. He wanted to reconcile. If it were only that simple. I told him I didn't know if I could forgive him or ever trust him again. I wanted to, gods, I wanted to, but I just didn't know if I could. He told me forgiveness and trust are earned, and he wanted to earn it if I would let him try. I turned to face him, blinking the tears and rain out of my eyes, and I told him, simply, to earn it.
…
I sat down on the ground and gently pulled Kota up so he could lean back against me. Kota rested his head just below my neck, and I'm sure he could hear the panicked pounding of my heart. I was scared. I knew I was going to lose him this time, and I was so scared. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close. My face was soaked in tears, and the lump in my throat kept me from speaking.
Kota told me he was tired, and I begged him not to sleep. I wanted more time with him. There was still so much to say. He wasn't angry that he was about to die, but I was. I was so angry. We'd just begun finding our way back to each other, and now, I was losing him all over again. I didn't want to accept it, but I knew I couldn't stop it. He was hurt too badly. I couldn't heal him, so the least I could do was hold him and comfort him in his final moments.
I rested my head against his and ran my fingers through his hair. I kissed his temple, and he raised a shaky hand to lace his fingers with mine. More than a year had passed since the last time I held his hand, but at that moment, it seemed like only yesterday we were together, happy and in love. I could feel the life draining out of him through his touch. It was only a matter of time before he would be gone from my life again, and it was fast approaching. He would be gone within minutes.
He took a ragged breath and asked me if I would love him for the rest of his life. I told him no, that I wouldn't love him for the rest of his life, I'd love him for the rest of mine.
…
I woke to find Reyna curled up against me with her head and hand resting on my chest. The most beautiful woman in the world, the woman I loved, was sound asleep in my arms. I'd died and gone to Elysium…that was my first thought, but if I were dead, I wouldn't be hurting like I was. My whole body ached, which made me realize I wasn't dead nor was I dreaming; this was real, but I touched her arm just to make sure. Her skin was warm and soft, just like I remembered, and when she opened her eyes and smiled up at me, my heart fluttered in my chest like crazy.
She explained how she broke her oath and asked her father to heal me as his one and only gift to her. I didn't know what to say. There was nothing I could say. I just looked into her eyes, eyes that told me she'd forgiven me for ever leaving her. And right then, I swore an oath to myself that I'd be completely honest with her from now on. There was no way I was going to lose her again.
I held her tight in my arms, something I'd missed so much, and when she kissed me with that same passion and love that we'd shared for years, I melted. I finally had her back, and I was never going to let her go.
…
It was so good to go home, and I don't mean back to camp, I mean back home on the farm. I hadn't seen my mom in three years, and I'd missed her so much. And I missed Sam, too. He was always really good to me and Mom, and he takes care of her and loves us both. I couldn't ask for a better step-dad.
Mom was thrilled that Reyna had come home with me and that she and I were back together. Mom loved Reyna. I brought her out to Iowa with me the last time I came home; we'd just become a couple, then. Mom was irate with me when she found out I broke-up with Reyna, because she was sure we were meant to be together. Of course, she was right; she's always right.
When Reyna and I told Mom we were both going to UC Berkeley in a month, she was a little upset at first. She was hoping I'd be moving back to Iowa to go to college now that my legionnaire days were over, but when I told her I'd gotten a scholarship, she took it better. I think she was just glad she wouldn't have to pay for my tuition. And I agreed to come home to visit every Christmas and every summer, which made her and Sam both happy.
I got to spend two relaxing weeks at home with my family and my girlfriend, and it was awesome. It reminded me of the way things used to be, the way I wanted things to continue to be. During our time on the farm, Reyna would help Mom in the kitchen while I helped Sam tinker on one of his old tractors. We'd go horseback riding, fishing in the catfish pond, and sneak off to the barn and make love up in the loft while the rain made music on the tin roof. It was all so perfect. I was the happiest and luckiest man alive.
…
I was sitting on the sofa in our new apartment watching the game and studying for a bio-chem exam when Reyna came storming into the living room from our bedroom.
"Where's the food?" she asked. "Does it really take an hour to deliver Chinese? What'd they do, go all the way to China to get it?"
I looked at my watch and said, "It's only been thirty-five minutes."
She plopped down on the sofa and laid her head on the textbook in my lap. She looked up at me, "I'm starving. I haven't eaten all day."
"Why not?"
"I was too busy. I had two exams, two labs, a study group, and all of my regular classes. I didn't have time to eat."
"You having second thoughts about going pre-med?" I asked.
"Second, third, fourth…"
I ran my fingers through her hair and smiled, "You'll be alright. You can make it. After everything you've been through, med-school should be a breeze."
"A dragon or a Cyclops is a breeze compared to prepping for the MCAT," she groaned.
The doorbell rang, and Reyna jumped up off the sofa and made a beeline for the door. She looked through the peephole to make sure it was the delivery guy and not a Gorgon, which, last time we ordered pizza, it was. She opened the door, paid the delivery guy, and sat our food on the kitchen counter.
"What do you want to drink?" she asked.
"What do we have?"
She opened the refrigerator door and examined the contents. "We have beer and milk, but I think the milk is sour," she told me.
"I'll take a beer then."
"So will I," she said and grabbed two beers out of the fridge.
I watched as she took a drink of her beer, then sorted through the boxes of Chinese take-out. Even in her gym shorts, ratty t-shirt with a hole in the sleeve, and her messy ponytail, she was beautiful, and as I watched her curse at the unlabled boxes, I couldn't imagine ever being without her.
"Hey, Reyna," I said.
"I'm working on it. You had the pork, right?"
"Do you want to get married?" I asked, really out of nowhere.
She never looked up from the take-out; she just shrugged, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe one of these days when I find the right guy."
I laughed, "Maybe I should rephrase the question. Do you want to marry me?"
"Kota, are you proposing?" she asked as she brought my food and beer to me.
I nodded, "Yeah, I guess I am."
She walked back to the kitchen to retrieve her food, then sat down on the sofa beside me. "You know, I do want to marry you," she grinned.
"Really?"
She nodded, "Really."
I kissed her and kissed her and kissed her some more until she finally pushed me off of her. "Can I eat now?" she asked.
I laughed, "I love you."
She bumped me with her shoulder and smiled, "I love you, too."