Well you stood there with me in the doorway

My hands shake
I'm not usually this way but
You pull me in and I'm a little more brave
It's the first kiss,
It's flawless,
Really something,
It's fearless.

Fearless - Taylor Swift

Ours

Demons

By: Ary Hyuga

Beta: Sparkling-Iris

Reyna's POV

I was on the couch; a bowl of popcorn rested on my crossed legs while I watched "Lilo & Stich" with Hyllia.
When Stich was about to escape from Lilo's room, we heard a noise outside.

I looked at Hyllia and the look in her eyes told me she had heard it outside too, but her worried face changed to a smile and she said "It must be a cat, stay here I'll take a look" and stood up.

The eleven year-old Hyllia was wearing her pajama pants with some random shirt, her hair on a ponytail and she wore only socks on her feet. I saw her while she walked to the door and went outside.

I tried to keep my attention on the movie but I could feel something going wrong, so I left the bowl of popcorn on the couch and stood up.

My nine year old self was wearing a pajama dress, my black hair was tied in a braid that my older sister had made me earlier and my feet were bare.

Slowly, I walked to the door. I stood in front of the black wood front door. I knew that was the only thing between Hyllia and me but I still felt terrified to open it.

With a wave of courage, I opened it.

Hyllia was lying on the principal stairs, her mouth covered with a piece of cloth. She was struggling against him, trying to take him away from her, but he was bigger and stronger. He was holding her wrists and straddled her thin waist.

He was pulling Hyllia's shirt up when he looked over at me.

Hyllia started to move more forcefully and violently, but he barely noted it, his eyes were stuck on mine. His horrible black eyes burned into my innocent and younger brown ones. My heart started to beat faster and I started to tremble and then…and then he smiled.

His horrible smile, with his yellow teeth on his deformed face...

I opened my eyes, I was sweating and breathing hard. I looked around and saw my pillows and blankets.

Couldn't help but start to cry in silence.

Again. That nightmare, it had been always like that ever since a few months ago.

"Since Jason" I reminded myself.

I stopped crying.

"No" I ordered myself mentally, "Don't think about him, that just makes it worse."

Wiping the tears off my face, I sat on my bed. I knew it was about 3am, I always would wake up about this time.

I stood there until my breath slowed down, and then took the jar of jelly beans from my desktop and walked to my window to sit at its frame.

Our back yard was lit up because the big full moon in the sky. I could see Aurum circling the garden.

Aurum.

After that horrible night, my mom bought Aurum and Argentum, so they could protect us when she couldn't be at home.

I fell in love with Aurum in the first moment and he seemed to be in love with me too.

I remembered when Jason came home for the first time; Aurum was barking and growling at him. At first I thought he was jealous, but after all that happened...well, I guess I can understand why he didn't like him.

I took a jelly bean from the jar and thought about how Leo was walking so easily with Aurum.

The dog had seemed so comfortable with Leo...

"I want you to give me a chance," Leo had said, with his precious chocolate color eyes shining with hope.

A chance...Life was full of chances.

But if there was a boy in this universe that deserved me to give him a chance...that boy was definitely Leo.

"Awake?" Hyllia's voice took me out of my thoughts. She was standing at my door.

"Nightmare." I said, looking over at her. She nodded.

"Me too." She replied, and started to walk to the window, and sat in front of me, taking a jelly bean from my jar.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked, I breathed out. I couldn't get away with lying to Hyllia, sometimes I wondered if she could read my mind, she knew me so well and always knew when I was lying.

"Leo asked me to date him." I said. She raised her eyebrows and took another jelly bean "That's great," She paused, "isn't it?"

"He's my best friend Hyllia! The only boy that I've trusted since..." I cut myself off and she shook her head.

"That's your problem Reyna." she said to me, "You never stop thinking about what happened with Jason." I looked at the big moon in the sky.

"I don't want Leo to run away." I whispered, Hyllia took my hand and I brought my gaze back to her.

"Leo is in love with you, you know that, right?" My eyes opened wide. In love with me!? He liked me, I could agree with that, but...being in love, that was a huge deal.

"No, he's not." I argued, and Hyllia rolled her eyes.

"What I'm saying is that no matter what, he'll never run away from you, Reyna" I took another jelly bean.

"I don't want to take the risk, anyway." I stated, and Hyllia breathed out.

"Fine, so what did you tell him?" She asked.

"I'm not sure." I replied. "I over reacted." Hyllia nodded.

"That's no surprise…" I didn't answer her, so she continued, "I like Leo, I mean he seems like a good guy." I sighed.

"Sure he is, that's why he deserves better than me." Hyllia rolled her eyes.

"And here we go again..." she said and then stood up.

"You're being weak thinking that you're less than he deserves." Hyllia told me, and then kissed my forehead, leaving my room.

~oOo~

"I agree with Hyllia." Hazel said while she passed the straightener trough her hair.

It was around 1 pm when she appeared at my door with Silena on the phone, ordering me to go to her birthday party.

I wouldn't have a problem with that, if it wasn't Piper's birthday party too.

But what could I do? Before I could argue or anything, Hazel was picking up my outfit and pushing me into the shower.

"With me being weak?" I asked, lying on my bed, ready to leave but waiting to my best friend to finish getting ready.

"About everything, in fact" She put down the straightener and turned it off, "You should give him a chance."

"It's easy to say that, but..."

"Reyna," she said, looking at me, her hands on her hips, "No more 'but's as an excuse, ask yourself, would you like to try something with him?"

"Hazel I..."

"Do you like him?" The question hit me like a harmer to the forehead. Did I like Leo?

I definitely liked him as a friend, that's for sure, but as a boy I could potentially date...?

I'd known Leo since long ago, I mean, the runner of the football team... Who didn't know him?

I'd even taken some classes with him before in Mrs. Lupa's, I'd seen him at lunch hour with his friends, I'd seen him with Beckendorf chopping on downtown…

Leo wasn't invisible for me, but I'd never thought on him like someone that I could date

Until now…

"I think." I started, "I think I might have a crush on him."

Hazel beamed. "Come here," she said and I walked next to her in front to the mirror that was on the door of my wardrobe.

"Look at her." she said, pointing at my reflection, "I'm gonna tell you a secret."

I did what she said and looked at myself. My black, curly hair, my skin, my chocolate eyes, my pink lips, the way that my sleeveless pink shirt molded my not-so-bad curves, the way that my short-ish white skirt fell from my hips and how my worked legs looked under it.

"I've known Leo for a long time now," Hazel said, "And one day, after his break up with Thalia, I asked him what he liked in a girl."

My heart started to beat faster. What Leo liked in a girl, did I really want to know that? What if he answered, "Everything that Reyna isn't?"

"Ridiculous." a little voice said in my mind.

"He said," Hazel began, "He likes black-haired girls, with soft hands and beautiful lips."

I thought about it. It made sense; Thalia and Khione had black hair. Soft hands? I couldn't say that, I'd never seen Khione's or Thalia's. Beautiful lips; Maybe, none of them painted their lips, was that why?

I looked at me again; black hair, soft hands and pink lips.

"But he said there was something he liked the most in a girl." Hazel said, "He like fearless girls."

My eyes widened.

Fearless? Well I could totally believe that from Thalia. Khione? You definitely needed to be fearless to go skating on ice in front of a crowd. But me...

I couldn't help but think about all those moments when I'd cry on Leo's shoulders. The day at the beach, the afternoon on Cupola Park, last day when he asked me out...

Damn it, I've been crying so much lately.

"I'm sorry for disappointing you…" I said to Hazel, "But I've been a big coward with Leo." Hazel furrowed her eyebrows.

She was going to say something but she closed her mouth and then she said, "Let's go, it's getting late."

I walked outside after her. My mom wasn't in town again and Hyllia was somewhere out with her friend Kizane so I just left a note of where I was going to be.

Hazel started to drive her way to Rehoboth beach to the fancy house of Aphrodite Beauregard and Tristan Mclean-the super famous actors from Hollywood that had decided that Delaware was the perfect place to raise Silena and Piper.

"Why do you think you've been a coward?" Hazel asked suddenly.

"I've been crying so much." I admitted and she rolled her eyes.

"Crying doesn't make you a scaredy-cat."

"It doesn't matter," I retorted, "I should be stoked to go on a date with him, but I just don't feel that way." Hazel rolled her eyes.

"Reyna, you really MUST let go of everything that happened with Jason, it's definitely not good for you." I didn't answer because I knew she was right.

"Why are you so interested in my dating Leo?" I asked and Hazel smiled, a small, but cute smile.

"Because since you've been around Leo, you've changed." she said, "You're happier and more social, you're going out and you've even danced!" she pointed out and I laughed softly.

"I think Leo's the one who could bring out your best." she concluded just in the moment when we arrived at Silena's house.

It was a big mansion, painted in sky blue, three floors; the back yard gave directly to the beach... the prettiest house you'd ever seen.

Hazel parked some houses away (it was full of cars) and we walked over.

Then I saw him.

Leaning on his back of the Camaro, parked just in front of Silena's house. He was wearing a black shirt sleeveless, a pair of jeans and sneakers. He was looking at the other side of the street; I could tell he was thinking about something, his clenched jaw as if he was angry…

But when he noticed Hazel and I walking to him, his expression changed to a smile.

"Hey," he greeted us.

"Hello," was Hazel saying, "Seems that the party started without us." and with that she started to walk inside the house. I followed her, not being sure how to stay alone with Leo.

Awkward moments returned, yeah!

The house was full of people, some familiar faces like Travis Stoll and Katie Gardiner who were talking with Connor Stoll and some unknown girl. I saw Nico on a corner filtering with some girl who was wearing just a really little pair of denim shorts and the top of a bikini swimsuit. He nodded in our direction as a greeting and "went back to his job". I also saw Dakota and Gwen, some old friends of mine; Dakota was drinking a red beverage that I hardly believed it was the same kool-aid he used to drink at school. Gwen smiled me and asked me to join them, but Leo took my hand and shook his head.

He seemed angry again.

I shrugged at Gwen and she made a sad face, but she forgot when a guy approached her and told her something that made her smile.

In the back yard of the house were a lot of tables, the big one was used by Leo's friends.

Annabeth was sitting on Percy's legs as he told her something that was making her smile. Frank and Grover were talking with Beckendorf while Silena, Juniper and Rachel talked cheerfully, I didn't saw Piper or Jason.

As always, Hazel jumped to Frank and I was going to follow her when Leo pulled my hand in the other direction. Nobody at the table seemed to notice it.

Leo guided me to the beach, not too far from Silena's house, but far enough so we could be "alone".

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Why did you come?" On his face was a rare combination of anger, worry and unease.

"Silena invited me." I answered, courage growing inside of me. "Why? Do you want to pass some time without me?"

His worry face changed to a totally angry one.

"Really? That's everything you can think of?" he shook his head, "This is also my best friend's party, I offered myself to help her with it, I'm gonna be busy, so I can't take care of you today."

I raised my eyebrows.

"Take care of me? What am I, a baby?" He frowned and rolled his eyes.

"Fine then, go and have fun, but if Jason attacks you again, don't expect me to save you." This time, I rolled my eyes.

"Jason hasn't attacked me." Wait, I was defending him? Leo's face turned red.

"Fine then." he repeated, and walked inside the house again, leaving me behind.

I walked to the house too, mentally cursing myself for being so stupid.

I sat between Hazel and Rachel, but I was kind of ignoring them. My mind started to run.

Why did everything have to be so difficult?

Next hour was a pathetic combination of me arguing with myself for declining Leo's invitation, nonsense conversation with the rest of the guys at the table and Leo and Piper randomly appearing in the crowd, waiting for them.

Always together, always laughing.

I think this is obvious, but I'm gonna say it anyways; I was extremely jealous.

"I'm going to the bathroom." I said to Hazel, she showed me how to get to the one on the second floor and I left.

The girl in the mirror was angry.

"This is your fault" I told her, "You're the only coward over here."

Thankfully, she didn't answer so I promptly left the bathroom.

I just had walked down the stairs when I saw him in front of me. He was holding a bottle of beer and smelled like cigarettes.

"Reyna," he said, "Such a surprise to see you here, at my girlfriend's house."

My hands became fists at that moment. Jason smiled at me, a smile without humor.

"So, have you missed me?"

He got closer to me and I gave a step back, but he kept getting closer until I was between him and the wall. The corridor was deserted except for the two of us.

"Get away Jason." I said, mentally relieved that my voice that didn't tremble.

"Or what?" he said with a smile, "Come on Reyna, don't you remember those good times together?" I shuddered, but it was definitely not a good memory.

From the back of my mind, I could hear Hazel's voice, "He like fearless girls".

"Don't expect me to save you." Leo had said. Well, this was definitely a perfect time to show how fearless I could be.

"No," I said firmly, "I don't remember anything about you, so just get away from me." I snapped, and pushed him, he took a step back and his smile disappeared.

"Don't you..."

"Shut up!" I ordered before he could continue, "Never get close to me again."

"Oh you're so ridiculous Reyna." He said, "Doing all this for Leo, don't you see it? You'll never be together."

"That's the stupidest thing you've ever said." I replied, "And that's none of your business, Jason."

"I'll make sure you never get together."

I laughed. "Good luck with that."

"Oh do you really think Leo would want to be with someone like you?" He laughed, "You, always being afraid and scared, from all the girls, do you really think Leo will chose someone like...you."

I could feel the tears stinging at the back of my eyes, but keep my strong face. "You don't know him."

Jason laughed harder, "You sure? He's been my best friend Reyna, I've known him for seven years! How well do you know him?" I didn't answer and Jason laughed again. I saw his bloodshot blue eyes.

"What's going on with you?" I asked, "You're not like this, why are you fighting with Piper?" His face changed to a really, really furious one.

"You don't care about it!"

"You're always drunk," I continued, "What's going on?"

"Shut up!" He yelled. "Or I swear I'll..."

"Or you'll what, Jason?" We turned to see Percy and Annabeth at the end of the corridor, both watching Jason with suspicion.

"Are you ok, Reyna?" Annabeth asked me, and I nodded, she held a hand out for me and I ran to take it. I heard Percy and Jason arguing but Annabeth dragged me out of the house before I could really understand what happened.

"Are you ok?" she asked again, the hard face had gone, now she seemed like a worried mom...or a good friend. I couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"What was going on there?" she asked and I gave her a quick version of the conversation. Unwanted tears fell from my eyes as I talked.

"We had been taking care of him," she explained, "Jason is just getting worse, not even Piper can control him now, he's become more..."

"Violent?" I guessed. Annabeth lips made a line, but she nodded.

"Thanks for coming." I said and she gave me a light smile.

"Sorry for the delay," she said, "Leo asked me to keep an eye on you." I felt my stomach give a spin.

"Annabeth, I need you to…" Silena appeared suddenly, with her pink dress and her big smile, beautiful as always. "Reyna, what's going on?" She asked, worried.

"She got uh... a conversation with Jason." Silena closed her eyes and passed her hand through her brown hair.

"Damn, I should have known that would happen, sorry Reyna, I just..."

"Don't worry, I'm ok." I must have looked terrible because Silena shook her head.

"Annie, could you help Hazel with the food? I'd like to talk to Reyna." Annabeth nodded, giving me a friendly smile before going inside the house. Silena took my hand and we walked to the sea.

"Leo told me." was everything she said.

"About the not date?" she nodded.

"What do you think about all this?" she asked, I looked at the sun on the horizon.

"I'm scared of losing a friend, he's the best one I've ever had." I said and Silena nodded in understanding.

"Charlie is my best friend." she said.

"Yeah but, you have other friends, I don't." she laughed.

"Why would everything change if you two were together?" I thought a second before answering. I finally said;

"There are demons in my past, demons older than Jason, whom I can't fight." I took a breath "And those demons will hurt Leo."

"You don't know that."

"Yeah I do, Silena." She took my hand and I looked at her.

"Maybe, Leo could help you fight against those demons."

"I hardly think so." Silena breathed out.

"I have faith in that." she said, I looked at her, she was smiling. "I have to get inside again, do you wanna stay here?" I nodded so she hugged me and walked inside again.

I didn't know how much time passed, but at some moment, someone took my hand.

I turned around to see Leo looking at my hand. "What happened?" he asked pointing to a scratched I go on my palm. Probably a nail from when I clenched my hands near Jason.

"Nothing." I answered and he shook his head.

"Should I say I told you?" I rolled my eyes and he laughed softly.

"Come on." he said and I drew my eyebrows together.

"Where?" he looked at my eyes, beautiful chocolate eyes.

"Somewhere." he started to walk but I stood in my place, "What?"

"What about the party? Are you gonna leave Piper?" My voice sounded angrier than I really was, but Leo just laughed.

"I got priorities." he said, but I didn't make a move so he rolled his eyes.

"I'm gonna carry you up, you know I can." I remembered the afternoon on the beach, a little smile appeared on my face, Leo raised an eyebrow, "You want me to carry you?" he asked and I laughed.

"If you can catch me." I said, and started to run. I heard Leo laughing and chasing me. He caught me easily and picked me up. I yelled and kicked him to put me down but he just laughed.

We crossed the house, I could see some familiar faces smiling at us, like Annabeth and Percy, Silena, Hazel, Charlie and I didn't see them, but I heard Frank yelling, "Show her who's the boss!" and Nico said, "Get a room" but we just laughed at them.

I saw Piper, she got a little -very thin- smile, but her eyes were on me with a clear message: "You hurt him, I kill you." Such a beautiful friend.

I stopped laughing until we were at Leo's car.

"Oh, my stomach hurts now." I complained and he laughed more, "I know, mine too." he started to drive, but I didn't pay attention, I was trying not to laugh more.

Leo parked in front the Georgetown Circle, my favorite park. We got out of the car and walked around.

"Are you ok?" he asked me, I looked at him. There was a little smile on his face, but his eyes were filled with concern.

"Yep, I'm fine." I answered, he laughed softly, "I told you I don't need you to take care of me." I said and he laughed more.

"Don't lie to me, I talked with Annabeth." I made a grin but didn't answer, Leo pointed to a near bank and we sat there. He reached down and placed his elbows on his knees, dropping his head slightly forward, his wavy black hair swaying slightly in the wind.

The butterflies in my stomach returned.

"Sorry for being an ass earlier." he said and I laughed softly.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that too." he looked at me and I smiled at him. He smiled back and the butterflies on my stomach started to jump around more insistently.

"Reyna." he started, "I need…I really want you to tell me what happened between you and Jason." I gulped loudly and looked away.

"I don't…" I started, but was cut off.

"Fine," he interrupted me, "It's ok if you don't want to tell me." I looked at him; he had his eyes trained on the floor. "Be fearless" I thought to myself. I breathed out and then started;

"Jason became a big friend of mine when we were at the Camp." I paused and looked at him, "You know, Jupiter Camp, the one in the summer." Leo nodded so I continued. "He used to go there too. I was too shy to talk him at school, but during the summer we were kind of best friends. Sometime after my break up with Percy, he started to talk to me at school, he used to bring me back home and we did homework together and…" I sighed, "Well, we were together almost all the time."

Leo's face was expressionless. Silena had said that maybe he could help me to fight my demons, but he didn't seem too keen right now.

I took a deep breath and started again.

"Leo, there's a part of me you don't know, and Jason…well, we used to be big friends so, I told him."

"And he ran away." Leo completed. I looked at him and nodded, "And you don't want to tell me." I didn't answer, just averting my gaze.

"Did I have do something to make you not trust me?" he asked, and I shook my head.

"No Leo, I trust you, I trust so much in you, I'm just scared." He was looking in my eyes, trying to find something, maybe some strength, maybe figuring out that I was not the kind of girl he liked…

"Do you want to know what happened with Thalia?" he asked. I opened my eyes with surprise but before I could even answer, he started:

"I liked Thalia, I liked her so much. She was… kind of forbidden for me, because you know, the sister of my best friend and so." he laughed.

"But one day I asked her out and oh surprise! She said yes.

"Things were fine for about two months, we went out, she had dinner at home, sometimes I went to her house, my friends and hers were the same… was practically a perfect relationship."

I wondered if I could ever have something like that with Leo, but before I could answer myself he continued.

"Then summer came, and she started to travel with her friends, she's in a group called hunters or something like that and they travel around the world. At the same time, Rachel got a new boyfriend called Fred. The only boyfriend she has ever had and casually, he used to travel so much too.

"One day, we were at Rachel's house, Thalia was with me, there were Piper, Silena, Charlie, Nico, Frank, Hazel and…well you know, all of us. Then Thalia got a call and she said the leader of the hunters was calling them for a reunion. That happened often, so we let her go. Time went on and we got bored so we started to play true or dare and Rachel picked a dare. I dared her to go to her boyfriend's apartment and bring a shirt from him, it was a stupid dare but she agreed, so Piper, Nico, Rachel and I went to his apartment…"

Leo covered his face with his hands, I realized then that he was trembling and I felt terrible.

I put my hand on his shoulder, "Leo, it's ok, you don't have to continue."

"No," he said moving his hands from his face and looking at me, "I want you to know it." I bit my lower lip and he went on.

"When we got there, and Rachel opened the door, we found Thalia on Fred's bed."

I stared, shocked.

Thalia had cheated on him, and not just that, she cheated on him with Rachel's boyfriend!

Why hadn't Rachel ever said anything?

I looked at him, and felt my heart sink. He seemed broken. I didn't know how bad it had been since Thalia's break up but he had definitely not gotten over it.

It wasn't the right moment, but I felt happy.

Leo had demons, maybe as big as mine, so perhaps Silena was right and maybe, just maybe Leo could help me to fight my demons and I could help him.

With a new surge of hope, I said;

"I started to believe that Jason was my dream come true, he was nice and charming and so, but he wanted more. Jason wanted us to have sex and I wasn't ready, we discussed it so much and finally, I let him see the darkest part of me, I showed my demons to Jason and he became distant with me. Then he met Piper, they started to go out, Jason always said it was because of homework, but I was not a fool, after Percy's, I knew quite well that he was falling for Piper."

I looked at Leo. He was quiet for a second and finally he said. "You're not crying."

I smiled. "No, I think is the first time I said it aloud without crying."

Leo took my hand. "I'm proud of being there to see you."

"Thank you Leo, for letting me see inside of you." His brown eyes shined for a moment and then he smiled me and said, "Anytime."

"I must confess something, though…" I added, Leo looked at me with curiosity. I felt myself blushing. "Back at the party, I was extremely jealous of Piper." I said almost whispering.

I expected Leo to laugh, but instead he kept a straight face and looked in my eyes. "Why?" he asked.

I was overwhelmed. My heart was beating wildly in my chest, I felt my cheeks flush completely and the butterflies in my stomach, fluttering like crazy, only managed to distract me.

Still, I found a way of saying; "She got all your attention." and at the moment I said it, I felt like a stupid 5 year old girl. Leo smiled, shook his head and hugged me.

After a moment, he separated himself from me and looked again into my eyes. I lost myself in his beautiful chocolate irises and he smiled at me, settling a stray strand of my hair behind my ear. "What am I gonna do with you Reyna?"

"Bring out the best of me." I answered automatically, he raised an eyebrow but still smiled.

"I like you Reyna, I like you so much." he whispered and just then I realized that we were extremely close.

With my heart beating extremely hard in my chest, I answered him. "I have a big crush on you, Leo."

"Are you dating me now?" he asked and I just smiled.

The emotions were too many, my face was completely flushed, my stomach felt fluttery and unsettled, and my heart was beating so hard that Leo could probably hear it. So, unable to answer in words, I moved closer to him, eliminating the space between us...

And then I kissed him...

You wanted a kiss...? Here it is :D

I'm so happy, really THANKS so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I'm so glad you've liked last chapter and I'm pretty sure you enjoyed this too ;)

Thanks for your support Leyna is ALREADY TOGETHER! :')

Please write me a review, I really enjoy reading all the reviews and to be honest, they inspired me.

With so much love, Ary!

Ps: This chapter was originaly inspired by "Demons" of Imagine Dragons but when I was writing, I heard this song of Taylor and I dont know, it was like if I could heard Reyna singin to Leo.

Taylor is my muse! Anyways, listen Imagine Dragons! They ARE AMAZING ;D!

Ps2: Have you already seen my cover? Oh gods! I really love Viria's Art! *u*