hey guys!
wow im just putting all my effort in this one fic lol. dwdw, an evanescent update will also be released this month, so there's that. this is a follow-up to the last chapter with a twist, so read the previous one if you haven't yet.
please join the discord, link's on my profile.
hope y'all enjoy!
Percy is suitably worried.
Now. He knows Reyna isn't one for trickery or deceit. Quite the opposite, in fact, his girlfriend is one of the most straightforward people he's ever met and he loves that about her. It simply isn't in her nature to be deceptive.
Yet, looking at the evil smirk on her face as she polishes her shield while holding eye contact makes him believe that he may be very wrong in this one. It is one of the very rare instances, where she has allowed any semblance of emotion through her stoic facade in the public. And it is just his rotten luck, that her look promises a whole lot of pain.
(He isn't even kidding or exaggerating- she looks sinister)
"You know you're probably making a big mistake, right?" A voice says right next to his ears.
Percy yelps and tears his eyes away from his girlfriend. "Jesus, Leila, don't scare me like that!" He admonishes before he blinks and his brain backtracks. "Wait, where did you even come from?"
"I've been here for the past minute," The daughter of Ceres deadpans. "But you were too busy making goo-goo eyes at the praetor to notice me."
"I was not making goo-goo eyes at her," Percy says hotly.
"Mhm," Leila says distractedly. "And Octavian didn't die a traitor."
Percy winces. "Please stop saying stuff about Octavian. I know the stulti deserved what he got, but many legionnaires still believe he was trying to do good for Rome. Their hate for the Greeks isn't helping their rational thinking. I'd hate to have this situation escalate further. We've just come out of a war, and we can't afford dissent in our ranks."
He knows about the dislike Leila harbors for the ex-augur, and he can't exactly say it is unfounded. But declaring it every time she opens her mouth isn't helping anyone.
"Buy me breakfast at Nino's tomorrow and I'll never speak of Octavian again."
Percy squints at her. This sounds like a suspiciously advantageous deal to him. "Do you promise?"
Leila rolls her eyes and holds out her pinky. Percy grins and meets her finger with his own. "Yeah, I promise."
Percy beams and picks up his armor. "Good, now watch me kick my girlfriend's ass."
"That sounds wrong. And, good luck with that," Leila says, looking at him evilly. "Try not to get impaled, Kelp-Head. I'd hate to see that pretty face all messed up."
Percy frowns. "You don't think I can beat Reyna? I held up against Sun and Saturn, I think I should get some credit for that."
"They're nothing against the scary praetor. Also, why are you calling Hyperion by his Roman name?" Leila asks. "Are you trying to impress me?" She winks.
"I am showing off my knowledge," Percy corrects proudly. "Reyna made me read Hesiod in Latin last week. It was...enlightening to say the least."
Leila whistles lowly. "You're so whipped."
"I am not whipped," Percy says indignantly. "I decided to read the book anyway. I had to do something other than arguing with Senators to keep me sane, and my Latin could've used some polishing, so I read it. I didn't read it cause Reyna forced me to!"
Leila gives him a blank stare.
"Okay, fine!" Percy throws his hands in the air. "I read it because Reyna forced me to! Are you happy to hear that, you monster?"
Leila winks at him. "I sure am. Now, look Reyna's coming over. Kick her ass for me, will ya? I'm team New-York Pizza through and through."
Percy beams and high-fives the daughter of Ceres. "You got it."
Slinging his armor around him and strapping it securely, he glances at Reyna, who is walking towards them. Even if she is in her armor with her hair tied messily in a bun, Percy thinks she looks absolutely gorgeous. Leila hits him in the arm.
"Stop staring."
"I wasn't staring!"
"And Octavian didn't die-"
"Stop saying that," Percy hisses before putting on a forced smile at the daughter of Bellona approaches the two. "Hey, Reyna, what's up?"
"Are you ready for our spar, Praetor?" Reyna says, her posture as correct as always and her head held high. "I see you have been conversing with Centurion Leila. Based on your expression, I'd assume she also wishes for me to win?" She asks, smirking at the duo.
Percy barks a laugh. The nerve.
"You wish, Rey-Rey. You see, even Leila is disgusted by-"
"I'm absolutely rooting for you to win, Reyna," Leila says, grinning slyly. "I hope you kick his ass. Gods know his dumbass deserves it."
"What?!"
Percy gapes at her as the two girls bump their fists. "B-but," He splutters. "Leila, you fucking traitor!"
Leila cackles.
"I assume I missed a conversation between you too?" Reyna says, amused. "It's alright, Percy. Leila is just betting on the right person to win."
Percy gives her a stink eye before sobering up. "Your arrogance will be your downfall," He says sagely. "Fortis pullum nonnisi conscius pedis culpae."
Reyna stares at him. "No, Percy, a strong hen cannot be aware of the roots of her guilt."
"That's what it means?"
Leila wheezes.
Percy is sure a lot of onlooking legionnaires are confused at the sight of their praetor extremely flustered while the other praetor looks terribly unimpressed and a little disappointed with a random daughter of Ceres cackling her soul out.
"Well, that's what you said," Reyna folds her arms.
"Well I didn't mean it," Percy says crossly. "I meant to recite Aristotle- 'A man cannot become a hero unless he can see the roots of his downfall'. My Latin isn't perfect."
"It isn't even remotely good," Leila wipes a tear from her eye. "Tough, but I'd reckon Aristotle must be proud."
"Aristotle must be rolling in his grave," Reyna says.
Leila cackles some more.
Percy flushes and resolutely refuses to meet her eyes. "Well, at least I'm trying. Reyna, here, doesn't even deign to learn a little bit of Greek. Which means I know more languages than her," Percy says haughtily.
"I know Latin, Spanish, English, and French."
Percy looks at her in a horrid mixture of fascination and betrayal. He turns to Leila. "Well, she doesn't know Greek," He decides smugly. "So, who's the real loser here, huh?"
"Still you," Leila says. Percy skillfully ignores her.
"Why should I learn Greek?" Reyna raises her eyebrow. "I'm not the leader of Camp Half-Blood. You, on the other hand, are the Praetor of Rome. Being proficient in Latin is literally in the job description."
"Bloody regretting it already," Percy mutters. "I could've stayed with my best friend in New York, but nooo, I had to fall for the vile charms of the daughter of Bellona."
"Vile charms?" Leila raises her eyebrow.
"She's like the Sirens. And I should now, I've been in their presence. Amphitrite- Salacia for you- has been teaching me the songs of the Sea and how I can use my amazing voice to 'charmspeak' people. Suffice to say, Salacia was very impressed with Reyna's voice when I took her to meet the goddess. She wouldn't stop talking about her 'angelic voice' and how much potential she had," Percy says fondly.
Reyna pinks and clears her throat. Percy cooes.
"Song of the Sea?" Leila asks curiously. "Also, what do you mean by charmspeak? Isn't that in Venus's domain?"
"The songs which the Sirens sing to lure in sailors," Percy explains. "It's a form of charmspeak. You forget Venus was one of the Sea. Her descendants have the power of charmspeak because they have varying levels of the sea in their blood, as well. They're all aided by their mother's powers of course, but being one of ours definitely makes it easier."
"So, you know how to charmspeak?" Leila asks, her interest renewed. "Percy, what the fuck, that's so cool! Imagine the shit you can have the Senate do if they act out or something."
"I'm learning how to charmspeak," Percy corrects. "And even if I somehow learn how, I'm not going to use it on the Senators. I've been under the control of someone else...and it sucked. I can't wish that on someone, no matter how they are," He shivers.
Reyna discreetly rubs his hand in comfort. "The Eidolons?" She prompts gently.
"Yeah," Percy nods uneasily. "The Eidolons. Sorry, Leila, that's a no to the controlling senators."
"Oh," Leila pouts but there is a careful tone to her speech. "You're no fun."
Percy smiles gently, knowing she is trying to dissolve the tension while being cautious for his sake. "Being around Reyna has changed me," He says mischievously. "My boyish charms have all but left me. Life is a pit."
Reyna rolls her eyes but there's a small smile on her face too. Percy glances at his girlfriend, a soft smile on his face. His hand snakes around hers and he bites his lips fondly.
He can't lie, the time after the Giant War had been...difficult. After his (mutual) break-up with Annabeth, he didn't really know what to do. Staying with his mom and finishing college in the mortal world was one of his to-do's but he knew internally that wasn't what he wanted.
Cooped up in a place full of mortals? Yeah, no, that was a bomb waiting to go off. Fortunately, he didn't have to make it work. Shortly after he left Camp, Reyna had invited him to become the praetor of New Rome. He had accepted her offer after a lot of consideration and some encouragement from his mom.
He liked New Rome and her people. They respected him enough to ignore the fact he was Greek. The work distracted him from Tartarus, and Reyna was a pretty awesome friend. And one thing led to another, and his old feelings for the Puerto-Rican demigoddess re-ignited, who was willing to ignore what he had done to her in the past and accept him.
"Oi," Leila snapped her fingers between Percy and Reyna, startling the two. "God, why don't you both just have babies already. You're fooling no one; everyone notices the disgustingly soppy looks you both give each other."
Percy chokes on his spit. "Leila! What the fuck!"
"That is incredibly inappropriate, Centurion Blaine," Reyna says, with a lot more composure than Percy, though there is some pink dusted on her cheeks. "Might I remind you we are still on the Field of Mars and any jeer against me can be met with a physical rebuttal?"
"Yeah," Percy says indignantly. "What she said."
Leila rolls her eyes. "Whatever, now weren't you two going to fight over your lunch orders? Well, go on then, I've been missing some entertainment this week."
"Leila," Reyna says. "It's past lunch for the Second Cohort. You should be with your cohort preparing for Boot camp."
"Ugh, fine, I'll go to the barracks. Reyna, you're no fun," She says trudging along the gravel path, all the while pouting and grumbling. Percy shakes his head fondly.
Pausing at the gate, she turns around and shouts, "Don't forget to tell me who wins, you both!"
"It's going to be me," Percy shouts back smugly.
"Keep on dreaming, Kelp-Head!"
an abrupt way to end this one-shot, I'm sorry, and i know i said you'll get the spar in this chapter and I'm also sorry but i just had this idea to introduce leila in this fic and this chapter seemed to work in my head. also, credit where credit's due, i got the charmspeak idea from wardofwinter's amazing works. you should definitely check them out.
nothing to say besides that except, please review, join the discord and the emerald library, all links are on my profile.
byee!