A smirk came to Reyna's face as she watched the video play in front of her. From her left, she could hear Leo laughing so hard that there were tears leaking from his eyes. Annabeth stood directly next to Reyna and had a look on her face that was a mix between amusement and sympathy.
"Play it again!" Leo called as he wiped his eyes. Reyna smirked and rewound the video. A knock on the door drew her attention away. "Not not, Piper. Actually, wait! Come here!"
"Is this another one of your freaky meme videos?" Piper asked as she slowly approached. A scowl came to her face. "This better not be another rickroll."
Piper walked around the computer as Reyna pressed play. They all watched the video camera that showed the view of the asshole that had spiked Piper's drink. The front door burst open as he ran outside and right toward the road. Before he could cross, a car slammed right into him.
Reyna had not felt bad at all when she first heard about it. In fact, the policeman that responded to their call about the asshole spiking the drink was the one who told them the ambulance outside was for said asshole. And it gave the officer what was probably the easiest arrest of his life.
Upon learning that the asshole wasn't dead and only had a few broken bones, Reyna assumed it was socially acceptable to laugh about his pain. Thankfully, Leo joined in not long after. A gasp left Piper as the man got hit by the car in the video.
"It's hilarious, isn't it?" Leo asked.
"They've watched this seven times now," Annabeth commented. Reyna just smirked and leaned back in her chair. Her side still ached something fierce, but this made it worth it.
"Can I get a copy?" Leo questioned. Reyna looked expectantly at Annabeth. The human gave them both an annoyed look before finally nodding. Reyna's smirk widened, and she slowly stood.
"Is Jason still here?" Reyna asked. Leo nodded and pointed towards the door. Reyna nodded and walked out of the room, but heard someone follow. Reyna looked back at Piper.
"Thank you so much," Piper expressed as she looked at Reyna. "If I had drank that and then went outside with him like he wanted..."
"But you didn't," Reyna shrugged. "Might want to avoid drinks from strangers, though."
"Thank you," Piper said again, and this time, she hugged Reyna tightly. Reyna stiffened, and Piper felt like she was shaking slightly.
"Hey, it's okay," Reyna began. She gently tried to pry herself from Piper but couldn't.
"Sorry," Piper mumbled into her chest. "It's just that... I was so close to going on my break with him."
Reyna slowly brought her arms around Piper and rubbed her back. Piper continued, "He's been here a few times, and he's always been nice. I just..."
"Shh," Reyna whispered as she continued to rub Piper's back. She rested her lips near Piper's ear. "You're fine, Piper. That asshole won't come back here, and you're my friend. I'm going to protect you."
Piper nodded and took deep breaths like she was trying to calm down. Reyna could hear how fast her heart was beating. She just held the other woman close and tried to comfort her. Piper finally stepped away and wiped her eyes.
"Think I could get a copy of that video, though?" Piper asked.
"Of course you can," Reyna said as a grin peeled her face. Down the hall, she saw Jason turn the corner. He hurried toward them and stopped by Piper's side.
"Are you still doing okay, Piper?" Jason questioned. It took a moment for Piper to nod, and she took a deep breath.
"Thanks to Reyna," Piper said. She swallowed painfully. "I'm a little shaken up, but I'll be okay. I was going to get a copy of the footage of that dick getting hit by the car."
"Annabeth is making copies," Reyna responded. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and studied Jason.
"You both have a good night," Piper said as she smiled at both of them and walked away. Jason shifted his attention to Reyna, and the two watched each other quietly. Reyna wasn't sure what to say.
"Should we talk?" Jason spoke up softly, and Reyna nodded her agreement. The two walked into the empty breakroom, and Reyna sat on the table. She placed the edge of her heels on the table and brought her arms around her knees. Jason stood across from her.
Neither said anything for a moment. Then, Jason sighed, "I do like you, Reyna. I have a crush on you."
Reyna shook her head and looked down, "I just never had a relationship like that."
"This could be the first one," Jason suggested. Reyna shook her head.
"I don't think you get it, Jason. I don't do relationships. I've never had the chance to, and at the moment, I'm not sure if it's what I want," Reyna said. A sigh left her as she hung her head. "I haven't really had the chance to live my life. Now that I do..."
"I shouldn't push you if you don't want to," Jason agreed with a sigh as he sat beside her. "I just... I don't know what to do. I enjoy sleeping with you, and it really helps during the full moon."
"There are other things that you can do, though. You just refuse to," Reyna pointed out. "Exercise and-"
"I don't need the lecture," Jason interrupted rudely. Reyna slowly looked up at him; Jason didn't look mad. Just stressed. "I do have feelings for you that go beyond being a friend. I don't know what to do."
"I don't even know how to decipher what I feel," Reyna stated. Another sigh left her. "I really don't."
Jason sat by her. The two sat in silence and stared ahead. Reyna cared for Jason as a friend. In fact, she cared for everyone at the bar. But, she wasn't sure at what point her feelings went from a friendship into something more. Reyna didn't have a frame of reference of what love was supposed to be.
The only thing she had was how she felt toward her sister, but that went deeper than a relationship with a partner. The love she felt for a sibling couldn't be the same for someone she dated, right? It was so complicated, and it only frustrated Reyna even more.
"If we're not going to date, I don't think we should sleep together anymore," Jason suggested. "It's just going to be awkward for me with all these emotions mixing together."
"I agree," Reyna sighed softly. "Maybe in the future. I don't know. I really don't."
"That's okay," Jason excused. "I hate feelings. They're so complicated."
"They are," Reyna agreed. "Are we still friends, or are you going to make this all awkward?"
"We're still friends," Jason promised. "As long as you're fine with that."
"I am," Reyna confirmed. She swallowed painfully and slowly laid back on the table. "Besides, who is going to teach you how to be a werewolf without me?"
"A sex addicted old lady," Jason replied. A smirk split Reyna's face. Jason laid on the table next to her. "Is your side okay?"
"It aches just a little," Reyna answered. "I don't know if it's because it still hurts or if it's because of the memories attached to it."
"Probably both," Jason decided. "Didn't that crazy bitch tear your side open?"
"She tore her fingers into my side," Reyna explained as she shuddered. The ache in her side tripled. Reyna forced herself to sit up and press her elbow against the old wound to erase the phantom pain. "We should get out of here."
"Yeah," Jason agreed. He slowly stood. "Are you working Chiron's event?"
"I am," Reyna confirmed. Jason smiled slightly. "So, you're going to make sure that I don't mess anything up, right?"
"Promise," Jason swore. He followed her out of the break room, and Reyna made her way back to Clarisse's office to get her things. Stepping inside showed that Annabeth was finishing up with the computer.
"Have a good night," Annabeth said as she looked at Reyna.
"You too," Reyna returned. She grabbed her backpack. "Hey, um. Is Clarisse okay? I haven't been able to text her. Cause you know..."
"The English barrier?" Annabeth asked.
"Oh, yeah. That," Reyna said quickly, thankful that she didn't have to make up some kind of excuse.
"Chris is doing better. Clarisse is just taking time off to take care of him," Annabeth explained. "She is very protective of her boyfriend."
Reyna nodded her agreement and slung the backpack across her shoulder. Annabeth closed the laptop, and the two of them left Clarisse's office. Annabeth continued, "Clarisse will be happy how you handled tonight. She'll be upset that she wasn't here to throw the guy into the car herself."
Reyna smirked because that would have been quite the sight. She glanced at Annabeth, "Have a good night."
"You as well," Annabeth said. She left the office, and Reyna trudged behind. She was tired from the day and annoyed that her body still ached. On the bright side, it was almost over. Her talk with Jason didn't go terribly, especially because they both felt like they wanted to get it over with. Hopefully, their friendship would stay intact.