Disclaimer: Leo & Reyna – Rick Riordan. Mine - feelings that brought this into life.

A/N: My sincere apologies to anybody who may be waiting for any of my long overdue updates. I sat there today to try and write anything for those. What was born is this – a whim, a trial for if I can still create anything decent. Please enjoy!

Suggested listening: Wrongchilde - Falling In Love Will Kill You (feat. Gerard Way)

love

The liquor burnt his throat, making him cough just a little bit before he mustered the remaining bits of determination and swallowed down all the contents of his tequila shot in one go. Leo shook his head, cringing. That wasn't even tasty at all. It was nothing like the sweet he's grown so fond of over the years.

A small smirk curved the corner of his mouth. That bitter aftertaste was exactly what he needed.

He sat there, quietly, at a dimly lit bar downtown, too young and scrawny not to attract amused stares. Not a care about that. He must have also seemed like too much of a loser for anybody to try to pick a fight he would most likely lose right away.

Any other day, maybe his clever mind could have found a way to survive such a dirty little game of the brawny. But that day was nothing like everyday.

He doubted anything would ever be like it had used to. Or if he would.

Thoughtlessly, one of his hands lifted itself from the counter to begin trashing the mass of dark locks at the back of his head. Then he froze, suddenly remembering through a veil of stubborn denial, the soft touch of those other fingers mussing it playfully so many times earlier.

His arm sloped heavily back down to the cold surface.

Leo tried closing his eyes to help scare away the cruel reminder that was threatening to take over once again. But cutting off his senses didn't help either. It never had.

Seemed like an aching heart had its own set of eyes and ears to haunt him with.

"Thanks," came out merely a weak whisper when he forced a five-dollar bill into one of the big, sweaty hands of the bartender before leaving in more of a hurry for himself to even try to seem okay. He had enough of that nasty lie anyway.

Night air chill teased his cheeks when he walked down the street. Where to? Nowhere in particular. Anywhere would be fine as long as it helped blur the memories.

(The sound of her laughing through her tears. He had helped her dry them with his puns that were just equally horrible as they were funny. Leo couldn't exactly fake a good joke. But it was completely another story when it came to faking a smile.)

The pebble he kicked hit a trash bin across the street, loud, metallic rumble possibly waking a stray cat or two up. His head felt dizzy, like he had forgotten to intake air for just a tad too long.

(Her eyes gleaming cheerfully whenever she saw him walk into her office, just stopping by. How his own pulse fastened, no matter how many mornings like that they had already had. Leo had watched a documentary on drug addicts recently. It always was just that one last time.)

He didn't exactly know where he was headed. It seemed his body had had the precise plan from the very beginning, though.

Leo hesitated. He felt as if every single one of his ribs had been broken, crumbling down in a deadly embrace on his lungs. He couldn't breathe.

He shouldn't be there. Not ever again.

"Leo..?" Reyna's eyebrows drew together when she opened the door, taking half a step back to have a better look at her friend standing just there at her doorstep. Perfectly shaped, dark brown eyes drilling him with a questioning gaze. What was not just that about her? Perfect.

His features calm, mischievous smile back at his lips where it belonged, where it had used to belong until not that long ago. "Hey, warrior queen! May I come in?"

(The pain in her voice breaking ever so slightly, almost unnoticeable, when she had told him she would never be able to find happiness with a demigod. Leo was just that. Half-god, half-human.)

Not coming back would have broken him even worse, that much he was sure of.

ZJeM, 15.06.2016

From author:

If I succeeded in making you feel anything, be it negative or positive, please leave a word on that, if you are even so kind! :)

THANKS FOR READING!