Disclaimer: I don't own PJO nor HoO, they are the beautiful children of Rick Riordan.
A/N: This update is for the Guest Reviewer that wrote that "Leyna doesn't get better than this fanfic". You are the sole reason why I had kicked myself back into writing this chapter not to make you all wait for another half a year or so. Thank you so, so much for those words! :3
CHAPTER 8
Camp Jupiter's Principia was obviously not merely a casual daily destination to visit for most of the campers and guests. If you weren't one of the authorities, including the praetors, or if you weren't invited by one of those to join them in whatever task they would have assigned you to, it was plain unthinkable for you to enter that place of highest importance just like that! Even their fellow demigods' letters of complaint or official requests had their special forms to be filled in and delivered straight to Reyna or Frank's offices by those few whose actual job it was to get that very serious task done. That being said, on most days, not a single stray soul interrupted the female leader at work, allowing her undisrupted focus and thus, way more of priceless efficiency.
However, it seemed that this particular visitor didn't actually give a thing about what wasn't exactly well seen of him. But was that anything to surprise her when the issue came down to the Greek troublemaker that had recently been invading the usual peace of Reyna's days? (And what was even worse, the most private hours of the nighttime of hers, as well..?)
Said interruption, namely nobody else but Leo Valdez himself, walked into the room without knocking, basically slamming the door open so suddenly that a part of her wondered briefly if the hinges wouldn't be damaged after that frisky display of the young man's overgrown ego. The praetor didn't even flinch or show her surprise in any other physical way, though. He would have been punished for the unexpected visit soon enough… It was almost too hard to try to hide a dirty little smirk at the thought of what the look on his scandalously cocky face would be when it finally happened…
Only… Something was off. Why hadn't the show started already..?
Reyna's head jerked up, searching with slight worry (she so wasn't going to admit it!) for any signs of that maybe her beloved automaton companions had overdone it anyhow, this time, and that the Latino flirt hadn't stood any chance against their predator instincts – sharp teeth and metal claws included in the starters pack, were the trespasser too persistent! If they had only remembered the disdain she'd used to have for him and ignored how she had recently decided to grant him another chance, and acted upon the past emotions of their owner… Well, she would have had a lot of explaining to do, not to mention the cleaning..!
Fortunately for him, which wasn't exactly the greatest turn of events for her pride as a Roman demigod and daughter of the goddess of war (of all things!), Aurum and Argentum seemed to have opted for a significantly different approach than what would have been suggested as most suitable… More like they, being such stunning creations themselves, had no other choice than to become completely head over heels at the first sight with the skillful, clever son of the god of anything that was mechanical! Why hadn't she considered that earlier? Had Reyna had smell sensitive as that of a dog, Leo would have probably even smelled like metal to her!
"Hey there, easy, boys!" said male laughed, careful not to throw Aurum off his lap while struggling not to let Argentum push him onto his back with the force of the dog's joyful bounces. It had been a very long time since Reyna had seen her companions so passionate playing with anybody but her, their tails almost whirling like crazy propellers, perfectly matched with the madness in the storm of the vibrant reaction of their new favorite male and his strong, tan arms petting them, his dark eyes gleaming and everything from the tips of his sneakers up to the ridiculous curls of his (which she was beginning to suspect held the rule over their own existence…) making it impossible for the dogs to treat him like anybody else but a new wonderful buddy!
So it seemed, it was yet another situation in which the cacophony of Leo's uncontrolled cackle plus somebody's pleading whining was brutally forced into her ears, however of significantly different situational context, which was a real savior for the son of Hephaestus… But why did it have to be one of the symbols of her own reputation of reason and power being violated this time, even worse, in his very eyes?! Why, boys, why couldn't you resist the temptation?!
Reyna pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled tiredly, letting her eyelids droop, intending to wait out until the display in front of her finished… Until she wouldn't have to fight the treacherous nasty urge creeping inside of her with a flickering flame of warmth, encouraging to maybe even join the cheerful small pack..?
When the noise quieted down some, the praetor finally let her vision examine the crime scene, intending to treat her unexpected guest only little less severely as she would have done with such a criminal. The view though, it was nothing she would have voted for as the most probable option for how Leo, that noisy rule-breaker, could have had his way with the situation. She certainly wasn't expecting him to have fled so much in a hurry..?
Bold touch of a pair of warm, work-worn hands on her nape helped her find the lost persona soon enough, but it wasn't like it were quite good news, when she was faced with another, brand-new craziness of the personification of unpredictability whose sense of humor made him name a dragon Happy! Immediately, her whole body became tense, but that, to her disadvantage, only seemed to amuse him so the more. It was in the way a low chuckle lurked deep in his chest, most likely forced down with considerable difficulty by his own tease-loving will...
She herself didn't know if the sensation of that silent closure of another living, breathing person present right behind her back wasn't actually alarming her more than the not as unfamiliar weight resting on her shoulders…
What was even worse, Reyna hated that how he was obviously going one step too far didn't even seem like that much of a difference after what had happened between them at the party, the night before… And she couldn't possibly passively accept the fact of how good it felt to brush the inappropriateness off and simply give into the heat that went down her back in soothing waves while Leo still tested the waters, brushing the exposed skin with not much more than just the tips of his fingers…
She wasn't going to give up without a decent, honorable fight, though!
"Don't. You. Da…" the last syllable of the rather chilly warning hitched in her throat with the first powerful knead of his hands, and while she would rather go on a date with Orion than admit it, what came out of her mouth instead sounded more like a cross between a hiss of surprise and a quiet moan of pleasure. Reyna hadn't realized just how much all the hard work she did had been putting her body under stress, or more like it, she was subconsciously ignoring the fact of herself ever feeling tired at all…
She savored a few unhurried, even breaths that were certainly not what wouldn't have been neglected in the everyday hectic lifestyle of a dedicated Roman praetor, where there was not a single soul in the whole Camp that wouldn't have needed her for something on a regular basis, when she was looked up to and respected, but having to pay the price for such an honor, and that was never having the space to step down from bearing the burden she herself had decided to have thrown upon her. She never regretted the decision. But it was priceless to be granted that short while of thoughtlessness that the Fates apparently thought would have been absolutely hilarious to send in the form of a brilliant massage given her not only while Reyna was still at work, but with the hands of a newly found, troublesome friend (she repeated the word to herself, double-checking if the status stood firm in her head).
She didn't even realize that her eyes had closed until he decided to point it out with mischievous satisfaction way too obvious in the way he didn't even hesitate to lean lazily right next to her ear, making her disobedient pulse knock on the walls of her neck exposed to the closure of his mouth... "You like it, mi reina…" his voice cracked a bit, like Leo himself wasn't exactly sure if the murmur was supposed to be more of a seductive offer or a proclamation of victory… A small electrifying spark jumped down her spine, making her body squirm away from him ever so slightly, and what infuriated her most about that involuntary reaction was that however tiny it really was, it simply couldn't have gone unnoticed by him, who was making her break her own self-proclaimed rules like that! Despising her own weaknesses was one thing. Letting others see how they had gained an upper hand in a certain situation – that was simply unforgivable!
But Reyna wasn't intending on letting him play his game for too long that time... Not in her territory, the place that presented itself as a firm confirmation of the Roman code, her own code of doing things. He could try the tricks and be convinced of his chances for undisrupted success anywhere and anytime else - however, if she ever were to risk losing the Principia, she could have already been declaring defeat in every field existing! That solution would have been nothing worthy of a Roman soldier, a leader of the Legion, a child of Bellona, but most importantly – it would have made her terribly disappointed in herself…
Reyna mustered every bit of static chill she only could to make it more than crystal clear what price Leo would have to pay if he kept trying to force her to stand against herself one more time. Hiding how his (only seemingly) innocent favor had not only been a nuisance went unusually well when she pointed out bluntly, not even casting the jester a sideway glance but instead fixing her eyesight on the gold knob of the door in front of them, "You like taking advantage of women, don't you?" Next thing done, she reached to her shoulders and brushed his confident grip off them, trying not to admire their addicting warmth for whichever time already… There was a moment of silence, but of course it didn't last too long.
"Ouch," Leo snorted with mock hurt. He wouldn't have been himself if he hadn't laughed it all off, like he had always done up until then in the situations when she hadn't been all too completely serious. It hit her suddenly how he was probably one of the very few people who could not only stand her intimidating stance for longer, but still manage to keep being a tease, on top of that. Quite impressive, judging by how rather little quality time they had spent together up to date... She made sure she wouldn't remark on that by accident, at least not soon. It would be no good to boost his cocky attitude even further.
The praetor watched her guest come back to the spot where he had actually been supposed to stay throughout the visit, and that were in front of the desk, where she could have it all perfectly under control, just the way she liked it best. The smile on his face would have probably been considered as sheepish were it not for the amount of busy time Leo had spent on becoming every father of daughter's nightmare, a mesmerizing bad boy any sane woman would have known better than to approach - but of course that wouldn't stop them from falling into his arms like a typical daydreaming moth into a flame… He pushed his hands into his jeans' pockets, embarrassed enough (very well played!), however still bold enough not to stop looking her right in the eye, even when he was obviously waiting for her to make the next move in the game of theirs she would have been too naive if she had been hoping had ended with just that one silly dance…
She had no other choice than to pick up the pawn.
"Remember that accepting your apology doesn't necessarily mean I have decided to pardon your guilt…" Reyna trailed off some just for the pleasure of the sight of the glint of uncertainty in his eyes that was gone almost as soon as it had appeared, pushed away with a charming smile and a persistent stare that Leo had mastered to the point of probably being a more successful speaker than even Octavian himself – at least if the victim in question were attracted to males, or rather to nasty, manipulative, handsome ones of the kind, were it to be put in more detail…
"Actually, about that…" he began in a slightly hushed tone that would have made him seem completely innocuous and sweet, as opposed to the reason behind why he had to be trying his way with her, in attempts to maybe even get away without being punished for his misbehavior… It wouldn't have worked on her, for sure..! Fortunately for him, she had made up her mind on her own some time earlier...
Reyna stopped the prelude to another one of his negotiating efforts with a simple swift movement of her hand. "It's fine, I won't hold either of you responsible… But this is the last time. Try it just one more time and there is not a single thing in the world that would be able to save you…" she warned him gravely, however allowing herself to let a small friendly smile onto her face. Judging by the shudder of his shoulders, the little touch of grotesque managed to do its wonders in the art of intimidation… Perfect. She would have to congratulate herself on handling the situation so well later, maybe by treating herself to that brand new type of hot chocolate in her favorite café near the Garden of Bacchus..?
The praetor got so lost in her lazy planning that she had missed the moment in which Leo had leaned on the desk, his face now mere centimeters from hers, so close that she could feel the heat on her cheeks and that the white of the teeth of his grin almost blinded her. It was a miracle she didn't fall off her chair when the realization hit her hard like that nasty, drunk bacchante running through the Camp, chasing after another glass of her beloved party juice. Fortunately, he didn't seem to have noticed anything, which meant that she was still on the safe side. Any sign of a weakness and he would have used it all too well, she was very much aware of that!
"Soo, I say – you, me, coffee? I have to try to thank you somehow for your benignity!" the shoulders that had been tense with fear not that long ago now shook with laughter that was obviously triggered by the look of confusion of hers at the sudden invitation. Her eyes followed his hand that brushed the side of Leo's neck, and watched how the mock pout blended with a playful smirk of the pair of rather finely shapely lips... His eyes glistened with joy, but it wasn't merely flirtatious like every other time, it seemed more gentle than just that… Mixed with relief and something else she couldn't yet name, it felt more natural than most of the expressions she had seen from him… "C'mon, you need a break from dealing with annoying likes like me! And I know just the place you will love!"
The first time, it were guilt and insecurity, this time around, a peek inside another side of him, one completely different yet as much intriguing… Who knew how much more of the real Leo Valdez she could get to know if she only let that whole bizarre thing be..? What waited for her in that man, if he ever were to dispose of the falsehood he kept as his protective layers..?
The danger involved meant so little when it were the only contraindication of tasting the thrill of exploring any new, mysterious land… And one of the things Reyna hated most in the entire universe was not giving a tempting road the least of a try!
ZJeM, 16.06-27.11.2016
From author:
Most of you are probably wondering why this chapter is probably about half the length of the previous one. The reasons are plain and simple – very little free time and the dull skills that come with less writing training, eh… However, fear not, I am so not planning on leaving this fic just like that! Not with some of the new ideas I have come up with while writing this part! :) I've been thinking what to do to update more frequently and I have decided on maybe trying to shorten the chapters – this way, they will seem more like oneshots to me, and I have always claimed that those are my greatest fanfiction love and are much easier to write. ;)
Please bear with me and the ridiculousness of this A/N, I'm writing it half past midnight after a day full of studying, you get the rest... ;) [But if it's 27th already, happy birthday to me! :') I'm more than sure it will take me too long to get used to starting writing my age with "2", hahah!]
THANKS FOR READING!
