Feel free to put on a sad song. Have you ever listened to music and read at the same time? It's kind of like watching a movie, but it's hard because you have to balance the song with the book and then you get lost in the book but forget about the song. It's really cool, though.
Please review. It only takes about five seconds. Even a single word is good enough for me.
Jason blinks a few times, not wanting to get out of the warm bed. He looks at the clock. Eleven forty five. He closes his eyes again. The knocking continues and Jason sighs, throwing his covers off and making his way sleepily to the door. He opens it slowly.
"Yeah?" He mutters, rubbing his eyes. He blinks and sees that it's Reyna. Her hair is in a loose braid and she's wearing red and black flannel pants and a maroon tank top. He quickly looks down realizes that he's only wearing gray boxers. Reyna's glancing at the ground and has a slight flush to her cheeks.
"Oh uh... I'm gonna uh... I'll be right back." Jason stammers, slamming the door. He curses and feels his face grow warm as he runs to his room and throws on black sweatpants and his camp shirt. Jason then realizes he very rudely slammed the door in Reyna's face without thinking.
He opens the door again and apologizes.
"It's okay." Reyna says. He invites her inside and Reyna steps across the threshold.
"Can I get you anything to drink?" Jason asks, closing the door.
"No." Reyna says. She takes a seat on a stool at the counter.
"What's wrong?" Jason asks.
"I wanted to talk to you."
"About what?"
"I've just been having dreams."
"About?" Jason prompted, slightly impatient.
Reyna takes a deep breath before she speaks,"You."
Jason pauses and there is a moment of awkwardness. He can think of about five different types of dreams she could be having about him, some of which were not appropriate.
His voice seems strained when he speaks.
"What about me?"
"I've been having these dreams for a few days now, but this time it felt so real. In my dreams you're gone-"
"Like... Dead?"
"No, just lost. I search and search but can't find you anywhere. It's like you disappeared off the face of the earth. I don't know what I'd do without you. You're my best friend. We're supposed to be partners. You're the kind, fair praetor and I'm the strict, tactical one. We're supposed to balance each other out. But, I can't do everything all by myself," Reyna's voice starts to shake and her voice raises to a higher pitch, like someone who's trying to speak while crying. Oh my gods is she tearing up? Jason wonders, his heart sinking and melting at the same time. "I n-need you, Jason. More than you know. When you're not by my side I just feel s-so alone. Please don't leave me, a-at least without knowing that... that I-" Reyna's voice breaks.
Jason feels so bad for Reyna, and he knows that demigod dreams usually aren't normal dreams. Sometimes they're premonitions...
He suddenly begins to worry and feel like crying all at the same time. This combination causes a feeling of panic to overtake him and a numb feeling to settle in his limbs. Jason doesn't want to be lost. His home is here, and no one can take that away from him.
"Shhh. Hey, don't cry." Jason says as gently as he can. He reaches across the counter and takes her hand. He doesn't like seeing her in pain, or being upset. She's usually so blank and unreadable, that when she cries Jason knows something really bad happened.
She looks at him with slightly watery eyes. Reyna who probably cries a lot less than normal girls do, takes his hand and presses it to her cheek. For a moment, Jason forgets how to breathe.
Jason wants to kiss her to just help her forget everything for a moment or two. It'd be easy. All he had to do was lean across the counter, and tangle his free hand in her hair, then force his lips on hers.
No. There was a reason they haven't taken their relationship further. It'd be too distracting, they wouldn't be able to work together as good as they do now, because they'll probably be wanting to do other things than running the camp. Praetors are meant to lead armies, train demigods, and try their best to make the right decisions. They are supposed to be leading. Not falling in love and making out instead of staying on task.
Reyna slowly releases his hand and averts her gaze. She looks everywhere but him. She blinks a few times
"Sorry about... I feel stupid for coming here and waking you up and... I'm just going to go. I'm so sorry, Jason." Reyna says, her voice still shaking, when she quickly gets up to leave. In an instant Jason's by her side.
"No. Wait Reyna, don't go," Jason says, then his voice drops to a whisper. "You know you can be yourself around me. I don't care that you woke me up. I'm glad you did. I'm here for you, and you know that. You can always come talk to me. I'm a good listener. If there's something you need, just tell me."
Reyna's eyes are still glassy from tears. Her lower lip quivers. She whispers with a quaking voice,"Hold me?"
Jason feels like crying himself. Please don't cry, Reyna. You're going to make me cry. He wishes so badly that he can just steal her pain away. He wraps his arms protectively around her and holds her close to his body. Reyna clings to him. Her arms are wrapped around him, her hands gripping the back of his shirt.
She's shaking, and he can't tell whether it's from fear or sadness. Her warm lips accidently press against his neck as she makes a sound like she's trying to hold in a sob. A shock of electricity jolts up Jason's back when her lips touch his skin. Reyna sniffles and leans her head on his shoulder. He wraps his arms tighter around her, trying to hold her together. She cries silently, her wet cheeks brushing against his skin.
Jason's heart sinks faster than a lightning struck eagle plummeting from the sky. His throat collapses in on him and his chest tightens, like it does when you're about to cry. He becomes partially blind when tears begin to form in his eyes. He blinks them away the best he can, but they're still there, clouding his vision.
"You can stay here tonight, if you want. You can sleep on the couch." Jason implies.
"Can't. I should go back to my house." She mumbles.
"You don't have to." Jason almost pleads.
"Yes I do." Reyna lies.
She pulls herself away from him, wisps of her hair are stuck to his shoulder and chest from static electricity, probably from the jolt that ran up his back. Reyna turns her back on him, but Jason puts a hand on her shoulder.
"Reyna, what are you not telling me?"
He can feel that she's not just crying because of him. It's because of something that's bigger than either of them.
"I've already said everything I had to say." Reyna whispers. She walks around him, and goes to sit on the couch in the living room.
Jason follows her and sits next to her. She's lying, Jason can tell that much. Even though Reyna is the best liar he knows, they'd been best friends for almost four years. When you're so close to someone for that long, you begin to know them almost as much as they know themselves.
"I wish I could tell you, Jason. But, I can't. I swore on the River Styx not to say anything."
Tears begin to stream down Reyna's face again. Jason tries his best not to show worry as he takes her in his arms again. He, trying not to cry or muse on what she swore not to say.
Eventually, her tears flow less, and her breathing becomes steadier. Jason looks at her, and when he's sure she's almost asleep, he lays her down on the couch. He grabs the blanket folded above it down, and throws it across Reyna's sleeping figure.
She reaches out and grabs his wrist, half awake.
"Donb leeve me aone," She mutters. Jason wonders if she's talking jibberish in her sleep, so he says okay. "Swayer"
"What?"
"Swayer."
"Swayer... Swear? Oh. Okay, okay. I swear, Reyna. I swear."
Jason touches her cheek, then goes to the laundry room where he keeps a few extra blankets. He pulls one out and goes back into the living room, laying down on the floor next to the couch, using the pillow from a nearby chair. He holds her hand as he drifts off, a silent gesture saying that he'll always be by her side.
Sadly promises, like hopes and dreams, are easily broken.