Whew, this one was tough. But I think you guys are gonna really like it! Worth the two-week wait, I hope.

Oh, and remember when I said this was a high T rating? Well, get ready for it. Time to start justifying my warnings.

Enjoy! Heh heh.

After you found out your 'good enough' / Wasn't good enough for everyone else

The following Saturday was August 1st, the five-year anniversary of their victory in the Giant War. A feast had been planned in the mess hall, though it was a rather lax celebration and attendance wasn't by any means required.

Well, not for most of the legion, anyway. Reyna and Octavian, conversely, didn't have that choice.

Not that Octavian, Reyna suspected, would have missed the event either way. Any chance to spend time schmoozing his adoring supporters was not lost on the former augur, and as expected he was all smiles and amity that evening, trading stories and reminiscing about the war as though it was nothing but a happy memory—another rung on his lifetime ladder of achievement. Of course, he hadn't been particularly responsible for any great strides made against Gaea and her army, but that fact didn't seem relevant for the time being.

Truthfully, Reyna didn't altogether mind Octavian's boasts. She tuned them out for the most part and took advantage of the time his attention was geared away from her to think about other things, such as the work she could be doing right now and how busy she would be the following day making up for it. Alright, perhaps that was a bit of an overstatement. It wouldn't really make that much of a difference. But still, thinking as such gave her a sense of justification for her reluctance in remaining at the feast—a sensible reason apart from the simple fact that she just didn't want to spend time with her boyfriend. Unfortunately for her, though, he seemed rather unwilling to let her stray too far from his vicinity for too long, always finding her again shortly after she'd slip away with a slim arm around her waist or a light touch to her shoulder. He wasn't pushy or aggressive—how could he be without drawing attention? But his subtlety was more than sufficient to convey his meaning—he and Reyna were a happy, committed couple, and he wanted everyone to see it.

Fine, Reyna considered. He can have these few hours. That much is nothing I can't handle.

'Handling' things aside, Reyna did her best to enjoy herself. She talked with her own friends when the opportunity arose and ate her fill at dinner, not paying too much mind to the way Octavian's hand and arm kept brushing against hers as they sat closely together at the head table. He seemed to be in a particularly good mood (which helped to keep her own stress level at a minimum), possibly, Reyna guessed, owing to the fact that the building team had elected to skip the festivities in favor of continuing their work. In fact, both praetors had seen very little of their guests over the past week. It seemed Octavian wouldn't have to worry about their taking the project seriously.

The Greek-less celebration wasn't fated to last the entire night, however, as around nine o'clock a small commotion was brought about by the arrival of almost the entire building team at once—despite the word Reyna had heard that they hadn't planned on attending. All of them, Greek and Roman alike, had a look of worn resignation as they entered the mess hall, covered in dirt and ash, and Reyna couldn't help but notice agitated expressions on more than a few faces.

"Did something happen?" she asked the nearest of them once she'd made her way from where she'd been standing near the head table.

A Greek guy her age with sandy brown hair—Jake, she thought his name was—turned and gave her an off-handed half-shrug. "Minor mishap in the warehouse. Nothing serious," he added hastily as she opened her mouth. "Jam in the bellows. Easy fix, but it got pretty hot in there. We had to leave or risk some pretty nasty burns. Things'll cool down by morning, especially with Leo in there patching things up."

"He stayed behind?"

"Yeah, gave the rest of us the night off." Jake raised his hands at Reyna's frown. "He's immune to fire, remember? Hell of a useful skill—I'd kill to be able to do the stuff he can. Anyway, like I said, it's an easy fix. He said he'd take care of it tonight so we can get back to the old grind in the A.M."

"Alone?" Reyna said skeptically.

Jake shrugged again, glancing over his shoulder as his team began to disperse, heading for the remaining tables of food. "Yeah. He does a lot of his best work by himself. I mean, Leo loves being the center of attention and all—you know how he is." He rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "But sometimes we gotta leave him alone for a while. It's just his thing. And I get it, really. Machines are easier to deal with than people."

Reyna though of Aurum and Argentum—two machines which had always been some of her closest friends—and realized she rather agreed with that statement.

"Okay, thanks," she said to Jake with a nod. She held a hand toward the room at large and added, "Enjoy the rest of the feast."

He grinned and clapped his hands together. "Oh, I plan to." And with that, he pushed through the crowd and disappeared.

As Reyna made her way back to Octavian to share what she'd learned, her mind stayed on her automaton pets and she got a sudden idea—a way she might be able to give her boyfriend the slip for a few hours. She remained stoic and polite in his presence for a little while longer so as not to appear too eager to leave, and when activity had begun to lull she turned to him and touched his arm with a smile.

"Looks like things are winding down," she said in a low voice. "Probably safe for us to leave."

"I'd say you're right," Octavian agreed, mirroring her smile. "Tired? Ready to call it a night?"

"Actually, I was thinking of taking Aurum and Argentum out for a bit," Reyna suggested. "I've still got some energy to wind down and they've been cooped up inside for too long. I might take them to the arena and train a little. Want to come along?"

The question sounded honest and innocent, and predictably Octavian seemed to tense just barely at the prospect. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I'd better head off to bed. Early start tomorrow and all, what with today being spent preparing for the feast."

Score, Reyna congratulated herself. Octavian had never been keen on spending time with her automaton greyhounds, a fact which she would be sure to exploit in the future.

"Okay, if you say so," she replied, sounding appropriately disappointed. Together they bid their farewells and left the mess hall, headed for the principia, where they parted ways. Reyna made a quick stop at her apartment to shed her armor and cloak, change into more comfortable clothes, and grab her beautiful, boyfriend-warding canines. She'd been right about their being stuck inside for too long—they were ecstatic to get out in the fresh air and run around.

For a little over an hour, Reyna trained with Aurum and Argentum in New Rome's arena. She and her dogs alike needed the exercise, after all, and it was relaxing to get some time to herself, away from her responsibilities to her job and her fellow praetor. She'd been a member of the Twelfth Legion for over nine years, praetor for almost as long. It was a stressful job, that much was certain. But she loved Camp Jupiter, and the stress was a small price to pay for the legion's happiness. That was something she'd decided long ago. Still, it felt good to take time to herself, just to relax and free her mind. In a few months' time, she would hit her ten-year anniversary at Camp Jupiter—and subsequently would have the option of retiring from service to live peacefully in New Rome. But even with the opportunity, presently Reyna couldn't see herself stepping down. Not yet—especially not while Octavian was in charge. After all, he hadn't retired after completing his ten years. And there was no way she'd let herself appear weaker than him.

Now on her way out of New Rome, Reyna scowled at the ground. The whole point of this alone time was to allow her a respite from thinking about Octavian, and yet here he was, still on her mind. It was annoying. She needed to come up with a better way of distracting herself from her fake-relationship-related frustrations, or she'd crack before long.

And speaking of distractions, Reyna slowed her pace as she passed the building warehouse south of the camp, her eyes going to the thin wisps of gray smoke drifting far above the building. They'd long since dissipated, faded and barely visible in the night air. She considered for a moment checking in to see if Leo was still there—to make sure everything was okay, of course, and that whatever mishap had taken place wouldn't be setting them back too far. Entertaining a brief moment of indecision, Reyna glanced toward the principia, to where Octavian could very well have been waiting for her to return. It was that thought more than anything that spurred her legs into motion, urging them to carry her closer to the warehouse.

Inside, the building was dimly lit by downward rays from only a few of the industrial florescent light strips along the ceiling. It was much quieter than the last time she'd visited, void of the cacophony of voices and steady hum of machinery. The air inside was stifling hot, but more uncomfortable, Reyna noticed, than deadly. Things must have cooled down since Jake and the others had appeared in the mess hall a while ago. Argentum barked loudly as though testing the silence, the mechanical noise echoing off the vaulted walls and making Reyna cringe.

"Hey, nobody's supposed to be in—Reyna."

Reyna turned around to see Leo emerging from a side doorway, a surprised look on his face. "What are you doing here?" he asked as Aurum and Argentum yelped happily and raced toward him, nearly knocking him over with the enthusiasm of their greeting.

Going for a more subtle hello, Reyna took a few leisurely steps farther into the room. "I heard about the accident," she explained. "Just wanted to drop by and make sure everything was alright."

"Thanks for the concern," Leo responded with an amiable grin as he gave the automaton greyhounds some of the attention they were clearly after. "We're good here. I cleared out the jam and ran a line-in test, then shut everything down to let it cool overnight. Come morning we'll be good as new. No set-backs, scout's honor." He raised three fingers on his right hand and Reyna couldn't help a chuckle. She had no doubts whatsoever that Leo was no boy scout.

"Good." She looked down at her dogs, allowing her gaze to pass only briefly over Leo's once-again-bare shoulders and arms. When she looked back up, she barely caught the swivel of his own eyes as they swept over her in what seemed like the same way. For a split second she wished she hadn't removed her armor—until her focus again took in the heat of the warehouse and she realized that if she'd been wearing anything in addition to the tank top and jogging pants she had on, she probably wouldn't have been able to step inside without overheating.

"You don't have to stick around," Leo pointed out after a short but slightly uncomfortable silence. "I do appreciate your stopping by, but I know it's late and you've probably got work to do. Or sleep to get. Or whatever it is that keeps you busy."

Reyna gave a wry, somewhat forced smile. "Oh, I was just out for some exercise," she replied, trying not to sound like she was stalling. Even though that was precisely what she was doing. "I wasn't in the middle of anything. No hurry."

She thought she did a decent job of sounding nonchalant, but somehow Leo saw right through it. Placing one hand on his hip and pointing a finger at her, he said, "Let me guess—avoiding someone?"

Reyna sighed, admitting defeat. "Maybe a little." She didn't feel the need to point out whom she was avoiding. Judging by Leo's smirk, he already knew.

"Well…" He shot a glance over his shoulder. "You can stick around if you want. I was working on a navigation core in that room back there. Temp's a little lower if you wanna get out of the heat."

"Thanks," she replied with a smile, already feeling a layer of sweat draw the fabric of her shirt close to her body. Leo jerked his head backward and she followed him out of the main warehouse into a much smaller workroom that was mercifully cooler inside. Her host made his way directly toward a mechanical structure in the center of the room which took up most of the space, leaving little else for a set of metal shelves against the back wall, a long, cluttered worktable against the left, and a twin-sized cot against the right.

"You sleep here?" Reyna asked once she'd pulled the door closed to shut out the heat, eyeing the cot with an interested frown.

"Sometimes, yeah," Leo answered, following her gaze. "A lot of us do. That's what these side rooms are for—in case you're in the middle of a project and don't wanna head all the way back."

"Oh." Reyna strode across the room and leaned back against the worktable, watching her dogs as they settled themselves on the floor beside her. "Sounds like you guys are really working hard."

Leo pulled a monkey wrench from his tool belt and reached it into a hexagonal hole in the center of the huge, metal structure before him. "Sure," he agreed without looking at her, "but that's only 'cause we dig it. Trust me, mechanical work's our thing. You got the right gang for the job."

"I'm learning that." Reyna gave a small smile, then remembered he couldn't see her. "It was my idea to ask your camp for help, after all, so the better you do, the better it makes me look."

Leo laughed ruefully. He straightened up and set the wrench atop the structure, brushing his oily hands against his pant legs. "Hey, you already look good. From a business standpoint, I mean," he added quickly, seeming to realize how the first statement had sounded. "Especially compared to your partner. He's so much of a dick, he could make anyone look perfect."

Reyna couldn't help an amused snort, though she knew she shouldn't be engaging in trash talk about her boyfriend and fellow praetor. It just felt good to speak with someone else who wasn't enamored by his many charms.

"Can I ask you something?"

She glanced up to see Leo standing still, leaning an arm on the shell of the navigation core and frowning at her. "Okay," she decided tentatively.

"Why do you put yourself through it?"

"Through what?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest in a defensive sort of way. Another stall tactic. She knew exactly what he meant.

"This thing with Octavian," he answered predictably. He started toward her and for a second she almost leaned backward, until he moved past and leaned over the table beside her, picking up a box with colored wiring sticking out of it. "If you hate the guy as much as it seems, then… why do it? It's gotta make you crazy."

Reyna released another sigh, gripping her arms with her hands. "Is it that obvious?" she asked dully.

Leo turned to give her a sideways smirk. "I think you've got your crew fooled. I'm just good at catching little ticks. A body's just a machine, after all." His eyes glanced her up and down as he spoke and Reyna suddenly felt an odd confliction of feelings—half of her wished she was wearing more clothing, and the other half wished she was wearing less. The combination of the two was very disconcerting.

"It is difficult, I'll give you that," Reyna admitted, waving a hand and trying not to be aware of the increased proximity between her and the son of Hephaestus. "But the good outweighs the bad. When Octavian's close to me, I can keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't do anything too outrageous." She felt a painful sting as visions of last week's war games flashed before her eyes. So far, she hadn't done the best job of making sure Octavian didn't do anything 'too outrageous'. Not that she had proof he'd been behind that, of course. But she did have her suspicions.

Shaking her head, Reyna went on, "I won't abandon Camp Jupiter. I don't mind playing the part of the loyal girlfriend as long as it helps the legion."

Leo frowned as he set down the box and wire cutters he was holding and turned to give her his full attention. "But don't you ever think for yourself?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Reyna responded, arching an eyebrow. "I don't let him do everything—"

"No, I mean…" He glanced sideways as though his speaking lines were written on the wall. "Don't you think sometimes you should do things for you? And not just for the legion?" His eyes returned to meet hers. "I know you care about them, but you don't always have to come second. Not in everything."

"You're saying I should put my own comfort before theirs?" That wasn't likely to happen.

Leo shook his head, looking a little frustrated. "No, I…" With a sigh, he dropped his arms to his sides and stepped away from the worktable, heading back toward the navigation core in the middle of the room. "Never mind, this isn't working. Me and words don't exactly get along sometimes. Just…" He turned again to look Reyna's way, and she found she couldn't read the expression on his face. "You deserve to be happy, too. Don't think you have to give that up just because you're praetor."

"I don't…" Reyna said weakly, feeling a bit chagrined. It was awkward for her, her decisions being placed under the microscope like that. She felt the need to justify herself—to make him see that she wasn't being as self-sacrificial as he seemed to think.

But what could she say, really, when deep down she knew he was right?

"Hey, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything," Leo insisted, possibly noting the look on Reyna's face. "Look, just forget I asked. I'm sure you have everything figured out."

"Right," Reyna agreed—though even she noted the uncertainty in her voice. Shaking it off, she went on, "Well, it's getting kind of late. I should probably get going. Thanks for… letting me kill some time."

He gave her a half-smile. "Any time."

Gesturing to Aurum and Argentum, she turned and made her way deliberately across the room. When she stopped at the door, however, she hesitated, her fingers resting stiffly on the doorknob. She couldn't stop that one phrase from echoing insistently in her head: Think for yourself. Think for yourself. Think for yourself. For so long, all she had done was put the legion first. The needs and wants and happiness of so many people always, to her, far outweighed those of herself. It wasn't as though she didn't think she deserved to be happy, but rather that the legion deserved it more than she did.

But what if it didn't have to be that way? What if she could think of herself while at the same time ensuring the betterment of her people? Did one always have to come before the other? Why, for just once, couldn't she have both?

She spun slowly around and let her eyes rest on Leo, who had gone back to his work and didn't appear to have noticed that she hadn't left. He was turned away from her, bent over the navigation structure he was building. As he once again reached into the waist-high, hexagonal gap at the center of the shell, the fabric of his shirt stretched over the muscles on his back and Reyna's eyes were drawn across the sharp curves of his body. This time she didn't look away, instead allowing herself to fully take him in from head to toe. She thought of Octavian—of his pale, almost sickly complexion and his skinny form. When she looked at him, she felt nothing—no attraction whatsoever. She hardly even considered him a friend. But here, watching Leo, she felt different. A warm sort of flush had already started to creep up her neck just comparing him physically to Octavian. She suddenly had the odd urge to run her hands over the toned muscles on his arms and shoulders, to see them up close and feel them move beneath her fingers. It was insane, but Reyna couldn't deny that the feeling was strangely exhilarating. Nothing like she'd ever experienced in her boyfriend's presence.

Leo flinched suddenly and swore under his breath, yanking his arm from the dark opening and standing up straight. He shook his hand rapidly back and forth, grimacing like he'd hurt himself, and as he twisted sideways Reyna let her gaze play across him from a different angle. Her eyes reached for his feet, his legs, his hips, his stomach, his chest, and finally his face, pausing on his lips before coming to rest on his eyes. Steady and dark, darker than hers even. Shadowy, but not cold like the icy blue of Octavian's eyes. There was a restless sort of warmth in them, a fire that shifted and glowed like life itself. Just watching them ignited an unfamiliar flame deep in Reyna's stomach, like the fire was somehow contagious.

Maybe the heat of the warehouse was making her delirious, but for some reason Reyna's memory started to slip away. She forgot about the legion. She forgot about Octavian. She forgot about her desire to put everything else before herself and her weak argument that her own wants didn't matter. For once, she wanted herself to matter. She would go after what she wanted. She deserved to be happy, too. And playing Octavian's loving girlfriend wasn't about to make that happen.

"Guard the door," Reyna whispered to Aurum and Argentum, and without another word she started walking again—away from the exit and back into the workroom. The movement caught Leo's attention and he turned toward her, a bewildered frown appearing on his face.

"Reyna?" he said in mild surprise, obviously having thought she'd left minutes ago. His eyebrows drew together as he took note of the firmness and deliberation in her steps. "What are you doing?"

"Thinking for myself," Reyna answered, her voice surprisingly low and a little husky. His eyes seemed to darken in apprehension and he leaned backward barely enough to be noticeable. She saw the muscles in his neck tighten, and the warmth in her skin seemed to spike. Fueled as if by fire, Reyna stopped an inch from Leo and slid her hands up under his jaw, pulling him toward her and catching his mouth in hers.

Her body felt like it had suddenly burst into flame. An intense heat raged in her stomach and rose to her lungs, sweeping her breath away like the summer sun. But somehow breathing didn't seem to matter much anymore. What did matter was the electric feel of his lips on hers, of his skin hot beneath her fingers. This—this—was what a kiss was supposed to feel like. She could sense him lean his head toward her, a reflexive response, though his hands stayed by his sides. Then she pulled slowly away, her face still so close she could feel his uneven breath on her nose and mouth. She kept her eyes closed, focusing on the warmth inside her and finally coming to realize exactly what it was—desire. An unfamiliar but undeniable desire. For him.

Reyna finally opened her eyes, her breathing heavy, and looked up at Leo. He returned her gaze, his dark eyes intense and serious. She could see a hint of confusion in them, but also conviction—as well as the same want she knew was reflected in her own eyes. Without offering a word of explanation, Reyna gripped the back of Leo's neck and leaned up toward him at the same instant he leaned toward her, meeting her in the middle of the small space between them and snatching her mouth with his own.

This time his hands slid around her waist and pulled her body forward so her hips fell against his and her chest was pushed flush to him. Her arms seemed to reach up and snake around his neck of their own accord as her lips parted for breath and he slid his tongue in her mouth, sending excited chills racing down her spine. She reached under the collar of his shirt and toward the muscles on his back, the tips of her fingers brushing his shoulder blades. His skin felt like it was on fire, but she didn't feel burned. All she felt was alive.

Reyna was starting to get light-headed, though she wasn't sure if the cause was invigoration or because she hadn't breathed properly in over a minute. Either way, the feeling seemed to intensify when Leo's hands slid over her hips and around her thighs before he lifted her off the ground as easily as if she were a doll. She wrapped her legs around his hips and pushed against him, muscles tensing as one of his hands wrinkled up the hem of her top and his long, deft fingers skirted the skin of her side and back. She turned her head, drawing in heavy breaths, and Leo responded by tilting his own head to press his mouth to her neck. She leaned back as she felt his lips and tongue tease at the skin beneath her ear and jaw line, sending oily tendrils of warmth down her bare arms. She lifted her hands and twisted them in his hair, letting it slide through her fingers. His grip on her waist tightened and he turned to push her back against the mechanical structure beside them, and the increased force made Reyna's heart skip a beat excitedly. She slid one hand down and tightened it in the fabric of his shirt, wanting to feel the muscles beneath it—the muscles that had drawn her to him in the first place.

It was like Leo read her mind. He set her down and leaned back just long enough to tug the collar of his grease-stained T-shirt over his head, dropping the fabric to the floor. Reyna's eyes barely had time to swivel over the hard contours of his swarthy skin, the corner of her lips turning up, before his hand reached around the back of her head and he once again gripped her mouth with his own. Energized by the smoky taste of his tongue, she shuffled closer and pressed her hands to his chest, fingers playing across his damp, heated skin. She could feel layers of muscle move beneath it as his hands disentangled the braid in her hair, and with a leaping sensation in her stomach she slipped her arms around his waist and ran her hands over his back.

Reyna was barely aware of Leo once again lifting her off the ground and taking two steps to his left to sit her on the edge of the wooden worktable, a small clamor sounding as he shoved aside a mess of instruments to do so. Her fingers seemed to find the clasp of his tool belt of their own accord, pulling it apart with minimal blind fumbling. As she tossed it sideways onto the table, Leo's fingers tugged at the edge of her shirt and he backed up just long enough to meet her eyes, his gaze dark and powerful. Reyna could see the silent question in them, and in answer she retracted her arms herself and lifted the hem of her tank top, pulling it free of her shoulders and tossing it on the floor. Leo's eyes immediately traveled downward and for the shortest of seconds Reyna felt a twinge of self-consciousness. But that vanished when his grin reappeared (though, she couldn't help but notice, this grin was noticeably different than the one he put on in general company), and as he leaned forward she met him hungrily halfway.

Reyna could feel the bruises forming on her lips as she pressed them hard against Leo's, could taste the fire on his tongue as it collided with her own. Her mind started to slip away, letting instinct take over as she slid forward on the table so her thighs straddled his waist, hands winding around his back and itching fingers reaching beneath the waistband of his jeans. She tilted her head to nip her teeth at his bottom lip and he pulled her hips toward him with a low groan, arm muscles tensing. She pressed against him, skin to skin, reveling in the heat of the workroom and letting it become her—letting everything else go completely.

Because for the moment, nothing else mattered. For once in Reyna's life, she stopped thinking about consequences. She stopped thinking about responsibilities. She stopped thinking about everything and instead allowed herself to feel, to want. To recognize that she, like everyone else, had base desires—desires that her cold, uncaring 'boyfriend' could never even hope to satisfy. Somewhere inside a tiny voice insisted that this was wrong, that the stress was driving her insane and if Octavian ever found out he would ruin her. But that voice was so stifled beneath the euphoria brought on by the strong, gentle touch of another real human being that it would never win out, and so without a single reservation Reyna ignored it—stowed it in the farthest reaches of her consciousness where it couldn't interfere, along with her worries and denials and all the sacrifices she'd ever made for the Twelfth Legion.

All that existed was her, in that single instant. And just once, Reyna let her own happiness come first.

"When today fails to offer the justification for hope, tomorrow becomes the only grail worth pursuing."
—Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman

Can't get enough of this pairing, seriously. My original draft of this scene (which I wrote a while back; I have a doc with certain scenes from this already drafted) was a bit more intense, but I had to cut it because it would have pushed the rating just a *little* past T. Maybe some day I'll go further and throw it up as a companion one-shot with an M rating. We'll see ;D

Anyway, so like I said, the ball is finally rolling. Whatever will happen next? Well, I'm sure you can guess the general gist. But hey, I've still got some fun plans up my sleeve. Stick with me here for this ride, heh heh.

So drop a review on your merry way, and I'll see you guys again soon! ...It really should be soon. I have most of the next chapter already written as well ;)

Later days!

-oMM