Hey, gang! Little bit shorter today, but at least I'm on schedule so there's that. I even got the next chapter written already, too, but if you've read anything else of mine you know how I like to have a backlog so that doesn't mean I'll be posting two in one week. But it does mean I'll be on schedule for a while which is good news all the same.

Thanks to everybody who reviewed last week! Enjoy!

Singin' oh, love / Get me out of the cold
Pull me right up by your fire / And I'll show you what home means now

Reyna woke early that morning to the steady hum of machinery and the sound of low, even breathing that wasn't hers. Disoriented from sleep, she pulled herself into a sitting position without bothering to open her eyes, still trying to get used to the idea of being awake. The air around her was warm—much warmer than her own bedroom—and a thin sheen of sweat covered her face and bare chest.

Reyna breathed in sharply as a flood of memories from the previous night came reeling back to her and she finally snapped her eyes open, taking in the sight of the cluttered workroom—and the person lying very closely beside her.

The movement must have stirred Leo, because he let out a low groan and his eyebrows creased together weakly. He shifted a bit and Reyna realized that she could feel his hip against her leg beneath the blanket that covered them. She thought of moving, but the cot on which they rested was so small that it was probably impossible for them not to be touching. Plus she would have to climb over him to get off of it. A tiny spark of anxious uncertainty flared inside her, but she forced it down adamantly. What did she have to be nervous about? She'd made the decision to sleep with him, hadn't she? It wasn't as though she'd been drunk or distraught at the time. She was perfectly in her right mind. Sure, she'd never really expected to lose her virginity in a hot, oily workroom. But at the same time, that didn't mean she was now wishing she hadn't.

"Morning," Leo's voice interrupted, and Reyna turned to see him sitting up and stretching his arms. He blinked a few times before his eyes landed on hers. When the drowsiness cleared from them, they narrowed a fraction of an inch and his jaw tightened in a way that made Reyna forget any small flicker of doubt that had crossed her mind. She watched the slow bob of his Adam's apple as he shifted backward toward the edge of the cot and said in a careful voice, "I guess you want to, you know… Get out of here."

Reyna frowned, blinking sleep from her eyes. "Why?" She'd never been one to run from her actions. Why start now?

When Leo cocked his head to the side uncertainly, she realized he didn't need to answer that question. She knew what he meant. He opened his mouth and started, "I just thought—" but she took that moment to lean forward and press her mouth gently against his, her lips still sore and swollen from so many fierce kisses the previous night. It was an impulse—not an action she really considered ahead of time, just something that felt right. It was like something inside her wanted to test the waters and make sure her emotions last night hadn't been a fluke or a trick. And they weren't. She still wanted him, just as badly as she had before. Only now, it was becoming a comfortable constant state of being.

When she backed away and studied his blank expression, she had the sudden urge to laugh. "So…" he said slowly, "you don't…?"

"Regret it?" she guessed, a tiny smile tugging at her lips. "Of course not. Would you regret something that amazing?"

Leo arched an eyebrow, familiar smirk rapidly returning. "Amazing, huh?" he repeated.

She shot him a pointed look. "Don't get cocky."

"Aw, come on," he argued, looking like he was trying not to laugh. "You can't tell someone their sex was 'amazing' and not expect them to get a little cocky."

Reyna rolled her eyes, suppressing a smile and refusing to admit that he had a point. "Sort of makes me wonder how much practice you've had," she replied in a humored tone.

He gave a nervous sort of chuckle, gaze drifting downward. "A bit," he admitted, and after a brief moment of consideration Reyna realized she wasn't altogether surprised. As long as she'd known Leo, he'd always been an inexhaustible flirt. Somewhere along the line as he'd gotten older and grown into his looks, his advances must have stopped being annoying and instead turned charming and attractive. He'd clearly gotten results, if his obvious experience in the area was any indication. Yet another addition to Reyna's unconscious list of things that made him desirably different from Octavian.

"So," Leo went on when Reyna didn't respond, a hand reaching around to muss the back of his already-untidy hair, "now what?"

Good question, Reyna thought silently as Leo pushed back the blanket and swung his legs over the edge of the cot. Her eyes zigzagged across his back, watching the muscles in his arms and shoulders shift as he bent over and pulled on his shorts. His skin was crossed and faded here and there with scars, which wasn't uncommon among demigods—Reyna had her own fare share of markings on her body from past battles and training accidents. The one that drew her gaze, though, was the thin, burgundy line tracing a jagged path from the small of his back around his lower left side—a trophy left behind by the attack at the games almost two weeks prior, the only one which hadn't completely healed. As he stood Reyna leaned her back against the wall and released a slow breath, her mind being pulled tangentially to thoughts of her fellow praetor and the complicated web that was her current situation.

She had a boyfriend, in name anyway. But so far, the experience had been nothing like what she'd felt last night with Leo. It was difficult to explain, but she was aware of an almost magnetic force between them—a powerful interest and longing that she'd never felt before for another person. And if his actions and expressions were anything to go by, he'd felt it too. Her relationship with Octavian wasn't romantic, that much she knew—especially now, after she'd discovered what real passion felt like. No, it was a tactic. A strategy. Just another move on the game board of her fellow praetor's struggle for power. But if she didn't want to let him win, she had to play. Forfeiting wasn't an option.

"I can't leave Octavian," she finally said, her voice flat with conviction as though she were sealing herself an unpleasant fate. Leo had crossed the room to retrieve his jeans and was in the middle of fastening his belt buckle when he looked up and fixed her with a questioning frown. She met his gaze with a short sigh, agreeing that after everything, he deserved a bit more explanation.

"I know it doesn't make much sense," she went on, "but things with him and me are very precise—very complicated. He's one of the most articulate and persuasive people you'll meet anywhere. He knows exactly how to get what he wants. When I'm with him, every step I take and word I say has to be careful, exact. Our relationship is another part of his game—a way to keep me under his thumb, so to speak. If I break up with him, I know he'll use it as pretext to convince the Senate that I've refused to cooperate with him. He'll find a way to have me discharged." She could feel a hardness entering her voice as she finished, "And I will not leave the legion in his hands."

As she spoke, Leo stepped back across the room and leaned against a supply cabinet not far from the cot on which Reyna still sat. He crossed his arms loosely in front of him and nodded, his expression unreadable. "I understand," he said calmly. "Really. Octavian's an ass, plain and simple. I don't blame you for wanting to protect the camp from him."

Reyna nodded somewhat numbly, her eyes once again sliding over Leo's still-bare torso. Again she took note of his newest scar and a spark of steely resolve burned in her throat. She blinked and looked up toward his face, but when her gaze hovered on his lips she had the sudden urge to run over and kiss him—something she would have to gain control over in the future. It was that more than anything, though, that made her say, "But… I don't want this to end, either. Me and you, I mean. If I'm going to be in a relationship with Octavian, then… I need you. I want you."

Leo studied her eyes for a long minute, and she could swear she saw a touch of hopefulness in his gaze. But then his expression loosened and he gave her a wry grin, arching an eyebrow as he asked a bit dryly, "Are you saying you want me to be your mistress?"

Reyna snorted in amusement before she could stop herself, not having expected the joke. She covered it up as quickly as she could and tried for a glare, but she wasn't sure she achieved it. "This isn't funny."

Leo grinned, obviously entertained by her reaction. "You'd be surprised how much your definition of 'funny' can expand when you stick with me."

She raised her eyebrows and asked, "Is that an invitation?"

He glanced to his left, looking thoughtful. "'Mistress Leo'. Has a bit of a ring to it, don't you think?"

Reyna folded her arms, completely baffled as to how he managed to keep a straight face as he said that. "I hate you," she said—an obvious lie that he didn't seem to believe for a second.

"Uh-huh." Leo came over and sat on the edge of the cot, leaning deliberately toward her until their noses were maybe an inch apart. A suspicious humor in his eyes, he said skeptically, "That's why you want me to keep boning you, right?"

Reyna choked on a short gasp, feeling blood rise to her neck and ears. She reached up and shoved his shoulders backward, but when he laughed her heart skipped a beat and the sound made her feel strangely light. And she didn't resist at all when his hand slid around her neck and he pulled her mouth against his for a slow, lingering kiss that filled every inch of her with a comfortable warmth so much gentler than the heated desire she'd experienced the previous night.

When he backed away and she breathed out slowly, her breath came out in a puff of silvery smoke. She blinked as she realized how much the inside of her mouth burned, like she'd just tried to drink steaming broth. Strangely, it wasn't as unpleasant as one might think.

Leo had noticed the smoke and for a second she expected him to crack some joke about his being 'hot'. But instead, he gave her a weak sort of smile and said quietly, "Sorry. I'm usually good at controlling the fire, I just… I guess my focus slipped."

Reyna looked up into his eyes, thinking about his words and what they meant. Leo literally had fire inside him. His body temperature was far above normal. He could summon flames at will and was immune to burns. Every time she touched him, she could feel the heat trapped beneath his skin, trying to get out. If he wasn't careful, he could catch fire at any given time. But she knew that over the years, he'd come to control the power and keep it in check. For his focus to slip now, it would take a distraction of powerful proportions. And all he'd been doing at the time was kissing her. Her. She had done that to him. Nothing else.

If Reyna wasn't sure before that Leo wanted this as badly as she did, now she had no doubts.

A small smile turned up her lips at the thought, and she let that be her reply. The hint of nervousness faded slowly from his expression as he seemed to understand and he smiled, his fingers running loosely down her arm to touch the back of her hand. She turned her hand and knotted her fingers gently with his in a gesture that somehow felt so natural and right. A swell of affection that was new and alien warmed her chest, and she thought for a second that if it were possible, she wouldn't ever leave that spot again. Then she immediately felt silly for thinking it; since when had she started acting like a boy-crazy teenager? But that doubt too quickly faded, leaving her with a strange sense of calm confusion—like she wasn't sure what to think but wasn't bothered by the uncertainty.

"We should, um…" Leo muttered, sounding distracted, "get moving. Before someone comes looking for you."

"Yeah…" Reyna took a deep, slow breath as the reality of her situation started to finally sink in. Not only had she cheated on her boyfriend in a big way, but she had also begun a potentially-long-term affair—and with someone Octavian already personally hated, no less. She still didn't regret her decisions, but the weight of how difficult things were about to become was already beginning to press down on her.

Something of her thought process must have shown on her face, because Leo placed a hand comfortingly on her cheek and said, "Hey, don't worry. We're in this together, remember? Everything's gonna be fine."

And surprisingly, his reassuring smile actually made her believe it.

-0-0-0-

For a while after that first night, things were difficult. Adjusting to this new arrangement took care. After all, Reyna had never been in a real relationship before and was still figuring out how to act around Octavian both in public and in private. Throw Leo into the mix—her secret 'friend with benefits' on the side—and the potential for blunders rose even higher. One misstep and the entire thing could blow up in her face, which was dangerous for everyone involved.

And yet, as time wore on, Reyna's fear and worry faded. She found it easier and easier to find time to get away from her boyfriend, and even the time spent beside him didn't irk her as much as it once had. Being with Leo had a way of relaxing her, alleviating her stress and calming her mind and body alike. It was nice to spend time with someone whose motives didn't beg constant questioning, whose words and actions didn't have hidden meanings. And that calm she felt seemed to leak into her public life as well, so that even in Octavian's presence Reyna found it easier not to get too tense. It certainly helped that the two praetors never spent nights together. As their relationship progressed, Reyna began to suspect that Octavian had some sort of fear of physical intimacy, which suited her just fine. She had no problem playing his girlfriend for the most part, but that was a place she never wanted to go with him.

Sometimes Reyna caught herself wondering if what she was doing was wrong. From a moral standpoint, she was about as unfaithful to her relationship as one could be. But when she thought about it, she realized that what she had with Octavian didn't feel like a real relationship, and thus she wasn't technically bound to it as a person normally would be. She considered the situation once from the opposite perspective—how she might feel if Octavian were cheating on her—and concluded that it likely wouldn't bother her in the slightest. He had no real emotional commitment to her, just as she had none to him. She wasn't naïve enough to think that Octavian would react the same were the truth to come out, but at least she was provided with a small means of personal justification.

These doubts were brought on partly by external influence, admittedly—Leo had a habit of teasing her about juggling two guys simultaneously, 'breaking hearts and taking names' so to speak. Reyna knew it was only a running joke; he didn't really think badly of her at all. And in the moment she would laugh and brush it off, caught up in the calm euphoria of being around him. But hours later, when she was alone, her mind would flash back, quietly reminding her that sooner or later, she would have to make a choice between her business relationship and her… well, non-business one. She couldn't keep them both forever.

But then, forever was a long way away, and after everything she'd sacrificed and put up with as praetor, she liked to think she deserved a little shameless self-indulgence—a physical relationship that let her blow off steam without having to think too much. And for the time being, that was exactly what Leo gave her.

Weeks turned to months, and autumn leaked slowly into winter. The building project suffered no additional hiccups save for a few minor shop injuries which were healed within a day, and construction of the fleet moved along at the expected pace (due to Reyna's particular connection to the project leader, she received frequent updates on the matter). This also seemed to keep Octavian in mostly amiable spirits, which was good news for everyone at camp. Reyna hoped she wasn't dulled by a lapse in attention to her boyfriend, but for a while he seemed to settle into his role as praetor without any attempt to orchestrate dramatic changes to their regime. Perhaps simply attaining the praetor position was enough for him, and things would wind down once the fleet was fully assembled.

Unfortunately for Reyna's comfortable routine, there was one other major event coming up that she'd forgotten about—Jason and Piper's wedding. The invitations went out in mid January, though by then almost everyone knew it was happening. They'd set the date for Saturday, April 30th of that year, 2016, at a hall in New York City, and a decent chunk of the legion was invited, including both praetors, all centurions, and a number of legionnaires. The entire Greek building team was requested as well.

The arrival of the wedding invitations seemed to sour Octavian's countenance, though Reyna wasn't sure if anyone but her took notice. She had a few guesses as to the cause—Octavian had never liked Jason, so any reminder of him could have that effect, and it could just as well have been the idea of a union between a Roman and a Greek (if that was the case, though, it gave Reyna another reason to keep her own Roman-Greek affair under wraps). At first, she thought it might be enough for him to decline his invitation. But when Reyna sent hers back affirming that she would be there, her boyfriend didn't hesitate to do the same.

"I'm sure the ceremony will be overly-ostentatious," Octavian observed with a wave of a hand when they were discussing it in Reyna's office one evening. He made a face, leaving no room for speculation as to his opinion on lavish celebrations. "They never were very concerned with practicality."

Reyna wasn't sure if by 'they' he was referring to Jason and Piper or Greeks in general. Either way, she gave no indication of agreement as she slid the letter she'd been writing into a desk drawer and locked it. "You can always stay behind," she suggested in a light tone, no accusation whatsoever. "An invitation isn't a binding contract."

"They'd probably take it as an insult," he countered, crossing his arms as he leaned backwards against the edge of her desk. Reyna didn't feel the need to point out the unlikelihood of that assumption. "Not that I'm overly-sensitive to their feelings—especially Jason's—but a detriment to relations is hardly what we need."

"Especially Jason's?" Reyna questioned before she could stop herself.

"I know you and he were close," Octavian went on, twisting sideways to better see Reyna, who didn't miss his use of the past tense. "But it's no secret that the pair of us never got along. Differing opinions, I suppose." He shrugged in a nonchalant way, and for whatever reason it irritated Reyna.

"He was good for the legion," she pointed out. "For years. His shoes aren't easy to fill, as you may or may not have realized."

Octavian snorted in dry amusement. "The shoes of a traitor aren't ones I'm too eager to fill, personally."

"A traitor," Reyna repeated shortly, allowing her expression to harden a bit. It was true that she and Octavian had grown more comfortable around one another, but that also meant that the overly-sugary niceness they expressed toward each other at the beginning of Octavian's praetorship had lessened a good deal. Now they spoke more or less as equals.

"Yes," he insisted, a thin eyebrow curving upward. "What else do you call someone who abandons his heritage and the camp named for his father and moves across the country to marry a Greek woman?"

"I call him a friend," Reyna responded, her voice firm despite the jitters that had begun to creep up her arms. Something about arguing with Octavian still made her nervous. "Besides, if he hadn't left, you never would have become praetor in the first place. Seems to me like you owe him."

Octavian gave a mirthless chuckle, lips curling in a small, chilly smile. Reyna felt some of her solidarity ebb, giving way to the uncertainty beneath it. Octavian's anger, she could handle. His calm was always more unsettling. "The day I owe Jason Grace anything will be the day the Underworld freezes over. And as for my becoming praetor, well… I wouldn't say 'never.' I'm confident it would have happened eventually, one way or another. Things always have a way of working themselves out."

"Working themselves out," Reyna muttered, glancing at the ceiling. "Of course they do."

His blue eyes sparkled like sharp icicles catching the sunlight. "What are you implying, Reyna?" he asked in a tone arid with clearly-false innocence. "You think events such as my election could have occurred through unnatural causes? I don't see how, personally. You tallied the votes yourself, did you not?"

"I haven't implied anything," she said with a shrug. "You, on the other hand, seem to be doing enough 'implying' for the both of us."

"Maybe," Octavian agreed with a downward smile, slightly surprising Reyna. He shook his head in a self-deprecating sort of way. "Looks like the stress is getting to us both. We just need to take a little time to relax now and then, you know?" He stood up straight and walked around behind Reyna's chair, and she forced herself not to reflexively lean away from him as his hands rested on her shoulders. "See? You're tense," he noticed as her muscles tightened. He pressed his fingers gently against her back, massaging a circular pattern. After a few seconds, he asked, "Any better?"

"A little," she lied, allowing her arms to relax a bit. Octavian's touch never actually made her feel 'better'; the chill in his skin had a way of drawing thin streams of warmth from her body, as though he were absorbing her strength and her will through his fingertips.

"Good," Octavian replied, increasing the pressure of his wandering grip. "You and I need to work together, Reyna. We can't second guess each other or harbor doubts. You understand that, right?"

He pressed harder against her back and she forced herself to sit straight and unmovable despite the discomfort. "Of course I do," she agreed. "The legion has to have strong leaders it can count on—leaders it can trust." It was a vague statement—dangerous—and she hoped he wouldn't pick up on her careful omission of any reference to him.

Unfortunately, she was in the presence of the master of wordplay. She assumed he caught her meaning when his hands shifted over her shoulders, continuing the massaging motion but creeping uncomfortably close to her neck.

"Exactly," he said, his voice a dry brush of air against her ear. "And if we can't agree, then how can we expect others to agree with us? Everything's going well right now. Let's just try not to ruin it."

His thumbs dug sharply into the back of Reyna's neck and she leapt too quickly to her feet, trying and failing to hold in a short gasp of pain. She breathed deeply to cover it, imagining the look of glowering satisfaction on Octavian's face behind her, before slowly turning to give him a cool smile.

"It's getting late," she observed with finality, her voice soft, not confrontational in the slightest. She sidestepped her chair and moved closer to him, lightly touching his chest and adding with playful sarcasm, "Midnight office massages… You'd better get going before I have you discharged for indecent behavior."

Octavian returned her smile—similar but different, as though Reyna were looking into a shadowy mirror. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, hands on her arms as he whispered in the same whimsical tone, "I'd like to see you try."

"Sing like no one is listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like it's heaven on earth."
—Origin Unknown

Yeesh, what a douche.

Anyway, hella passage of time, right? Haha. But it's nice to be moving along. We'll be going to New York soon for the wedding, which will be fun. I can say with certainty that the next chapter WILL be up next week, either Thursday or Friday. Whichever works out.

Thanks, everybody! How about a review? Later days!

-oMM