25. Manners
Leo Valdez had amazing manners.
Reyna first noticed when he asked her out and she (finally) agreed to go on one date with him.
He had been blushing and shy and, gods forbid, cute, when he finally stuttered out, "Will you, um, do you wanna eat food with me? Please?"
A good boy never forgets his manners.
Reyna agreed and stared perhaps a second longer than necessary into Leo's eyes after saying, "Sure."
He had leaned forward and kissed her, making her momentarily breathless, before pulling away as fast as he had come.
And those damn manners showed up again. "I'm sorry."
Reyna had only grinned at him. "Why?"
oooOOOooo
On their first date he was the epitome of a gentleman. She had never thought of Leo Valdez as classy before, but it appeared that he could freshen up when he wanted to. That night, after admiring his dress shirt, pants and shiny black shoes, Reyna learned that the grease stains on Leo's hands were, in fact, not permanent.
He pulled her chair out for her as they sat down at the fancy (but not too fancy) restaurant. He even footed the bill that night- something Reyna had been hoping for but admittedly unsure of.
And this time, when he walked her back to her apartment building, he asked if he could kiss her.
It had been a good first date. Reyna saw no reason to end it now.
So she had kissed him back wholeheartedly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders before eventually sliding her hands up into his hair- curly but soft and oh my gods, it was silk beneath Reyna's fingers- and molded her mouth to his, uncaring of who saw them.
Because goddammit he had asked for a kiss and Reyna would give him one.
oooOOOooo
The only time Leo forgets his manners around Reyna is when he proposes; and at the time Reyna is too overcome with happiness excitement to even notice.
He gets down on one knee in their apartment, bringing a silver ring with a simple diamond out from behind him to hold out to her like an offering. "Marry me, Reyna," he says. "Because we both know you want to."
Reyna laughs and nods frantically as he slides the ring onto her finger before he stands up and she's throwing her arms around him again, bringing their foreheads to rest against one another.
"I will," she says- and because Reyna is not one to forget her manners either, and she is entirely grateful to the gods and the world for giving her this man, she hugs him and whispers into his ear, "Thank you."