Of course when I should be studying for exams I'm once again writing more for this couple. They've started to take over... and I can't say I mind. (And I apologize for the angst spam in these chapters, it's all I can think of with these more recent prompts.)

33. Promise

"What do you want from me?"

Leo studiously avoided looking his girlfriend- if she was still that- in the eye. "Nothing," he retorted between hammerings of the metal blade of a sword. Reyna made to move towards him and he turned his back, plunging the glowing element into a pail of water, watching the steam rise and definitely not glancing sideways to her only to stop himself a moment too late. "You obviously don't need my opinion-"

"Don't be stupid-

"-and are fine with making decisions without even telling me first-"

"-I'm not betraying you in any way-"

"-and you're fine with letting me hear it from Piper. You didn't even tell me, Reyna. I had to be blindsided from Piper instead of my having own girlfriend even give a hint."

"I was going to tell you- I haven't decided anything yet, it was just to see if I would get in…"

Leo finally looked up. "We made a promise." He told her quietly before looking back down, watching his knuckles whiten from his hold on the hammer's handle, seeing it tremble as it hung uselessly at his side. "We said we would go to college together- that we wouldn't let something as stupid as school let us break up. New Rome, we said. Or do you forget all of that?"

"Of course I remember," Reyna said desperately. "But Leo, this is Harvard! I never thought I would be good enough- I never thought I would make it. I just applied to see if I would get in- and Leo, I did! I would have thought-" She broke off, her voice getting quieter and she finally looked down. "I thought you would have been happy for me."

Leo felt his throat constrict and his eyes burn and he looked down, telling himself it was the smoke- which had never bothered him before. He sickened himself, really he did. What kind of guy- what kind of man, didn't congratulate his girlfriend on getting into one of the best schools in the world? How much of an asshole was he, to not even give her a smile?

But he was scared.

He had seen too many couples from the camps split up because of long-distance relationships- and he knew there was absolutely no chance in Hades he would ever be able to make it into Harvard.

"We promised we wouldn't let college break us up." He said finally, turning away from her once more, hating himself just a little bit more when he did. "After we said we could go to New Rome together."

Reyna let out a shaky breath and Leo felt his heart break- because he knew he had just failed some unspoken test.

"We did." Reyna finally said. "But even if I do go to Harvard, I'm not the one saying we'll have to break that promise." She paused. "I promise, I swear to you, I'm not the one walking away here."

Leo started hammering again and, not even a minute later, when he turned around, an apology, a plea, already forming on his lips, she wasn't there to hear it.

Her words rang in his mind. She may not have been the one walking away (figuratively) but she was the one leaving. (Maybe.)

Yet which one of them was the one breaking their promise?