66. Rules
The rules area simple, at least to her. They've never talked about them, of course, but they seem self-explanatory.
They fuck, any time either of them wants or needs to, and then they act like it never happened and go back to normal.
Reyna doesn't look or talk to anybody and Leo does what Leo does best- tries to flirt with as many girls as possible.
(It doesn't bother her, it's just kind of jarring when she walks down the hall and sees him sucking face with someone else. And nauseating. At least they have the decency to be discreet.)
So when he sits with her during lunch at the table that's become hers and hers alone (hello, she didn't scare that kid Octavian away for nothing) she's confused, a little angry, and concerned.
Because acting like they know each other in public, in front of the whole school, is breaking the rules.
"Hey." Leo sits down and picks up his fork, ready to dig into the lasagna that was served today.
"What are you doing here, Leo?" Reyna asks, putting her plastic cutlery down.
"You looked lonely."
"I sit here alone every day," she replied. Sometimes Hylla joined her, but not lately. Hylla hadn't been doing well since she had to break up with her boyfriend. "You didn't seem concerned then."
"Okay listen," he said. "I know the deal but my friends are wondering why I haven't tried to hit on you yet and my excuses aren't working. So pretend that I'm flirting with you and then, I don't know, get up and walk away or something."
It's not disappointment that pools in her stomach at his words. It's not, because no part of her, not even a small part, wanted Leo to have screwed up what they had and maybe try and actually be friends or something.
It's just fucking, she tells herself. Stop being stupid.
(Maybe a small part of her had thought he wanted to sit here just because he actually wanted to talk to her.)
She nods. "Got it."
"So the thing is, I have to keep talking so I look like I'm trying to charm you." He said before wiggling his eyebrows. "Look behind me and check if they're watching."
She does as he asks and, true enough, Annabeth, Percy, Frank, Hazel, and Piper are all watching the two of them looking extremely confused.
She meets Jason's eyes for a second and then looks away because…
…because Leo is leaning towards her and even though he swore to her he didn't wear cologne he smells good, and-
She clears her throat. "Yep, they're watching."
"Try to look like you're not enjoying talking to me," Leo says.
"I'm not."
"Well right now you just look bored, try to look…. annoyed."
She frowned at him even though now she was fighting not to smile. "How's that?"
He shook his head. "Now you just look constipated. Why are your lips twitching?"
She shakes her head and takes the last bite of her sandwich before standing up. "Alright, well, mission accomplished. Go back and tell them I rejected you."
"Did you?" He asked.
She hesitated, unsure of the look in his eyes. "That's what you want to tell them isn't it?"
He hesitates too before grinning. "Obviously. Meet me later?"
"Sure, you choose where."
And with that she walks away. Because, she thinks, one of us has to follow the rules.
(She never found out Leo hadn't sat with her because of something his friends had said.)