Sorry for the delay! I've been busy.

Hope you enjoy it!

Sparring and sword-fighting with Reyna was fun, at this point she was one of the few people that can keep up with her. It was intense and Annabeth loved it.

"Annabeth, this is more than serious now"

"What is, me beating you? Come on, Ramirez Arellano!"

Reyna scolded, and muttered something under her breath swinging her sword that clung loudly with Annabeth's, she was blocking her way to fast.

"You know what I'm talking about. Annabeth, this is getting out of control"

"I don't know what you're talking about"

Reyna looked at her knowingly and Annabeth smirked.

"Frank told you?"

"The poor guy couldn't even word it out. He rushed in last night and started stammering about you guys all red and bashful"

"He's 18 and he's so innocent. I love him. What did he say exactly?"

"Hard to tell, but I understood enough"

Annabeth laughed and attacked Reyna's other side, she stopped her sword and they remained still with the metals pushing intently back to one another.

"Annabeth!" She warned making sure to pushed harder but Annabeth's sword arm didn't give.

"We weren't doing anything!" Reyna arched an eyebrow, knowingly "I mean yes, kissing, but that's it"

Annabeth didn't know why but Frank always walked in on them...she started to feel really bad for him but it wasn't her fault.

They were doing something is not like they got in the shed just to fool around. But they got distracted while polishing their armors...Percy started stealing kisses and running his mouth over her sweaty neck and she wanted to tell him to lay off–really, she meant to...but one thing led to another

And she'd said something like 'okay, you have two seconds to impress me Jackson' and hell! He impressed her alright.

More than that, when Frank walked in to tell them something he never got to say, he found them kissing hard, against the wall, one of her legs around his waist and Percy's fingers sneaking under her shorts. Her boyfriend didn't have his Tshirt on but well, it was kinda hot in there and in her defense the door was close.

"Who goes to polish their armor at that hour?"

"Maybe he should have knocked?"

"We're the Praetors, we do not knock."

"Well, then don't get offended when you find people in compromising positions"

"It's not only that, the elders are not happy"

"Well, what about you? You're the Praetor"

"You know we don't rank below the Senate but it's my duty to listen to them, I can't simply ignore. It's not my decision either. This is a democracy!"

"Oh, you guys are so democratic!" Annabeth teased, her smile mocking.

"We are. We're better democracy than you. If what you call democratic is sitting around a ping pong table discussing where you plant your berries"

Annabeth opened her mouth faking hurt feelings. They made jokes against each other's camps all the time.

Reyna's right now made her think of those times around the ping pong table with a stung of sadness, she missed her home.

"You're a bitch. Yeah, sorry we do not have so many people living in a town...yet. Our democracy is smaller"

Reyna laughed. "Pfff, call me when you have New Athens built."

"The Greeks invented democracy!"

"And the Romans took over and made it a lot better"

"Meaning you took our concept and changed it as you liked...do I have to remind you about all the roman dictators?"

"Don't you know? Our dictators where only for times of war and their title only lasted six months, they had to passed it on. They were good"

"Good? Don't make me laugh. We have all day; I can make you a list that would reach original Rome stating all the facts why Greek Democracy was hell lot better. But I don't have to, dear Reyna you're smart, you already know that"

"Shut up," the girl warned

And she should have shut up if she knew what it was good for her.

"Besides, everything you know is Greek. Every single thing Romans have was at some point Greek, even your deities, oh my gods, like the Romans were so unoriginal!"

The jokes were innocent, mostly...but it showed how true each girl was to their heritage.

"We just took everything and made it better. Have you tried asking yourself why? Greece was so over; you didn't know how to use the knowledge you had. The flame went off"

"So did the Roman one!" Annabeth countered pressing with her sword arm harder.

They took everything with a little of hurt feelings but it was so much fun!

"Anyway, Annie we're discussing something else"

Annabeth groaned at the nickname.

"That conversation is so not over, but okay."

"Where were we? Right, you going away"

"Gods, come on Reyna. Are you kicking us out?"

"Of course not, but it's the last warning"

Annabeth shrugged and started lashing her sword at her again. They fought well together, after six months or so of training the two girls could anticipate each other's moves so it was harder for them to beat the other every time and it was too much fun.

"Why don't you just obey the rules?"

Reyna's long dark braid fell on her other shoulder as she moved from side to side blocking her. Annabeth felt a new energy surging through her body after she heard her criticizing Camp Halfblood.

As annoyed as she was, Annabeth couldn't help but notice how beautiful her friend was.

Even right now in her bronze armor covered in sweat, she looked seriously stunning; Annabeth was a little envious how good she looked. Reyna, just like Pipes, looked amazing without even trying.

Her dark eyes at setting sun seemed to become a sunset of their own. Her Latin complexion glowed under her helmet. Annabeth told her she was pretty, several times, but she found really sad how the girl believed in her heart that she was plain.

Reyna seriously drew most of people's attention in the arena, more now that she was open about her pansexuality, everyone in the Legion seemed to be interested on hitting on the Praetor.

"Reyna...It's just sex, come on"

"It's not just the sex. I mean, well of course, that too. That plus all the rules you break and I must say you, make Percy break too...it's like you respect them at your convenience"

"Like does everyone in the planet. Mm, I'm sorry...do you not live on this Earth? Have you seen politicians?"

"Don't come with your wisdom bullshit"

"It's not bullshit; 'rules are made to be broken' doesn't it sound familiar?"

"Not to me. You're nineteen, get yourself together"

Annabeth laughed, Reyna was her friend but sometimes she thought her as the scolding mom she never had.

Of course, Reyna was as Roman as Annabeth was Greek, she didn't understand the concept of rule breaking at ones convenience... But she was right though, Percy would break rules if it was ultra necessary but not just because.

But since they got to the camp Jupiter all she wanted was to prove them all wrong, like Athena's children actually exist for starters, like satyrs/fauns did a lot more than just serve food and entertain.

"Gods! Besides, you asked me if I'm alright with it...well no, everything you do, and I mean every single thing, goes right against the praetorium imperium and the praetorium ius. Meaning the praetor authority and law"

"Yeah yeah, I know my Latin" Annabeth rolled her eyes exasperated.

"I don't understand why can't we like…sleep together in the same bed sometimes, the original Romans had sex all the freaking time, they have parties to celebrate it and all with their orgies"

"Greek orgies-" She started saying but then stopped herself "Let's not start again. Greek/Roman It's freaking tiring"

"Greek Orgies, Roman orgies;" she shrugged "whatever, same."

Reyna frowned, "you want to make a party to celebrate Bacchus? Drink some wine"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, "maybe we can have a few nights a week…"

"Annabeth–" she cleaned the sweat from her forehead.

"It's not like we're the only ones having sex. You act as if we're the only couple around. Reyna, you need to relax, maybe you need some or–"

"Oh, shut up!"

Annabeth laughed, she was only mocking her friend talking about sex, because she knew it made her a little uncomfortable, the last thing she wanted was Reyna to start talking about them leaving again, it wasn't easy staying…

Annabeth caught Percy's eye across the field. He was battling two guys at a time, he gave her a radiant smile, his purple t-shirt was on a ball nearby, she could see the sweat running down his chest– Reyna's next hit made her fell backwards on the ground, hard.

"Ouch!" Her head had sounded against the floor loudly. Her bone sword had skidded a few feet away.

Reyna turned to see what had distracted her friend and rolled her eyes, groaning.

Percy had stopped sparring and was rubbing his hair with confusion and worry in his face. His eyebrows scrunched together, Annabeth found that expression endearing.

He was going to jog over to them but Reyna's expression told him not to approach. He was smart enough to know he had to obey.

"Oh, did that hurt Wise Girl? I'm so sorry," Reyna said sarcastically but offered a hand to Annabeth. She took it with distrust; Reyna probably would help her up to push her again. She stood and dusted herself off; she looked at her friend with an amused smile.

She loved having girlfriends, a stung of sadness got over her when she thought about Piper, she missed her terribly. Hazel and Reyna helped a lot, they were really good friends but Pipes was yet irreplaceable. She was so far away at her home, Camp Halfblood with Jason and Leo and so many other friends...and really a IM once a week or fortnight did not make their friendship justice, she needed her.

"So, okay we won't sneak out to have sex, anything else Mrs. Praetor?" Annabeth picked up her sword.

"Argh, Annabeth! It's not about that, you know it's not about that. I'm talking about other broken rules"

Annabeth groaned. "I'm already banned from siege... Please, oh kind Praetor don't ban me from any other Roman fun," she rolled her eyes as to make her point. Reyna laughed and shoved her back playfully.

"Oh gods! Why do I even put up with you?" Annabeth smirked

"Banning me from Siege was so unfair, you know it was! I'm still not over how cruel you were"

"Are you kidding me? There's a point in Roman structures in battle, it goes a long way my friend, it's not like I invented them. You can't just break them in the middle of a siege"

"It was freaking ridiculous; I had this better idea to–"

"Yes yes, but that's not how it works! Imagine if every single one in the Legion had a better idea? It would be a disaster!"

"Okay yeah, valid point but I'm not anyone in the Legion–"

"You're not even in the Legion"

"I'm a battle strategist!" She argued

"You're not even supposed to exist for Roman standards"

"Argh, I hate it when you use that as an argument. I'm not Roman; I'm daughter of the Greek goddesses Athena!"

"Clearly," Reyna smiled at her, Annabeth knew that deep down Reyna liked it that she wasn't Roman.

Reyna started laughing and Annabeth punched her.

"Anyway, if you hadn't stopped me that time playing Siege, we would have won"

"That time I was refereeing and you can't break rules...which take us back to the start." Reyna motioned for her to follow out of the arena.

"Oh, are we done here?"

"I managed to take you down, now we're having a bath"

"Is it an order?" Annabeth teased and sheathe her sword

"Yeah, it is." She grabbed her arm digging her fingernails in it.

"Okay, let's go"

They went their separate ways to gather their stuff for the bath and joined later at the entrance. The Praetors had their separate room with tubs.

Annabeth loved it, the design was amazing, the arcs on the roof, the little tiny mosaics on the columns and on the tubs, forming colorful patterns. The skylights gave the room the perfect light.

Annabeth set her towel down and started undressing while Reyna got the baths running. The water started rushing through tiny canals on the floor that connected to the tub, filling them quickly. Several pipes started pouring scenes and soaps aromatizing the steamy air.

"You can use Frank's" Reyna told her and pointed to the left one.

Annabeth arched an eyebrow, "Do you guys bathe here together?"

Reyna laughed hard, almost doubling over "are you kidding me?"

"I don't know, they are positioned for discussion"

"Yeah, we discuss how to run The Legion between bubbles and splashing water to each other. The guy is too bashful for that, but it's the intention, I guess…"

"Wow, The Romans are so cute" she found it a bit perturbing that the bath was built like that in the XXI century. They were still like old, really traditional on everything. "I think I'll stay with our ping pong table"

Reyna looked at her amused and slipped in her bath full of bubbles and Annabeth followed her, sinking in the tub in front of hers. It was big enough to swim in, she went around and down and opened her eyes under water were the mosaics shimmered with the sunlight.

"Are you studying?" Reyna asked after a moment of peaceful silence. Annabeth sat on a built in stool and started washing her hair "What am I asking, of course you are"

"The finals are about three weeks away so yeah, I am. And I have my final project almost done and I'm so excited!"

"You're excited to leave," Reyna pointed out.

"I'm excited to present it...but that too" She shrugged

"You should tell him you want to leave" Annabeth frowned

"Uh, we're going back together?"

"That's not what I mean. Annabeth you want to go back to New York permanently, I can tell"

Annabeth leaned against the tub and just looked at her

"You want to go back since you first stepped here"

"Your point?" She wasn't going to contradict her

"You should just tell him, Percy will follow you, and you know it"

"I don't know...I mean yes, of course, if I wanted to leave he would pack right away but do I really want to leave?"

"You hate it here"

"I don't particularly hate it."

"Should I let my dogs in?" Annabeth sighed, a smug smile spread across Reyna's face.

"Yes, your Roman training sucks and so many other things. I miss my home and going out of camp whenever I please...I miss going around and being, I don't know, respected..."

"You're a leader there, here you're just one of the whole and even less because you're not roman. It's understandable"

"It's not that bad"

Reyna started laughing. "You hate it"

"Okay yes, I hate most of it. The architecture program it's very good though, I enjoy my classes"

"So are other programs in other universities"

"What do you want me to do? Walk over to him and tell him yeah we spent six months here but I hated every single minute of it?" Annabeth closed her eyes and rubbed her temples "He was so psyched about New Rome and everything, he saw all this good life for us here with college and–and kids"

"That's kinda cute. He's only 19 but he's committed, I give you that"

Annabeth smiled with affection, he's more than committed when it comes to them

"It was endearing how he said it, we were in the middle of the war...I didn't say yes right away but when it was over I did. I told him we would come after high school and after we graduated it was already settled, we didn't ever discussed it again, we just came"

"Annabeth you couldn't stand six months. You've been counting down the days for the moment you two get back. Six months is not a lot of time, you know what is?"

"Six years?"

Six years were the amount of time you had to serve the Legion to actually live forever in New Rome.

"Exactly. Six years are a fucking load of time." She showed her forearm where she had her Camp Jupiter tattoo with a series of lines, a few more than six.

"I don't know if I can do it six years...or live in New Rome, the city is amazing but–"

"I'm not going to get offended 'cause you don't like it." Reyna smiled at her "go now, you only spent a semester, you can start somewhere else with your studies. Percy will understand"

"Yeah, of course he will"

"Yes because oh my gods Percy Jackson is so perf you know?" She started talking all valley girl twirling her wet hair in her fingers "Like he's the cutest boyfriend ever. Savior of Olympus and all!" Annabeth rolled her eyes and snorted "His hair is like messy all the time and so sexy! And those eyes, oh my gods! They are greener than the Mediterranean Sea. And have you like seen him swing his sword?"

Annabeth laughed and splashed water from her tub. Reyna spattered and rubbed her eyes, she was smiling.

The two girls got out of the tubs and got dressed. Relaxed after the hot bubble bath, they headed out to dinner.

"You know I could use a bath like that one a few nights a week. Next time you want a bathing buddy call me." Annabeth winked and then laughed at Reyna's sudden embarrassment. "I'm actually kinda hurt you decided to share your awesome baths just now, I've been on this damn camp for six months"

"I shouldn't have invited you, it's for the Praetors only, but we had to talk"

"Yeah, it was a good talk mom" Reyna laughed and shoved her.

"I'm gonna miss you"

"Don't think for a moment I believe that. You're so getting rid of your own problem" Annabeth looked at her knowingly.

Reyna smirked "well yeah, in a way, good riddance. Nobody wanted to accept you here and I vouched for you, and you–you paid me like that!"

She called her a bitch in Latin.

Annabeth laughed and hugged her. Reyna had been a good friend; she was one of the few good things about Camp Jupiter.

Reyna wasn't the hugging type, her displays of affection were to shove her or snack her or even junked her hair but right now she tried and Annabeth appreciated how she returned her hug wrapping her arms around her kinda awkwardly even if it was for a second.

"You know why I allowed you not to get marked?"

When Annabeth entered the camp as a daughter of Athena (a demigod that wasn't supposed to exist since Minerva, Athena's Roman form, didn't have any kids and was, by the way, only the goddess of wisdom. No battle strategist for the Roman goddess...) most of the people didn't want her around, she couldn't even pretend Roman, Percy at least was a son of Poseidon and the god in Roman form was pretty much the same.

Most people voted against her stay but Reyna, Frank and Hazel stood up for her and Reyna sword the senate Annabeth would be a good warrior and someone valuable to have around.

Redesigning the Olympus was a plus. Being a part of the seven famous was a plus plus, recovering the Athena Parthenos was another big thing, knowing that she went through Tartarus should be the act and they still looked at her unconvinced.

And what the fuck man, after everything she accomplished…How else should she prove her worthy of their Legion?

Stupid Romans.

She really thought they weren't worthy of her.

Okay, maybe feeling like she was worthier than said Legion was her big pride. She tried to suppress the thought the first few weeks at the camp but really it was her hubris acting up, she couldn't.

Later they let her in but they didn't trust her much, again what the fuck.

Annabeth had kinda disappointed them–or Reyna, but they let her stay because of her good marks at the university, her ideas for some modern buildings in New Rome were amazing and she won most of the war games, so people started liking her (except when she broke the rules...)

At any rate, what Annabeth didn't want, deep in her heart, really didn't want was to be tattooed with the symbol of the Roman goddess and the SPQR. A roman goddess that didn't even resemble her real godly parent.

So when the time of impregnating her skin with the roman symbol came (about a month after she arrived when the Senate decided to let her in the Legion) she begged Reyna not to and even though most people were against that because the tattoo was very important and was supposed to make you proud and count the years you serve the Legion and some roman shit, for some reason –and to her surprise –Reyna decided to grant her wish (with Frank's approval)

"No," Annabeth replied "I don't know why you, the only thing I know is that it was not out of kindness, for sure"

"How do you know?"

"Ha! Because I know you"

Reyna rolled her eyes but it was kinda true...they weren't as close six months ago and it definitely took them a good bit to open up completely to one another.

"Annabeth, I knew you would leave. This is not your home and you make one step like you belong one step like an alien"

"Thanks, I guess. I'd hate it if I was stuck with that tattoo...you know what? You guys should totally rethink the tattoo idea, it even hurts! Are you like masochist or something? Don't you want a cute bead necklace?" Reyna laughed

"Yep, the Praetor is gonna wear a colorful bead necklace. Please, get out of my sight and go talk to Percy right now"

"You're so thinking about it" Annabeth walked backwards a few steps smiling

"Talk to your boyfriend because if you don't then I'm kicking you out. It's an order from your Praetor"

"Good thing Greeks don't have Praetors. I don't take any orders from you"

Reyna squinted at her

"It's that supposed to be your intimidating look?" She broke into a grin and Reyna couldn't help but smile back

"It's still an order"

"Yes Mater"

There was nothing she liked more than to watch him study.

He was completely oblivious of her looking at him from the door. He was lying on his bunk bed with his legs supporting a thick book and rolling riptide between his fingers, uncapped, he was using it to write.

His eyebrows were scrunched in deep concentration. Reading didn't come easily to him so she found the sight endearing. She could make out the title of the book 'XXI Century Oceanography'

He run a hand through his messy hair and turned the paged and read some more "what?!" Annabeth covered her mouth "this is bullshit man!"

She couldn't hold the laughter any longer; she exploded into very girly giggles "What is?"

He jumped and dropped the book and the pen "Jeez, Annabeth!"

"Sorry!" She laughed and picked up his pen and handed it to him "You're too cute when you study," his cheeks colored red and he rubbed his neck "What is bullshit?"

"Err, the scientists...they made all these stuff uh–the ocean is simpler than that" Annabeth smiled knowingly.

"I think the ocean is actually pretty complicated"

He arched an eyebrow, "you think?" She smirked and he tugged her over to him. He kissed her and she cupped his jaw in her hands

"You need to shave" She said against him mouth, caressing his cheeks...his stubble turned her on a lot actually.

"Yeah" He went back to kissing her and she relaxed in his warm embrace "did you have a nice time with Reyna?"

"Usual mother and daughter talk," she said, he chuckled against her neck. His lips trailed her throat

Annabeth pulled away and put her hands in his chest, she shook her head as if to clear it "wait–I came here to talk. I need to tell you something," he turned serious

"Actually I need to tell you something too, I was only delaying it. But it's very important"

"Really?"

He sighed and let go of her, then nodded "yeah"

"Okay, do you want to go first?"

He motioned the bed and they sat in silence, Percy looked down at their hands

"Percy, what's up? Are you okay?"

"Yeah...well, no. Not really," she waited "Look Annabeth I don't know what Reyna told you today, probably some lecture over us going around, but I don't care about that...I feel like a jerk"

"What?"

"It's not like I'm realizing now, I know how you feel I'm not that stupid"

"Okay..."

"I feel like a jerk because I imposed this on you and you never got much say in it and I'm an awful boyfriend, you told me when you were like thirteen you wanted to go to NYU and I come with the 'yeah let's start a life on the other side of the country' thing and you–you just went with it."

Percy stood up and started pacing through the room nervously

Annabeth was too stunned to talk for a moment, its amazing how synchronized they are.

They both wanted to talk about it right now!

He cleared his throat. "And I'm a jerk because I knew you hate it from the very beginning. I thought maybe it takes a little time to adjust to the new environment but who am I kidding I hate it too! It's so...so Roman." He looked at her for a second to see if she's understanding but she's just quiet.

"And then when I was going to tell you we should leave, somewhere mid semester...you kinda started liking the people and loving your subjects and your teachers so I just kept quiet which was jerkiest thing because I wasn't being honest...Gods! And It's been six months and all I want to do is leave. I miss my friends; I miss my mom and my home. I miss Camp Halfblood more than anything, my cabin, the sea..."

"Percy"

"I'm so sorry. This gets you another semester behind your architect degree and you already lost two years!"

"Percy!" She stood in front of him blocking his path.

"Because you know, that stupid year with the war and then we had to finish high school and–"

"Percy!" She grabbed his jaw for him to look at her "it's okay"

"No, it's not okay."

"Yes, it is. Do you know what I wanted to talk with you about?" He shook his head trapped between her hands "I was going to tell you we should leave"

"Really?"

"Yeah"

"Oh"

She smiled and pressed a kiss to his lips.

"You hate it?" She asked

"You can't tell?"

"Well, yes but I thought you pretended for my sake"

He laughed and shook his head then turned serious "I'm sorry, we should have left as soon as we got here...let's just pack right now!"

"We can't"

"Yes! Let's leave now"

"We've been here six months and we still have to sit for our finals. I'm not letting another semester to waste"

"What use does it make if we have to start somewhere else?"

"They can validate our subjects, Reyna told me"

"That's nice of them and all but who is going to accept subjects from the University of New Rome? It doesn't even exist!"

"I don't know how they do it but they make them worth"

"Okay...then three more weeks," a grin spread on his face

Annabeth nodded smiling, she hugged him and buried her face in his shoulder, they were going back, permanently.

"Annabeth, there's something else" she pulled away but kept her hands around his neck "I never want you to follow me again on something this big"

To her it seemed really small comparing it to–she made it out because he fell with her, they'd done it together. There's nothing as big as–. Annabeth took a deep breath and put all those thoughts in the back of her head telling them to shut up.

"I want you to tell me what you want. Always"

"I want us to live together." She blurted out "If we're going to NYU, I don't want to live in a dorm. I don't care where we live, let's go to your moms, at least for a while, then we can figure something out, and–do you want to?" She asked a little unsure because they are still 19 years old and it's a big thing!

But on the other hand, what could be better for them? They could barely stand it when they were not together.

"Are you kidding me? I want to!" He grinned and crushed her in a hug. He kissed the side of her head "Of course I want to! Let's get our own home and sleep together everyday"

He kissed her; they were both giddy, smiling in the kiss.

They looked at each other a moment smiling and he kissed her again. And again. And again. And again...

Annabeth was sure if her mind wasn't in hardwired she would have let him continue and carried her to the bed but she was thinking a lot of stuff at the same time. There was a lot to think about.

"We have a lot to plan!" she said excitedly after pulling away. Percy laughed and stole another kiss.

"Yes, we do"

She used his notebook and Riptide and they spent the rest of the night sitting on the floor, talking and writing stuff down about their new close future (and well...kissing, too)