Reyna sunk back into the couch and wished that it would just swallow her. After the argument with Thalia and the soda exploding on her, Reyna could feel her temper bubbling out of control. She excused herself to take a shower and spent much longer than she should have fuming under the hot water. After her shower, she changed into a fresh pair of clothes and kept to herself for the rest of the day before storming home.
The front door opened, and Reyna opened an eye. Nico walked in with a bag of fast food in one hand, and a soda in his other. He closed the door and handed the bag to Reyna. A small smile came to her face as she was handed the drink as well.
"Thank you, Nico. You didn't have to," Reyna began.
"Food always cheers you up," Nico shrugged off. Reyna nodded her agreement. She opened the bag and found a large carton of fries and a chicken sandwich. There was only one of each.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Reyna asked as she looked up. Nico shook his head and placed his keys and wallet on the table. "Is everything okay?"
"I have a date tonight," Nico mumbled, and a blush came to his face. Reyna smiled brightly at the news. "In an hour. Can you help me pick out an outfit?"
"Of course," Reyna replied, the smile still present in her features. She grabbed the bag of fast food and the drink. The two of them walked towards Nico's room. "Tell me about him."
Nico pulled at his collar instead of answering. Reyna lost some of her smile. She knew that Nico was still uncomfortable when it came to talking about his dates. Reyna quickly spoke, "It's okay if you don't want to. Is this a first date or someone you know? Just for the sake of the outfit."
"Someone I know," Nico clarified. "It's an informal thing."
"So dress casually," Reyna assumed. She sat on Nico's bed and carefully ate the fries, not wanting to drop any on his bed. "Are we talking like coffee shop casual or a restaurant casual?"
Nico mumbled something under his breath. Reyna tilted her head to the side, "What did you say?"
"McDonald's casual," Nico spoke up, a little louder this time. Reyna stared at him.
"Nico, you are not taking someone on a date to McDonald's," Reyna reprimanded. "Oh my god. Were you going to buy a Happy Meal?"
"What happened with you and Thalia?" Nico countered. Reyna glared as Nico grabbed a few shirts from his closet.
"My question first. Then yours," Reyna shot back. Nico slowly turned towards Reyna. He sighed and looked down. "I love McDonald's too, but you need to order like an adult if you go there."
"I don't know if it's a date," Nico admitted. "He asked me if I wanted to get dinner with him tonight. I want it to be a date, but I don't know if he's actually gay or if I'm reading too much into this."
Reyna patted the bed next to her, and Nico complied by taking the spot. She shared her fries. Nico ate a couple but stared at the floor in nervous anticipation. Reyna spoke, "Even if this isn't an actual date, you can learn more about him. He'll become more comfortable around you, and you can always ask if he has a girlfriend. If he says no, you can just ask him if he wants to date you instead."
"What if he doesn't have a girlfriend, and he's not gay. I don't want to out myself like that," Nico shot down. Reyna found herself at a loss. She wrapped an arm around Nico and rubbed his shoulders. No answers came to her.
"I don't know," Reyna finally admitted. "We're not in high school anymore, Nico. No one is going to bully you for being gay, and if they do, I'll just beat them up."
"It's not easy, though," Nico countered. "You never had to face the bullying like I did. You didn't see the things I saw in Italy. If it gets back to Hazel, what will she think of me?"
"Nico, I know that Hazel will accept you for who you are. You just have to get past this irritating fear," Reyna began. "Hell, Bianca did-"
"Don't," Nico suddenly snapped. He pulled away and turned on Reyna. "Don't talk about Bianca like you know her."
"Nico," Reyna said. Her best friend looked at her with pure fury. Reyna forced herself to swallow back her next words. Nico glared at her for a long minute. "Dress casually but not too casual. Let him know you put some effort into this."
Nico took a deep breath and turned away. He walked towards his closet, and Reyna went back to eating her fries. As Nico pulled out a few more shirts and a few jackets, he seemed to have calmed down, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped on you."
"It's okay. Try on the red shirt," Reyna suggested. Nico nodded and pulled his shirt off, replacing it with the red one. "Are you wearing blue or black jeans?"
"I'm not sure," Nico admitted. Reyna rubbed her chin and thought about it. "So, what happened with you and Thalia today?"
Reyna took a moment to think it over. She opened her mouth, but she couldn't force any words out. Reyna looked down and took a deep breath. She grabbed her soda and sipped on it. All she had to do was collect herself and swallow the horse pill to go through this story. Reyna needed to open up. This was the start.
"I tried to avoid her, but she caught me in the break room. Told her I wanted to date her," Reyna began. She cleared her throat and took another sip of soda. Her words felt like they were getting caught in her throat, and it was so stupid to her. What was so hard about this?
"What did she say?" Nico asked gently.
"The blue one. With black jeans and your aviator jacket," Reyna decided as Nico was sampling one of his black shirts. She averted her eyes as Nico slipped on his black jeans. When he gave her the okay, she looked back at him. "Jason interrupted before she could answer, and he asked how her date went."
"Reyna. I'm sorry," Nico said as he turned towards her, shirt half on his head. Reyna helped him pull the shirt down.
"I left the room after that, but Thalia ran after me. Grabbed me and told me the date meant nothing. Jason only set her up on one because he was worried that we would date again. Jason thinks I dated Thalia to get back at him," Reyna muttered. She quickly looked away. "Then, Thalia kissed me."
"I pulled her into one of the side closets, and before we could do anything, I told her we needed to talk, but she blew me off," Reyna explained. "She said it was easier to not date. I wouldn't have to share my feelings that way."
"That is a fair point," Nico commented. He pulled on his aviator jacket. "What do you think?"
"Perfect," Reyna answered honestly. "Do you need to take a shower first?"
"Yeah. But let's finish talking," Nico replied, sitting next to Reyna. She finished her fries and then moved on to the sandwich. "What happened after that?"
"I got mad," Reyna admitted. "And jealous. Really, really jealous that she went on a date with someone else. So, I said I wouldn't have slept with her if I knew it was a one time thing, and I accused her of knowing that."
"Thalia isn't the kind of person to manipulate you like that," Nico began. Reyna nodded her agreement. "Why did you say that?"
"I just wasn't thinking clearly," Reyna admitted. "I was mad and said the first thing that came to mind, and I felt embarrassed. I know Thalia wouldn't use me like that, but that logical part of me wasn't working. I just felt humiliated. Thalia told me that I kissed her instead of telling her I wanted to talk. That's true, but she also didn't have anything on. How am I supposed to think straight and talk sense when the body of a goddess is in my arms?"
Nico chuckled and shook his head. Reyna looked down and continued, "Thalia got mad and told me that I can't tell anyone what I want because that means I have to share my feelings. And, I told her I don't sleep with any woman I find attractive. I immediately regretted it and tried to apologize. Got called an asshole. She stormed out."
Nico seemed to be lost in thought, and he finally reached out to rub Reyna's shoulder. She finished her sandwich and laid back on Nico's bed. Reyna spoke, "I don't know what to do, Nico. I want to be with Thalia, but she hates me."
"I doubt Thalia hates you. It's probably the fact that you were a bit of an asshole today," Nico theorized. "I'm sure she was one too. I think you need to try talking to her again. Maybe open up a little and show her that you're serious about dating again."
"What if I open up, only for her to turn me down?" Reyna asked. She turned on her side. "I don't think I can handle that rejection."
"You can't be scared of rejection," Nico began. He started to massage Reyna's shoulders. "It sucks, and it's hard. But it's a part of life, though. I'm not saying confess your undying love for Thalia. Just be honest that sleeping with you and deciding by herself that it's a one time thing hurts."
"Thalia wanted you to open up. This is a way to start, but you can't get mad at the first thing she says. You have to keep your temper in check for the entire conversation," Nico laid out. Reyna nodded slightly and closed her eyes. "I can cancel my date."
"Nico di Angelo, you are not going to cancel your date/not date," Reyna put her foot down. She sat up. "You are going to go, have the time of your life, and hopefully have a boyfriend at the end of it. I'm going to go for a drive to calm down, but I'll talk to Thalia and keep my cool."
"Good," Nico said. Reyna sat up and hugged him tightly. Nico hugged her back with similar grip.
"I'm lucky to have you," Reyna whispered in his ear. She gently kissed his forehead. While she couldn't see his face, she heard him mumble the words back to her, and she could have sworn she felt a teardrop hit her skin.
An hour later Reyna was pulling into the gym. Her drive had mostly calmed her down. She wasn't sure why she went to the gym instead of her apartment. It could have been instinctive or maybe because she wanted to be at a place where she spent most of her time. As Reyna pulled into the gym, she saw only one car in the lot, and the owner sat on the hood.
Reyna parked in the nearest parking space and got out. She walked towards the lone figure and spoke, "You okay, Lupa?"
"No," Lupa admitted. She patted the hood next to her. Reyna slowly sat and leaned back on the appointed spot. Even with the dimmed light from the setting of the sun, Reyna could tell Lupa had been crying. "I just miss my mother."
"I'm sorry," Reyna began. She slowly reached out to rub Lupa's back. "I can't imagine what it's like."
Lupa didn't answer. Her lower lip quivered, and tears filled her eyes. Before Reyna knew what she was doing, she stood and pulled her mentor into a hug. Lupa stiffened at the sudden contact, but she then buried her face in Reyna's shoulder and cried.
Reyna gently rubbed Lupa's back and stared at the hood of the car. This was never a position she thought she would find herself in: comforting Lupa. It was always the opposite. When Reyna first started doing side jobs at the gym, Lupa doted over her like a mother hen. It only got worse after the incident with Bryce Lawrence and then when Reyna officially joined the gym as a fighter.
When Reyna received her first concussion from a botched kick by Gwen, it was Lupa who stayed with her all night and took care of her. When Reyna was so sick that she couldn't get out of bed, Lupa came over and took care of her. When Reyna spent her eighteenth birthday feeling particularly alone and crying because her piece of shit mother was nowhere to be seen and her older sister had abandoned her, Lupa was there for her.
Reyna felt herself being hit with a stark realization. She could imagine what losing a mother was like. If something were to happen to her birth mother, Reyna wouldn't care, but if something were to happen to Lupa, that might break her. Lupa was a mother to her.
Reyna tightened her hold on Lupa and wiped her own eyes. The only noise that pierced the quiet air was Lupa's soft crying. Reyna continued to rub her back, not even caring as minutes slowly passed by. Lupa finally pulled away and wiped away her own tears.
"I'm sorry," Lupa said in a hushed voice. Reyna sat next to her once again.
"It's okay," Reyna dismissed. She looked at Lupa and smiled slightly. "Are you doing better?"
"Yes. Sometimes, you have to let out your emotions," Lupa answered. "What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"
"No. Nothing's wrong," Reyna began. She sighed and looked down. "No. That's a lie. Thalia and I are arguing. I thought that we might get back together, but we had an argument today. I just don't know what to do."
"Be honest with her," Lupa said. Reyna looked down. "I know it's hard, but you are going to have to open yourself up to have a relationship with someone."
"I'm scared," Reyna said softly. She slowly looked at Lupa and met her eyes. "I am so scared of letting someone in and relying on them. They're just going to leave me."
"You let me in," Lupa commented. Reyna nodded her agreement. "What makes me different?"
"Nothing you do could hurt me," Reyna answered. Lupa looked away. "I'm serious, Lupa. You were there for me when I was at my lowest point. You took me off the streets and gave me a job even though you didn't know me."
"Reyna," Lupa began, but Reyna wasn't done yet.
"You helped me get a career in fighting. Without you, I don't know where I would be. Probably still on the streets. Or dead," Reyna confessed. She looked down. "I'm just so thankful for you Lupa. It had to be some kind of divine intervention that you walked into the alley that day."
"Reyna, there's something I need to tell you," Lupa interjected. It took Reyna a few moments to look at her. Lupa studied her eyes. Then, she looked away. "I'm glad to have you in my life too. You're like a daughter to me."
Reyna wasn't quite sure how to describe the warm feeling in her chest. She just smiled and wrapped Lupa in a hug, but she could have sworn that she saw a look of guilt on Lupa's face. Before Reyna could dwell on it, Lupa hugged her back.
"I have another question," Reyna said as she pulled away. "How should I be honest with Thalia? I already told her I want to get back together with her, and it didn't end well. She thinks I can't handle a relationship, and we both said things that we don't mean. That I hope she doesn't mean."
"You must stop and ask yourself if you can really open up to Thalia. If the answer is yes, you must talk to her. Tell her the truth but remind her it will take time. When she asks you about your day, be honest with her. If you're upset, tell her. Even if she is the one who upset you," Lupa explained.
"If you and Thalia do get back together, I would tell her a small truth. Something you haven't told anyone before that you could only trust Thalia with. Something she may want to know," Lupa suggested. Reyna nodded and looked down. She would talk to Thalia, and she would take the advice given from both Nico and Lupa.
"Thank you," Reyna spoke up, and she stood from the hood of the car. "You should get home and sleep."
"You should do the same," Lupa said back to her apprentice. She gently grabbed Reyna's shoulder and squeezed it. Reyna smiled and hugged Lupa quickly. She pulled away and walked towards her car. "Have a good night, Reyna."
"You too," Reyna replied. She got in her car and turned it on. Her gaze moved down to her phone. She would find the right time to talk to Thalia. And, she had a truth to tell. It was just a matter of when would be the best time to tell her. Before they started dating again? If they started dating again. After?
Reyna sighed and laid her head back. There was a truth that she had told no one, and it involved Thalia. But, Reyna wasn't sure if she could speak it out loud. After all, how would Thalia react if she knew that Jason was right about Reyna only dating Thalia to get back at Jason?