There's no love without pain // Jeyna

7. The Day I Got To Know

Jason's POV 

One month ( Actually only 23 days, 8 hours, 12 minutes and 47 seconds, 46, 45...) and Jason was starting to panic. He had absolutely no idea what he could say to Reyna. He had no idea what she would say to him. He had no idea whether or not she even liked him. 

Jason was going crazy thinking about all of these things. They would reach there a week before Christmas to help with all the decorations and whatnot and Jason had heard that the Hecate cabin had some tricks up their sleeve (something about enchanted mistletoes). Whether those tricks were meant for the Roman campers or for the Greeks, Jason wasn't sure. Either way, this meant that Jason would have to see Reyna one week earlier than before. 

Great, that meant he had even less time to think up what to say to her. He didn't think one week would make much difference anyway but, even then, he might have has time to come to terms with all the craziness inside his head by then. . . 

Jason couldn't handle it, so, he just went back to swimming in the pool of memories in his head, which was now almost full to the brim. . .

***

Jason remebered the little things. He remembered the way Reyna bit her lip when she was nervous. He remebered the way she held her head high and pretended to not care much about anything. He also remembered that that was just a facade she put up to hide her real emotions, whether to hide it from others or herself, even she wasn't sure. 

But, most importantly, Jason remembered the things which may not seem like big things to others but was huge to him (-huge to us, Jason thought). . . He remembered her past. . . 

Octavian had been in a particularly foul mood that day and had kept them in the Senate House until the sun went down, which is saying a lot, considering that they had entered at noon. Everyone there, anticipating that Octavian would drag the meeting way too long, had eaten their lunch before coming. Except Jason and Reyna. They had been having a heated argument about whether ice cream or chocolate was better. Jason (being his airheaded self) said ice cream was better and Reyna said chocolate. It started from breakfast and ended when Reyna had said, "You can have chocolate ice cream but you can't have ice cream chocolate." with a triumphant and rather smug smile on her face.

Jason, not finding the need to say anything back, (totally not because he didn't have anything he could say to that) suddenly remembered about their Senate meeting, both of them having completely forgotten about it because of their 'fairly important discussion' (Or, atleast, that's what they told the Senate when they arrived late, several of whom were, now, giving Jason knowing smiles and winks, much to his alarm). And because of everything they hadn't had time to eat which was why they were, now, seated in a quiet and pretty much empty restaurant to just have a snack before heading to Camp. Reyna, just for the sake of it, ordered a chocolate muffin and Jason, though reluctantly, ordered the same. Jason looked at her while they were waiting for their food and caught her eye. The silence lying between them was quite uncomfortable unlike the usual comfortable ones that hung between them since Reyna had let him in. It had been almost a year since, so Jason didn't understand why it was suddenly this awkward. 

"What's the matter, Rey?" asked Jason. Reyna seemed startled. She seemed to have forgotten the fact that Jason knew how to speak. "What were you thinking about?"  

"Nothing just. . . my life, I guess." Said Reyna, looking him in the eye. He looked her in the eye as well and saw that she she looked almost vulnerable. Jason understood the silent question her eyes were asking him.

Will you ask or will you not ask?

Jason knew he was being tested. She would be judging him based on what he said, right then. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Jason. 

It was what he would have asked anyone else in that situation. Reyna watched him carefully and Jason didn't break eye contact. That was one of the first things Lupa had taught him. "Never break eye contact, it shows your opponent that you're weak." 

Someone brought their food and kept it on the table. Jason and Reyna were still watching each other. 

"Maybe we should pay for these and eat on our way back. It's getting late, after all." Said Jason. Reyna nodded as Jason fished in his pockets for some denarii. When he got it, he took his muffin and walked over to pay the guy behind the counter. He walked back to find that Reyna was already standing outside, eating her muffin. Jason walked beside her as they headed towards Camp. He wanted to ask her about it again but he decided against it and just shut up. 

Later, after they had had evening muster, they headed back to the Via Principalis to finish their paperwork. Reyna sat down on her chair and Jason expected her to pull her papers closer and place the lid of her pen beside the pile, like she usually does when she's about to do her paperwork. But she didn't. Instead, she turned her chair so that it would face Jason and said, "I do." 

Jason stared at her for a moment and then realized that she wanted to talk about her life, her past. Jason turned his chair slightly so that he was facing her too. He looked at her attentively. 

Reyna usually avoided talking about her past. Jason would know as he'd been trying for the past few years. Today she told him everything and Jason took in every single detail. She told him about her dad and how he'd turned into a mania. She had also said, though in a very quiet voice, that she had done 'patricide' but Jason comforted her and he could tell that she was now starting to trust him more than ever. She explained about how she and Hylla had struggled aboard Blackbeard's ship which was where they had been taken after Circe's island blew up. Though, Reyna resolutely denied to tell him the details of how Blackbeard and his allies escaped. She explained how she and her sister parted ways in a not-so-mutual truce when Hylla found the Amazons and Reyna found Camp Jupiter. When he caught her gaze again, Jason was surprised to see that her eyes were swimming in tears. Jason handed her a tissue from the tissue box on the table. She accepted it gratefully and dabbed at her eyes. 

Jason looked at her for a moment and then kissed her on the cheek. Reyna's face became a bright pink. Jason gave her a small smile and walked out of the Preatoria. He grinned to himself for a moment before heading to his villa. He went to sleep, completely content, that night. . .

*** 

A/N : Wow, that was the longest yet. Also don't get too excited about the kiss. I mean... yeah. Also the next chapter is probably going to be short and crappy so I ask you in advance for forgiveness. Hope you liked this one,

Yours Truly 

ReynaLovegood2 :)