Livia turned to Jason immediately when Hermes closed the book. She didn't wait for anyone to say anything as she yanked him to his feet, threw him over her shoulder in a show of strength, and stormed away.
"Lina, look after Okto!" she called behind her before heading to the room that she and Mercury had been left in before.
She placed Jason back on his feet and shoved him into the wall. "You," she scowled.
"Is this how I die," he wondered. Livia scowled fiercely. "I'll kill you."
"Livia," he started.
"Since when have you had a cr-fee- when did you start to see me as a non platonic person in your life?"
"I don't know," Jason shrugged. Livia's eyes twitched. "I'm serious. I've always noticed you. You've always been at my side. I turn around and you're there. I look over and you're there. I look ahead and you're there. You've always been there. And one day, I just woke up and realized that I don't want you anywhere else. I don't want to be anywhere else."
He stepped closer into her space. "I was always special to you. I was the only one truly worthy of your attention. I was special and I didn't want to share that with anyone else. And then Octavian came in and I had to. And then Kalina came. Then you let the wall down between you and Leila and Pranjal. But it was always me that got the most of your affection."
Livia felt frozen in place.
"You started going on dates and I was losing my mind."
"What dates," she objected. That was a lie!
"The people at camp you went to dinner and lunch with. You and Octavian double dated at times."
"What the hell! Those aren't dates! Those are political dinners where I collect blackmail and Octavian flirts his way into office."
She didn't like people to date them, and the people that she did that with also knew that she wasn't interested in them. She was thirteen! She had her whole life ahead of her for romance. She was focused on her goals now.
Jason shrugged. "I like you, Livia. I don't see that changing anytime soon and clearly, the future version of me agrees and he's been stewing in his feelings even longer."
Livia was quiet as she stared at him. "I've never thought of you like that," she admitted. "I've never actually been interested in relationships. But—"
She smiled wryly. "But I've always known that you were mine. Since the moment I first saw you, you were mine."
"And you were always mine," he told her. They stood there in silence for a moment longer before she stepped forward to embrace him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, leaning his forehead onto her shoulder. "It doesn't matter what happens in the end, Livia. It's always going to be me and you together until the end."
"Promise?"
"I promise," Jason declared. "And I keep my promises." Something clicked within them, the shared storm calming considerably as they stared at each other. Livia smiled slowly yet brightly as she placed her hand in his. "Okay, Jason. Let's go."
The two of them walked back into the throne room as if nothing happened between them, sharing smiles as they looked at each other. The conversation was nowhere near over, but as long as they had each other there wasn't much that could tear them apart.
The others stared at them trying to see if anything changed between them, but the two said nothing, meeting their eyes evenly as they retook their seats beside Octavian.
Mercury looked between them before taking the book from Hermes and opening it to the right page. Venus and Aphrodite snickered between themselves.
