DAYLIGHT ↬ leo valdez x reader

6. YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN, KID

"It'll be fine," she said. "No one will be armed. We can talk in peace. Terminus will make sure each side obeys the rules." She looked at the marble statue. "Do we have an agreement? "Terminus sniffed. "I suppose. For now."

I shrugged and got ready to climb down to the many Romans who were sure to bombard me with questions.
"Perfect." I said. Leo snorted and walked over beside me and he flashed me a mischievous grin. Maybe it was a bad idea to let us across the city limits, Terminus.

A sea of hastily assembled demigods parted for us as we walked through the forum. Some looked tense, some nervous. Some were bandaged from their recent battle with the giants, but no one was armed. No one attacked. Entire families had gathered to see the newcomers. I saw couples with babies, toddlers clinging to their parents' legs, even some elderly folks in a combination of Roman robes and modern clothes. Were all of them demigods? At Camp Half-Blood, most demigods were teens. If they survived long enough to graduate from high school, they either stayed on as counselors or left to start lives as best they could in the mortal world. Here, it was an entire multigenerational community. 

In front of us, the demigods made way for a girl in full Roman armor and a purple cape. Dark hair tumbled across her shoulders. Her eyes were as black as obsidian. Reyna. Jason had described her well. Even without that, I would have singled her out as the leader. Medals decorated her armor. She carried herself with such confidence the other demigods backed away and averted their gaze. I recognized something else in her face, too—in the hard set of her mouth and the deliberate way she raised her chin like she was ready to accept any challenge. Reyna was forcing a look of courage, while holding back a mixture of hopefulness and worry and fear that she couldn't show in public. Annabeth stands in the middle of all of us and we fan out to either side - Jason and Piper to the left; Leo and I on the other. He gives me a comforting, goofy grin, which I reciprocate in a hesitant and frankly scared way.
The praetor Reyna straightened. With apparent reluctance, she turned towardJason. "Jason Grace, my former colleague..." She spoke the word colleague like it was a dangerous thing. "I welcome you home. And these, your friends—"

Annabeth surges forward. My eyes averted to the crowd of demigods who reach for their absent weapons, and see as their muscles loosen watching Percy and Annabeth embrace.
Annabeth grabbed his wrist and flipped him over her shoulder. He slammed into the stone pavement. Romans cried out. It didn't phase me, because I've known them since before they started dating, but even the three newest additions of Camp Half-Blood get a bit confused. Some went to leap forward, but Reyna shouted, "Hold! Stand down!" Annabeth put her knee on Percy's chest. She pushed her forearm against his throat. She didn't care what the Romans thought. A white-hot lump of anger expanded in her chest—a tumor of worry and bitterness that she'd been carrying around since last autumn.
"If you ever leave me again," she said,"I swear to all the gods—"
Percy had the nerve to laugh. Idiot.

"Consider me warned," Percy said. "I missed you, too." Annabeth rose and helped him to his feet.
Jason cleared his throat. "So, yeah....It's good to be back." He introduced Reyna to Piper, who looked a little miffed that she hadn't gotten to say the lines she'd been practicing, then to Leo, who grinned and flashed a peace sign. "Y/N, our healer. G/P's daughter." I smiled meekly and glanced around at the crowd. There were few twinkles of excitement in people's eyes, and the unsure section of my brain convinced myself they were possibly my Roman-sibling counterparts. "And this is Annabeth," Jason said. "Uh, normally she doesn't judo-flip people."
Reyna's eyes sparkled. "You sure you're not a Roman, Annabeth? Or an Amazon?"
"I only attack my boyfriend like that," she promised. "Pleased to meet you."

Reyna clasped her hand firmly. "It seems we have a lot to discuss. Centurions!"
A few of the Roman campers hustled forward—apparently the senior officers. Two kids appeared at Percy's side, the same ones I had seen spotted Percy with from the Argo II earlier. The burly Asian guy with the buzz cut was about fifteen. He was cute in a sort of oversized-cuddly-panda-bear way. The girl was younger, maybe thirteen, with amber eyes and chocolate skin and long curly hair. Her cavalry helmet was tucked under her arm. I could easily read just from their body language that they felt close to Percy. They stood next to him protectively, like they'd already shared many adventures. There was one thing I noticed and couldn't understand: what was the girl staring at? She kept frowning in mine and Leo's direction, like she recognized one of us and the memory was painful. I know I didn't know her, yet Leo doesn't know any signs of recognition either. Or he was just oblivious. More likely the latter.

Meanwhile, Reyna was giving orders to her officers. "...tell the legion to stand down. Dakota, alert the spirits in the kitchen. Tell them to prepare a welcome feast. And, Octavian—"
"You're letting these intruders into the camp?" A tall guy with stringy blond hair elbowed his way forward. "Reyna, the security risks—"
"We're not taking them to the camp, Octavian." Reyna flashed him a stern look. "We'll eat here, in the forum."
"Oh, much better," Octavian grumbled. He seemed to be the only one who didn't defer to Reyna as his superior, despite the fact that he was scrawny and pale and for some reason had three teddy bears hanging from his belt. "You want us to relax in the shadow of their warship."

"These are our guests." Reyna clipped off every word. "We will welcome them, and we will talk to them. As augur, you should burn an offering to thank the gods for bringing Jason back to us safely."
"Good idea," Percy put in. "Go burn your bears, Octavian."
Reyna looked like she was trying not to smile. "You have my orders. Go." The officers dispersed. Octavian shot Percy a look of absolute loathing. 
I mentally noted to find out why that girl was looking at Leo with such unsettling intent..