Because We Can

17~ (Visiting Hours) Are Over

a lot of you were pissed about the cliffy in the last chapter and i felt really pleased with myself like "hey i made you guys pissed wow would you look at that"

so yeah brace yourself for this one guys and dont kill me

Jason watched Piper storm away, unable to bring himself to follow her. Then he turned to Reyna dragging Octavian back to their mini van.

He got up slowly, avoiding everyone's angry/confused/upset looks, and shoved his hands into his jean pockets. "See you guys later," he muttered, and followed Reyna's path up Camp Half Blood Hill.

Jason broke to a run as soon as he stepped out of the pavilion, and was soon just a couple feet away from Reyna, who was just sliding the car door shut.

"Hey," he said, and without thinking, reached out to her. Reyna flinched away and he took his hand back. "Look, I'm sorry for even suggesting you guys come here. But Percy had been talking about Frank and Hazel, and I thought that maybe you and Octavian could at least say sorry to Chiron-"

"Stop," Reyna said quietly. "You know that's not why I agreed to come here."

"I know."

They were both silent, staring at their own shoes.

"I don't like you like that."

"I know, Jason."

He stepped a little closer, watching her reaction. Nothing. "I care about what happens to you, Reyna. But Piper..."

Reyna looked up at him, just as Octavian shouted something muffled from the van.

"Piper means everything to me. I love her."

She nodded. "When you disappeared, Percy came to Camp Jupiter months later. I thought he would take your place easily as a leader. But I knew I - the camp - would never trust him as they trusted you."

"You still trust me?"

"Of course. Jason, I know you like Piper. I'm sorry I kissed you."

"Uh... me, too."

"Could you please take me to Piper? I would like to apologise."

Jason straighted his shoulders. "Sure."

~~

Piper threw herself onto her bed, sighing so she wouldn't cry. The rest of the camp was loud as they played Capture the Flag, and she wished she could distract herself by playing with them. She hoped it was Annabeth outside her door when she heard the knocking.

"Who is it?" she called, and her voice was raspier than she thought it would be.

"Piper?" It was Jason.

She rolled over on her pillows. He was the last person she wanted to see. "What."

"Piper?" A different voice. A girl. Not Annabeth or Hazel. "It's Reyna. We - I - would like to speak with you."

"It's unlocked." Piper shouted through her pillow, and she heard the door open slowly, then a hand on the nape of her neck. She tensed. "Don't touch me, Jason," she barely whispered, and the hand retracted.

Piper sat up, glaring into her lap.

"Piper, I am sorry," Reyna started. Piper ignored her. "This, ah, situation... is not what I expected would come out of the Giant War-"

"What? A love triangle?" Piper snapped. She looked up at Reyna, and Jason, standing behind her.

"Yes," Reyna said rigidly. "I honestly didn't think he would find someone like you."

Piper stood, telling herself not to crumble in front of a girl not much taller than her, but with ten times more power. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Jason stepped forward. "It means I told her I loved you, Pipes," he said quietly.

"And that I'm sorry," Reyna added, relaxing. "Don't waste him, Piper." And she left, closing the cabin door behind her.

"You don't believe her," Jason assumed, shifting on his feet.

"Of course not." Piper sat back down on her bed, balancing her elbows on her knees and leaning into her hands. She peaked at Jason through her fingers. "Did you really tell her?"

"Yes."

"Did you invite her here?"

"Yes."

Piper looked up at him, his hands in his pockets and her heart beating just for him.

He closed his eyes, squeezing them shut like he didn't want any bad dreams. "You know I love you, Pipes. Right? Please, please say you know."

"I know."

Jason let out a sigh of relief, sitting a few feet away from her on the the bed. Piper's eyes watched his hands, curling around each other like they were hugging.

"Jason." He looked up just in time for her to kiss him.

~~

Reyna walked back up Camp Blood Hill, cursing herself when she closed the van door shut behind her and Octavian just wouldn't shut up.

"That daughter of Minerva is going to get it someday. And Jason must be insane! It was his idea to come here, and he is no longer Praetor, so he had no right to just dismiss me in such a way that-"

"OCTAVIAN," Reyna shouted. "You will shut your mouth right now. Don't you ever insult your former Praetor like that. He is still one of us. He is still Roman."

"But-"

"Stop!" Reyna punched the front seat of the van so hard, the entire car shook. "I lost my best friend in the Giant War. Both of our camps lost many, many friends. You will never degrade Jason, or anyone at Camp Half Blood. Understood?"

Octavian cowered into his seat, nodding slowly.

weird ending is weird. hm.

yeah... i struggled to get through this chapter, guys. idk why but i had a hard time with it.

EXPLANATION TIME YAY

so Piper was generally just upset that Jason would invite Reyna to CHB, mostly because she hated her for attacking camp, but also because Reyna had been in Annabeth's position for a long time (missing her best friend.) even though Piper knows that Jason doesn't like Reyna in that way, she was still pretty pissed about it.  (i mean who wouldnt you know). the ending.... idk. i feel like no one appreciates Reyna as a character. she lost Jason the second he began dating Piper, and that has to hurt her.

LOOK AT THE PICTURE ON THE SIDE GUYS IT'S BY THE LOVELY BURDGE 

You Found Me, The Fray.