Why Don't We date already? | oneshots

new rome

book series: son of neptune by rick riordan

*****

Jonah walked in his shared apartment in New Rome, kissing Tatum's cheek as he passed her. "Hey, Tate. How was the test?"

"I did better than I thought I would," the daughter of Aurora, goddess of dawn, replied, taking a sip of iced tea. "How was your class?"

"Interesting," he replied, sliding into a bar stool across from Tatum's. The son of Venus took out a stack of books and opened one, propping his notebook against it as he flipped the coffee machine on.

The two demigods were in their first year of college in the Twelfth Legion. They had been fortunate enough to have survived this long into adulthood and had been together for a few years now. They had fought side by side in the Fields of Mars and at Mount Othrys alongside their fellow comrades.

As members of the Second Legion, they were both well off. Tatum's family was well respected in New Rome. It had taken several years for Jonah, a recruit from Minnesota, to court her and even gain her parent's blessing to date her. His looks and knowledge of weaponry and swordsmanship had helped him gain a higher status in the legion as well.

Tatum couldn't focus on the blue light emitting from the screen in front of her. She remembered the first time Jonah had actually spoken to her. Sure, they knew each other ,being in the same cohort, but it never really crossed her mind that he would talk to her. Much less fight alongside her, as though they could read each other's minds nad movements, or even move in with her.

Tatum had just closed her laptop when the alarm bells rang.

"Well, time to fight once again," Jonah grinned at Tatum, who had just slid out her sword.

"I love you," Tatum said, pecking his cheek. "Try not to die."

"After ten years, you still doubt my fighting ability," Jonah sighed, grinning. "Let's go and protect New Rome."

*****

"This is not good," Tatum said, surveying the battlefield. "This is definitely not good."

The legion was surrounded by monstrous allies. Jonah and Tatum ran towards the fray, hoping to save Rome.

Tatum soon lost Jonah amidst the fighting. She swung her sword, hacking away at the wild centaurs she was facing. She could feel the adrenaline through her veins. She missed fighting, surprisingly.

"You good, Jellybean?" she shouted at a friend of hers.

"How many times, Tatum, don't call me that!" James shouted back, deflecting a rogue spear. Tatum just blew a raspberry at him and, picking up a fallen spear, chucked it at the nearest centaur, hitting it in the flank.

Tatum slowly made her way towards the Twelfth Legion. However, there were too many monsters. Before she knew it, she was surrounded.

Story of my life: too many monsters, Tatum thought bitterly. Well, at least she would go down dying.

She sliced at a centaur's chest, his spear grazing her cheek. She caught it somehow and threw it at another. She deflected another centaur's attack and stabbed it in the chest, rolling out of the way of an arrow. She could feel the sting of another arrow on the underside of her arm. Ignoring the pain, she slammed her shield into a centaurs body, smoothly saddling it. She sliced its throat and jumped down, swinging her sword in a circle around her and slicing the ankles of several centaurs. She rolled over, which was a huge mistake.

Several centaurs stood above her, one holding a spear point to her chest. "Any last words?"

*****

Jonah aimed his arrow at another monster and let go. One down, probably a thousand more to go.

He started shooting down more monsters, grabbing any loose arrows he could find. He took a dagger and threw it at the nearest centaur, dissolving it to dust.

"Tatum!" He shouted, unslinging his sword from his back. "Tatum!"

He saw a girl held at spearpoint on the ground. Well, it must be the centaurs' lucky day, he though sarcastically. He immediately shot arrows at the nearest centaurs.

The girl got up and immediately attacked the nearest monsters. Jonah stood back to back with her and they fought alongside each other.

"Tatum?" Jonah shouted in disbelief, seeing her carefully forged Imperial gold sword.

"Nice to see you can't recognize your own girlfriend!" Tatum shouted back. "I'll just—"

Jonah shot his last arrow into a centaurs chest and turned. "What were you—TATUM!"

"Jonah," Tatum wheezed. The spear in her shoulder blades made it hard to breathe. She inhaled, seeing dark spots.

Jonah knelt beside her, carefully rolling her over. "Tate, hold on. Please. This can't be—"

"I'll see you in Elysium," Tatum gasped out, her hand tightening around Jonah's.

"No, Tate, no." Jonah leaned down to kiss her. "This isn't the end."

"Jonah, I love you," Tate whispered. Her eyes widened. "Look out."

Jonah barely had time to turn around when a sword made its way in his heart.

****

Jonah couldn't remember how he crossed the Styx or made his way to the three judges. All he could remember was that Tatum's hand was in his as they navigated the afterlife.

She joined him in Elysium a few moments later. "What happened to you?"

"Sword wound," Jonah grinned. "Well, you got your wish list to go down fighting."

"I wish our brothers and sisters luck as they battle the prophecy," Tatum said, coming to him and resting her head on his shoulder. Jonah placed an arm around her waist as they moved to where other slain demigods were hanging out.

A couple not unlike themselves moved to them. The guy was a burly African-American whose clothing was burnt and frayed in quite a lot of places. The girl under his arm was beautiful, her hair falling over her shoulders. The armor she was wearing had acid marks on it, like a drakon had spit on it.

"Beckendorf," the guy said, holding his hand out to Jonah. "This is Silena. Nice to meet you."

"Jonah," Jonah replied, shaking his hand. "And this is Tatum."

"Nice to meet you," Tatum said, shaking her new friends' hands. "So, how'd you die?"