Hazel Levesque || ANGST

When Reyna joined the Hunters

Basic info: Reyna x Hazel, during ToA, set at the end of Tyrant's Tomb
Trigger warnings: -

Hazel watched with an empty mind as Reyna took the oath to join Artemis' hunters, ignoring Frank's worried looks he kept shooting at her from the praetor's table. She struggled to keep her face emotionless, trying to conceal the anger and heartbreak that was threatening to race through her thoughts. Learning to stop thinking, to stop taking on her surroundings was a helpful skill she had learnt during her many years in the mindless Asphodel, one that she was grateful to have. She knew that doing this wouldn't help her mental health, but she also knew that watching Reyna slip out of her reach and into the unknown? Neither would that.

The oath was finished. Frank called upon Hazel to become praetor. There was a celebration after, and Lester and Meg made sure to say congratulations. It was all a blur to Hazel though, as she focused her vision on the beautiful daughter of Bellona, the very same that she had been crushing on hard ever since she arrived at Camp Jupiter. She was gone. Gone, gone, gone...

Reyna met her gaze. 'what's wrong, praetor?' the huntress lip synced, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. Hazel watched as she quickly excused herself, and walked over to her.
"You okay, Hazel?"
Hazel cleared her throat, allowing her mind to clear and the thoughts to race through her mind. Reyna's comforting smell of chilli and cinnamon enveloped the daughter of Pluto, causing said thoughts to turn fuzzy. "I need to talk to you," she murmured, gripping Reyna's wrist. "Walk with me?"

Bellona's daughter blinked, and nodded quickly. Hazel tugged her away from the large crowd of hunters and demigods, towards a worn down track lit only by the moonlight, which was especially bright tonight. Once they were far enough away from the others, Hazel took a deep breath. Words bubbled up, along with many emotions, and this time she didn't force them down. She let them out.

"I'm so angry at you."
Confusion flashed across Reyna's face, but Hazel continued on.
"Doing this to Nico. You're like a sister to him, you know? And now you've left him. For the Hunters. Just like Bianca. What if you get killed on a quest? What do you think will happen to him? He can't lose you... and I can't lose you." Her voice caught on the 'can't', and she took another shaky breath in before speaking again.

"Did what happened in the battle mean so little to you that you swore off love for eternity?"

For once, Hazel allowed the memories to wash over her. In the battle that decimated Camp Jupiter before Lester and Meg arrived, she and Reyna were fighting one of the euronymi. It wasn't looking good, and at one stage Reyna had grabbed Hazel's arm and hissed a fearful 'run' into her ear. They ran into one of the darkened alleyways, and for a while it seemed like they had lost the monster. But they could still hear the angered cries of 'FOOD' in the distance, and both women knew they didn't have long until it found them.

They exchanged small amounts of nectar and Ambrosia, yet it was no use. They'd been fighting for what felt like days, but the undead armies still kept coming. The bodies of the dead sank away, and even Hazel couldn't explain what was happening. Both of them were so tired, their hope was beginning to fade.

"Hazel, listen." Reyna had broke the tired silence with a pained tone. "Whatever happens after this... if we don't make it..."
"Reyna, don't—"
"Let me finish. There something I need you to know. I can't die knowing I never told you this..."
Hazel had taken Reyna's hand. "We won't die, Ra. Okay? We can- we will survive." But her tone of voice was unsure. The praetor had cut her off by pressing her lips to Hazel's in a chaste but deep kiss, and silently told Hazel everything she needed to say.

"Well, now we have to survive..." Hazel had chuckled breathlessly, leaning upwards for another kiss. But they were cut short by the euronymi charging around the corner. And so they fought on.

"It didn't... it didn't mean nothing, Hazel." Reyna's comforting voice brought her back to the present, and she looked up, meeting her amber eyes with Reyna's obsidian. "I really did- I really do still love you..."
"They why did you join them, Reyna?" Hazel cried, dropping the daughter of Bellona's hand that she hadn't realised she took. "Why did you leave me?"

"It was the right thing to do, my diamond. Ad astra per aspera, remember?" Reyna said calmly, though it was clear she was concealing her own sorrow.
"To the stars, through difficulties." Hazel murmured. The latin phrase was something she and Reyna often said to each other, a reminder that they had to get through the hard times to be with each other. Except, this new difficulty was eternal. "Reyna..."

"I know. Shit, Hazel, I know. I'm no good to you as a girlfriend, I'm no good to Nico as a sister. You've shown that, and I'm sure Nico will too once he undoubtedly pulls me aside. But with the hunters, with Thalia... I think that's what I'm meant to do, and I can't let love hold me back. Before I met you, love seemed so childish. Unnecessary. But you showed me what it meant, in those mere five minutes between fighting for our lives. And I know, I acted like it didn't happen afterwards. I know. But I tried to let you know that that kiss, it meant something. I can't afford to figure out what, though. Not then, and not anymore. I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"Reyna..." Hazel was at a loss for words. She wanted, so badly, to prove to Reyna that she didn't have to be the best girlfriend. But that would have been selfish. Reyna deserved to make her own path. What had she said to Hecate? 'I'm not choosing one of your paths, I'm making my own'. She had to let Reyna do the same.

"Goodbye, Hazel."
"Goodbye, Reyna..."