Found Family (HoO, Mortal AU)

REYNA AVILA RAMIREZ-ARELLANO

She took off her helmet, not in a great mood. She never particularly liked birthdays, they were just another day. She was glad to be seeing Rachel, though.

The opened the front door, needing to use all her strength. Rachel's house was creepily big and fancy. When she walked in, it was dark.
"Rachel!" She called. "I'm here!"
No response.
"Rachel?" She called again, then realised what was up. Her girlfriend was an.. obvious.. person. "Surprise." Reyna said to herself.
A millisecond later everyone started jumping out from behind couches and statues and doors.
"SURPRISE!" Everyone shouted.

Reyna fake-gasped. "Shocking."
"Sorry," Rachel laughed, walking over to her.
Reyna hugged her with a smile. "This is amazing. Thank you."
"I'm not good with surprises, am I?"
"Hm. Maybe not. I still love you."
"Sorry about the bad decorating-" Percy butted in.
"PERCY!" Jason shouted.
"Hi everyone," Reyna laughed.
"Happy birthday!" They all said in unison.

"One more thing," Rachel began.
Reyna sighed. "What did you do?"
"Invited everyone to a party tonight in honour of the amazing Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano."
"A party?"
"Big as Cecil's new year party."
"Terrifying," Reyna sighed again. "I can't wait. Isn't your dad going to kill you for inviting so many people to the Dare estate, though?"
"Probably," she shrugged.

• • •

"Pizza's done!" Rachel yelled, setting it on the table. It only took about five seconds for it to be demolished. Rachel sighed.
"Don't worry," Grover said. "I ordered more. Vegan included, obviously."
"Grover, you're amazing," Rachel smiled.
"I used your credit card."
"Oh. Well, you're still amazing."

Reyna was sitting on the couch between Frank and Jason, just feeling at home. Not because she was at Rachel's house. Because she was with her friends. Her other family. Annabeth's cousin and his friends, too. Plus Grover's cousin. A big happy family.
"We all need to meet again during summer," Reyna eventually said. Magnus looked most shocked by this, but happy in a way.
"Definitely," he smiled.

[NICO DI ANGELO]

The worst part about being in a house with 21 people was the fact that there was barely any chair room, meaning Nico was stuck between Halfborn and William Andrew Solace. Trying to sit as far away from Halfborn as possible, Nico had to press himself against Will. That wasn't the annoying part. The annoying part was that it was strangely comfortable. Oh, plus everyone kept asking if they were dating. That was embarrassing.

[REYNA AVILA RAMIREZ-ARELLANO]

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you-"
Reyna covered her face. "Are you done yet?"
"Happy birthday to Reyna."
Rachel set the cake in front of her.
"Oh wow. Who decorated this?"
"Mom baked it," Percy said. "I left the decorating to Rachel. She did almost as bad of a job as Jason would've."
Jason groaned. "Shut. Up."

"I think it's pretty," Reyna said. "But Rachel, aren't you like an artist?"
"I was in a hurry okay? Percy only left the cake here like 10 minutes before you arrived."
"Is it blue on the inside?" Reyna looked to Percy, who shrugged.
"Might be!"
Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Yes of course it is."
Reyna smiled. "Tell Sally I said thanks."

• • •

"People are arriving!" Rachel called, running around her house like an idiot, making sure no one could get upstairs.
"I'm not helping you clean this up," Reyna laughed, following her. "Since it's my birthday and I deserve a rest-"
"Right. FRANK YOU'RE HELPING ME CLEAN AFTER THIS! MY DAD WILL BE HOME TOMORROW EVENING!"
"You didn't have to do this all for me."
"We needed a party."
"Hm. True."

"Happy birthday, RARA!" Someone called from somewhere.
"THANKS!" She shouted back. "I hate that nickname."
"I think it's cute," Rachel smiled.
"Oh, shut up. There's Dakota, I better go talk to him," she gave Rachel a small kiss before running off.

[NICO DI ANGELO]

"Are you okay?" He asked Will, who was standing next to him.
"Yeah- just slightly stressed."
"Why?"
"SATs," he said. "I mean- I need to get into med school and I should be studying but it's my best friend's birthday so I'm at a party."
"SATs are a bit away."
"Not when your grades are falling quicker than your mental stability and you need good marks to live the life you've been planning since you were a kid."

Nico laughed. "Sorry- the mental stability thing was funny. But don't be stressing. We're at a party. So party."
"But-"
"Stop stressing and I'll help you study. You can rant to me about algebra and Othello all you like if you just enjoy your friend's birthday."
Will sighed. "Okay. But I'm not forgetting you said that."
"Crap."

[REYNA AVILA RAMIREZ-ARELLANO]

The party was absolutely amazing, and Reyna wasn't usually a party person. Rachel knew how to plan a party, though. It was well into the night when people began going home.
"You're amazing for this," Reyna said to Rachel, the noise calming down for this.
"All for my amazing girlfriend who deserves the world."
"Disgusting," Grover muttered.
"Just because you're single."
"Exactly," he sighed.

Reyna laughed. "You have Piper. You two can be alone together."
"Right," Grover turned to Piper, who was talking to Shel. "Totally. HEY, T.J, ARE YOU SINGLE?"
"I'm not looking for anyone right now! Or ever! Thanks!" T.J called back.
"God that sounded like I was asking him out."

Rachel doubled over laughing. "It did."
"SORRY, T.J!"
"I'm aromatic!" He called back. "So sorry!"
"No- I wasn't asking you for that reas- never mind."
Reyna smiled. "Look, there'll be someone. You're going to college next year. You will meet someone."
"Bah, I don't really care. Just stop flirting so loudly."
"Hey, I can flirt with my girlfriend as loudly as I want," Rachel said.
"Goodbye."

Reyna turned back to Rachel. "It's super late. If I'm not home by morning, my mom will kill me."
"Hmm, alright. I'll see you tomorrow, hopefully."
"You bet. You're taking me out for birthday dinner."
"Was that a part of this agreement?" Rachel smiled.
"It is now," Reyna kissed her. "I really need to get going."
"Alright, happy birthday Reyna. Love you!"

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Word Count: 1027

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A/N: man, I'm so sorry my chapters have been so boring recently. Shit been going on with family, have exams next week (time to teach myself a whole life of Irish and 40 chapters of maths). Hopefully they'll improve in quality again 😭😭

Thank you for anyone who got through that chapter without crying of boredom