How we fell in love (Reyna and Nico)

7. True Love (Reyna's POV)

I shouldn't have slept. It was one of the biggest mistake I had made yet. Sleeping near Nico gave me dreams from my past. Terrifying dreams like when Aphrodite told me that I won't find love in any demigod. That even if I fall in love with someone, that someone will not love me back. 'No demigod will ever heal your heart.' She had said. But to that came a memory of Goddess Venus telling me that I will find love. I still didn't really get it. It had just been five minutes since I had slept when I suddenly heard a murmur, 'What the...'

That woke me up from my sleep. I was still in Apollo cabin but I realized that there was something on my lap. Something there shouldn't have been. I had forgot that Nico normally falls of the bed while sleeping. That had happened multiple times when we used to shadow travel together. He normally used to fall off the tree and usually end up laying in my lap. But it never did mind at that time because he wasn't in any relationship or so. But now, it was a big problem. Firstly, because he had a boyfriend and secondly I was in his boyfriends cabin.

I put my hand on Nico's head then under his neck and cautiously picked him up and lay him on the bed. What I didn't realize was that it was Nico who had mumbled and that he was awake. He just didn't have enough energy left in his body to get up on his own and all he could do was just mumble. Then I pecked the top of his forehead gently and that is when his eyes shot open.

They were normally pale but right now they were bloodshot. They scared me too much.
'What has happened to your eyes Nico?' I asked completely terrified.
'I-I don't r-' He tried to sit up, but failed and began to fall. But I caught him just in time. I realized that his head was pressed against my chest to which my cheeks flushed red. I then positioned his pillow and lay him there carefully. He gasped with pain and tears trickled down his eyes while I comforted him. I gave him a few spoons of nectar which made him feel a little better but he said that it was still difficult to bear it. Then the interrogation between us began.
'What caused this injury, death boy?' I asked him gently trying not to show too much of my feelings towards him.
'I-I don't ex-exactly remember... I woke up in the woods of Camp Half-blood although I don't remember going there. I was suddenly attacked by a monster and I didn't have enough time to summon the dead or pull out my sword, so it lunged at me and injured me. That's all I re-ahh.' He gasped with pain again. 
'Oh... my bad. You take proper rest. I'm going to eat something and I'll inform Will that you are fine. I'm sure he will be pleased to hear this news.' He suddenly had a grin and a slight blush on his face, despite all the pain he was going through. How love does that?
'Will is here?' He asked.
'Yeah, he is. He cured you, death boy.' I said that with a happy smile. At least that made him smile. 'I'll tell him to come meet you?'
'Yeah. Yeah, sure! I'd love to meet him.'
'Okay, till then don't step out of your bed. "Doctors note". Or else, you'll be punished by Will, the doctor himself,' I said jokingly. That made him smile even wider. 
'I make no promises, Rey.' He said returning the gesture. Wait... He said "Rey" instead of Reyna. He used a nickname for me. That made me blush even more.
'Fine Nico. Take some rest. I'll ask him to come by,' I said and then left Nico alone in the cabin. I set out for the dining hall and hoped to see Will there because it was near lunch time. As I expected, I found him in the hall sitting on the Apollo table crying his heart out.
'Hey, you ok?' I called out.
'Y-Yeh, I'm fine, absolutely. What has happened to me. I was definitely not crying,' he blabbered out suddenly realizing my presence in the room, trying to hide his tears.
'No, I'm certainly not as dumb as you think I am. I know somethings wrong, You're worried about Nico, aren't you?' I asked as gently as I could.
'Um-m yeah, certainly. I'm terrified. I'm dumb. It's all my fault,' He said wiping away his last bit of tears.
'I knew that already. Although, I have some good news for you,' I told him.
'Good news?' He asked suddenly his smile returning. 'Is it about-'
'Yes, it is. He has gained consciousness. He's better than before and wants to meet y-you.' I cut him off. Although I spoke the last few words in a sad tone, Will didn't seem to suspect anything. 
Hearing that he cracked a smile leaped out of his chair. Then he yelped so loud that Jupiter/Zeus (what ever you call him) would have heard him on Olympus. He gave me a side hug and ran out of the hall towards his cabin... to meet my Nico. I felt bad but decided to eat my meal and go off to my practice lessons, I'd already missed two of them. 
'One happy meal and a glass of blue coke.' I ordered and the food items appeared in my plate and my glass. I burned some of it into the fire for the gods and then started eating my food. I was just completing my meal when campers started coming for having their lunch. I saw Annabeth, Hazel, Piper come in together. 
'Hey! You guys are late.' I said waving them over. They glanced at me and cracked wide smiles. 
'Hey, Reyna. Haven't seen you since yesterday,' Annabeth answered.
They came and sat beside me on the guest table.

They took their plates and ordered the usual.
'So, you missed the Pegasi flying and archery class today. Which you usually don't. So girl, what's the matter?' Asked Piper.
I didn't want to but I broke down into tears. Annabeth who was in the seat next to me hugged me close trying to comfort me which was seriously hard at a time I had an emotional breakdown.
'Calm down sweetie, it's gonna be fine. But please tell us what's wrong. We can help you. Is it something related to um, you know... Nico.' Annabeth guessed correctly. Hearing Nico's name made my cheeks flush red.
'Y-Yeah, it is about him,' I said wiping the tears off my cheek. 'H-he came to my apartment this m-morning. He was badly wounded. I took him to the Apollo-'
'Oh, got it. It has happened many times, even to me,' Annabeth explained trying to comfort me. 'Even Piper faced that problem with Dr-'
'Don't you dare take that girls name, Annabeth! She's an idiotic little demigo-' 
'O-Okay Piper, that's seriously enough of insults. Now back to Reyna. So, That doesn't seem like the end of it all. There's got to be something more to this,' Hazel cut off Piper to bring back the conversation to me. I was so pleased to have made friends like that.
'You are actually correct,' I said and then told them the full story and this time I didn't leave out anything I told them everything. Not that I didn't trust them before but now as I got to know them more, the more they came close to me.
'Awww, that's so sweet of you. You talked to Will, about Will to Nico and that too just to cheer them up... Goddamn, that is what you mean by true love,' Piper said as soon as I'd finished telling them my story.
'You'll see. One day you will find true love, It's because you have a true heart Reyna. We are your friends and we will support you till the end of this, Isn't it girls?' Annabeth asked with raised eyebrows.
'Yup! We will. Till the end of it,' They said in synchronization which was a surprise since they hadn't planned it. Then all of them burst into giggles which surprised all the campers in the dining hall. That made me burst into giggles too. When we were done laughing, The campers had weird expressions on their faces. But, they eventually turned back their attention towards their meals.
'Thanks, you guys. You made my day,' I thanked them. Now, I had actually felt relieved to share my feelings with someone and to have some real friends to trust.
'Hey, that's what friends do!' They exclaimed in unison.
After finishing our meals, we left the hall. I hugged all of them one by one thanked them again and then went for the sword fighting arena for practice with Percy as our instructor. 
'Hey, wanna have some practice fights, eh?' I asked him.
'Sure, be careful cause this time I'm gonna beat the shit out of you.'
'Stop daydreaming dear. Cause that definitely not gonna happen,' I teased. Well, Percy was good at sword fighting but I was good at any weapon given. That had to be because I am the daughter of a war goddess and war is like full weapons, strategy, etc. He and I had had many practice matches something like 100-110 matches. Okay, I admit that he had also won half of them. We had an equal share of our wins. 
'You ready, kelp head?' I asked him ready to win.
'Hey! I'm Percy. How difficult is that for everyone to remember? Well, except Annabeth you know. Seaweed brain seems nice but not-'
I cut him off mid-sentence by slashing at him.
'Hey, no fair! Now, get ready to gain the most epic loose of the century,' He joked. I stifled a giggle and kept slashing and defending his strikes. He was certainly doing a good job. He slashed at me and it hit me in the gut. I stumbled and he took advantage of my disbalance. He slashed again but this time at my sword which skidded through the floor and was almost out of reach. I leaped for it but Percy stabbed in the small of my back. 'Ahh...grhh,' I groaned in pain. It did hurt but I got my sword and stabbed him in the chest and he fell down the grip on his sword loosened and I kept the tip of my sword on his neck.
'Do you admit defeat?' I asked him.
'Y-Yeah, good match Reyna. But, be careful for the next time,' He admitted.
I sheathed back my sword and helped him up.
'You gave a tough fight, Percy.'
'Hey, you used my name. Yay!!!'
'Enough jokes, Kelp head. Now tell me does it hurt?'
'Yeah, a little but no worries. A kiss from Annabeth will cure it all,' He responded.
'Fine, but here, have some blue cookies,' I said. 'I bought them yesterday but had some extra left. So, if you want you can have these.'
'Oh yeah, thanks!' He thanked me, took the cookies and went to find Annabeth for her to kiss him.
'Bye...' I whispered.
After that, I went to my apartment watched T.V. for a while and then read some borrowed books from Annabeth. They were amazing and funny. They about Greek Mythology, Ancient architecture, modern architecture, old myths, et cetera-et cetera.
Then I had my dinner with them and went to bed early thinking about the challenges that I had faced in my life. I missed my DAD. I don't know why but I did, even if he was bad to me. I missed my sister Hylla. Thinking of my good times with Hylla made me fall asleep and I drifted into the world of dreams.