Leo can't work a sword against this girl to save his life and he knows it.

Currently, Reyna's proving this fact.

They practiced in one of the First Cohort training areas, given a wide berth by the other legionnaires as they gazed on in interest. Leo held a celestial bronze xiphos in his right hand and a tricked out, automated celestial bronze shield strapped to his left wrist. His body was slick with sweat, and his thick curly hair was slicked back and pulled into a short pony tail at the back of his head. Heavy, angry rock music blasted out from somewhere, the bass line thundering in time with his pulse. His basket ball shorts were beginning to stick to his thighs, and he'd discarded his shirt several hours ago.

It was one of their usual sword fighting lessons, in which Leo got himself fucked up and Reyna treated him to Five Guys afterwards. It was a strange, slow torture for him.

Yet he liked it anyways. His muscles worked and grew, as well as his sword fighting skill. It didn't even rankle him that Reyna would always be able to kick his ass.

Reyna lunged with her spear once again, a basic forward jab just below the belt. Leo knocked the pointed end away from him with his shield, and jabbed forward with his sword. She shifted slightly to dodge it, letting him come closer as she retracted her spear, spun it, and swung it forward like a sword.

Leo parried, attempting to knock it out of her grip. Reyna smirked and twisted the spear in his hands once more.

"Are you even trying?" she called out. The teasing in her voice made him blush.

"Eat my ass," he mumbled to himself. A part of him knew he didn't have the balls to say it out loud, but he just ignored that part of him and pretended he was too winded to enunciate.

Reyna looked more goddess than human when she fought. Dressed in a clingy black crop top, neon yellow running shorts, Imperial gold armor, and her usual braid pinned up to the back of her head, she meant business. Her dark brown skin glowed, shone with the sweat slick against her forehead and the California sun on her skin. Randomly, when she would see him slip up or get in a really good hit (she was indiscriminate like that) an elated smile would slip through her neutral expression, revealing her to him.

Leo could see Bellona in her with the flex of her muscles, the force of her hits, and the speed at which she could get him flat on his back. The ichor in her blood sang when she fought, and he could hear it's music.

She could kick his ass with several different weapons in succession and he'd probably still be up for another round just to be close enough to watch her.

Plus, her thighs looked amazing when she sprinted.

Leo took a wild slash at her, attempting to get a good hit in with speed. He pushed his body as much as he could, pushed aside the stinging and burning of over exertion. Several times, she shouted out directions - to straighten his form, to work his defenses, to hit harder - as she attacked. The demigod in him took it all in stride. When he swiftly countered one of her attacks without her input, she smiled winningly.

"That's more like it!" Reyna yelled.

Leo twisted away from another one of her jabs sped around the length of her spear until he got close enough to clash against the side of it with his shield with all the brute force he could muster. It still didn't leave her tight grip, but it left her wide open.

He made a jab for her sternum, and quick as lightning the dark haired girl brought back up and out. It knocked his sword off trajectory. The son of Hephaestus stumbled fantastically to the floor.

Leo groaned aloud, glaring at her before flipping onto his back dramatically. His sword was tossed to one side, and his shield to another.

Leo watched her breathe harshly for a moment, staring at his inert form before a smile broke out on her stupidly gorgeous face. It made his stomach hurt in the best way possible.

I'm whipped, Leo thought to himself. And I'm enjoying it.

"Someone's being dramatic," Reyna said. She twirled her spear in one hand as she watched him with her head tilted and her hip cocked to the side. "Get up and get going. I don't have all day."

"I suck," he whined loudly.

"Compared to me. And you suck much less than before," Reyna said, walking over towards him. She shouted something aloud, and immediately the heavy rock music stopped playing. Leo attempted to hide the smile from his face but he failed. "You're not using your speed to your advantage, though."

"C'mon, reina. Can we just go eat now?" Leo said. "I'm starved."

"Nope. I'm going to get another half out out of you."

By then, she was standing over him, her spear firmly shoved in the ground. He squinted against the glaring sun and watched the slope of her curves and the flat, solid surfaces of her muscles. For a second, he was willing to get up just so he could be eye level with her again.

Leo smirked at her for a second, wide and bold and devious. She crossed her arms and raised a brow at him.

"Well?" she prompted.

It took him a second to reached out and snake his hand firmly around his ankle. Before she could rip herself from his grasp, he was yanking her forward. Reyna hit the sandy floor below her with a girlish yelp. Leo shot up, crawling over her. She tried slapping his hands away from her every time he tried reaching for her exposed stomach.

He tickled her senseless. Reyna shrieked out, smacking him all over and wiggling away from his touch. Her knee found his gut several times in sharp succession until he gasped and relented, falling over on his back beside her.

Reyna gasped for air as she sat up and looked down on him, clutching her stomach and wheezing loudly. Leo grinned.

"I'm going to murder you slowly if you keep doing that," she spat.

"Counting on it," he replied. The son of Hephaestus gave her a salacious wink.

She rolled her eyes hard enough to get them stuck in the back of her head.

"IS that it? You're not battling to the death? Where's my entertainment?"

The pair whirled around to watch several dozen legionnaires and one very irritated Piper McLean watch onward. The daughter of Aphrodite herself had her hands crossed and glared quite angrily at them. Her bright orange Camp Half Blood shirt stood out among the sea of purple Camp Jupiter shirts and expensive athletic wear. Leo could make out the mocking in her eyes, even from a dozen feet away, so his grin found his face again.

"Did you not just see the gorgeous praetor try to send the skinny Latino Elf Demon back to Tartarus with only her knee?" Leo said. He sat up and began to stand. Reyna followed him, giving him a pointed look and poked the straining muscles of his left arm.

"Skinny, hmm?" she said with a raised brow.

"Only for you." He made a show of flexing his lean, chord-like muscles and wiggling his eyebrows ridiculously. Reyna cackled, throwing back her head to laugh.

"Okay, well, whatever," Piper said. "Still boring."

Reyna rolled her eyes, reaching up to wipe the sweat from her forehead. "Watching you suck face with Jason on a constant basis is boring," she said, giving her friend a look. Leo made a sad face at the words, looking like he would very much enjoy it. "What are you even doing here, McLean?"

Piper pouted. "There's a new sushi place that opened up here that has great bubble tea, but Hazel was too busy to go with me," she said. "So I need to drag you along."

Reyna shrugged in agreement. "You're buying."

"Hey now. Are you inviting me or what?" Leo said, sounding highly offended.

"Yeah, yeah, sweaty," Piper said, giving her best friend a stink face. "The both of you should go get showered up in the first place."

"We'll meet you at the gates in an hour, then," Reyna said. She walked forward, clapped Piper on the shoulder in a deliberately heavy handed gesture. The other girl flinched and glared at the foul play. "Come on, idiota."

Leo dutifully followed, waving at Piper enthusiastically before catching up with Reyna. They passed the group of First Cohort legionnaires easily - the campers parted before their praetor like the Red Sea. They gave short nods of respect as she passed them, which she returned. Others gave Leo proffered fist bumps, which he returned as well.

"You're getting there, dude," one of them said.

"Thanks man. I'm trying," Leo answered with a smile.

The comments weren't surprising in the least - The First Cohort could go from military battalion to emotional support group within seconds and he enjoyed it more than he should.

They left the First Cohort training center and made their way onto the sprawling walkways of New Rome, feeling the cool breeze against the heat of summer. Reyna closed her eyes as she walked and held out her arms, drinking in the UVA rays like a shower. It was more than a little adorable, her pleasure with this good weather. Helios had to adore this brown girl with perfect skin and her little yellow running shorts. His magic stained her skin.

He watched the smile on her face with quiet focus and wondered if she would like Houston summers as much as SoCal summers.

"I feel good," Reyna announced, "Criminally good."

Leo reached an arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick kiss again her temple. She grumbled under her breath, but returned with a kiss against his jaw. More than a few generous stares were given as she pulled away from his embrace.

"You sure do look good too," Leo said. Then frowning, he corrected himself. "Happy. You look happy."

"I am."

She gave him a pleased smile that made his knees much weaker than they should be to hold up his weight. It hit him in that moment how very much he was in love with this girl. There was no questioning it now, no doubting or diminishing his feelings to save him from the hurt later.

Walking beside Reyna in the California sun made him forget all about Camp Half Blood, and Ogygia, and the immortal daughter of Atlas that stole his heart and shredded it to pieces before gallivanting off with the Hunters of Artemis. He forgot about the feeling of not fitting in with his friends, his loneliness, and the distance that would always linger between them. All he knew was the pretty Puerto Rican girl in the little yellow running shorts that could snap him like a twig.

So badly, he wanted to wrap an arm around her shoulders and press his lips against her temple. He wanted to reach out, to touch and taste and feel. Resisting the urge was harder than it should have been.

Leo had his queen for the rest of the summer. That was enough for now.

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A/N: Because Reyna is most definitely physically stronger and more skilled than Leo with literally any type of weaponry but he keeps forgetting that when they're practicing so he's painfully reminded. Then he tries using his superior speed and trickery to beat her and still gets his ass kicked. Then she takes pity on him and takes him out for burgers or something.

Fluff is important for a balanced diet so I must write enough of it. Remember to review!