Once again, I am tying Rick Riordan's loose threads for him. Jason and Reyna are one of my favourite friendships in the series, despite half of it being entirely in my head. As most of the universe knows, I was a gallant Jeyna shipper way back when and I still like their chemistry as characters- so I get to keep smashing them together in make-shift scenarios. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the world of Percy Jackson or the events that take place there.

The Same Direction

Life has taught us that love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction.

-Antoine de Saint-Exupery

They'd ended up both walking out of the bustling, bumbling party at the same time. For a few seconds it was awkward as they leaned against the dining hall's columns and took in the crisp and cool night air, the sound of camp's lake and beach being much more restless than the Little Tiber, light bugs fluttering around, the climbing wall still guzzling glowing lava in the dark… all new sights for Reyna, but Jason knew them well.

"Are you having fun?" Jason asked finally, breaking the ice. He always did, Reyna was rubbish at initiating small talk.

"Yes," she said. "The Greeks do know how to throw a party."

"Oh yeah," Jason laughed. "Could you imagine coordinating entire festivals with these guys?"

"I don't think I'd have ever taken the job," Reyna said. "I'd have let some other poor loser become a praetor."

Jason laughed but it was short; he became serious soon.

"Do you like the job? I mean, were you okay while I was here?"

"It was hectic and crazy and stressful and the senate had a ball making things increasingly difficult," Reyna said. "But you didn't have a say in the matter, now did you?"

"No," Jason agreed. Reyna nodded as well.

"Are you going to be alright with Frank there now?" Jason asked.

"I don't know him as anything other than a superior, but I don't see why not," Reyna said. "I haven't known him as long as…"

She let it falter.

"As long as we knew each other?" Jason finished.

"Well, there is that," Reyna said.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you while we were in Rome," Jason said. "That I wanted to leave. I'd worked so hard to become praetor my whole life and after we'd fixed the big problems with the system I... I ran out of energy to reach the bars people were setting up for me. There were… I had lots of things to say to you. On the flight there I was pacing my cabin and trying to figure out how to say it, it was driving Hedge mad. I was so nervous, I'd forgotten how to talk to you."

"I was terrified once I'd realised you were coming back," Reyna said quietly. "I was scared I had forgotten your face-"

"Your scars."

"Your favourite food."

"The way you talk."

"The way you walk."

"Our secret language."

"Gods of Olympus," Reyna laughed fondly. "Our secret language..."

Jason raised a hand and made their okay gesture. Their signs had been more than useful on quests and in the senate- both of them were equally dangerous enterprises. Reyna responded with their well-done gesture and Jason laughed too.

"I had so much to tell you. Apology after apology, question after question… And I didn't want to say these things in front of everybody else."

"Like Piper," Reyna said.

"Yeah," Jason sighed. "Like Piper. But then with Leo and then in Europe with everybody else there, it just never came up. It never felt right and I was so afraid of doing it wrong and losing you."

"I understand," Reyna said. "And for the record, you looked sheepish enough in New Rome to say it all."

"I did not."

"To me you did," Reyna said, cracking a grin. That was also part of their secret language, it meant nobody else would have been able to tell, don't worry.

"I'm sorry about Piper," Jason said. "I know she came out of nowhere and it doesn't feel like long and-"

"No you're not."

"What?"

"Sorry about Piper," Reyna said. "Or at least you shouldn't be, because she's absolutely stunning and she makes you happy. Don't lie."

Jason nodded. "I just wish I'd been able to tell you about it. About our first kiss, the first time we went to see a movie, the first time I talked to her dad over Skype. And I wish I'd been able to talk to you before things took off with Pipes. I know it was… That you had worked up some courage to tell me things and I hadn't been confident enough to tell you the truth because... and well..."

"Jason?" Reyna asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember much about Melody Hayes?"

"The praetor when we were twelve? Not really. Her hair smelled good, though. It was super soft."

"Right," Reyna said. "And Lana Walton?"

"She turned out being evil," Jason said. "Joining the Titans just before the legion needed her. That's why we became centurions together."

"Exactly. And Joelle Beddows? Amy Wu? Maggie Hill?"

"Where are you going with this?" Jason asked.

"The point is, those are all the girls you've liked and loved since I met you," Reyna said. "Big or small. They are all your broken hearts and dates to the Cupid Festivals and the girls you thought were cute and your confessions under the stars in the middle of quests. Seriously. Do you still feel anything for any of them? Are you still pissed off at Lana for manipulating you and becoming evil? Okay that's a big one, but the point I'm trying to make is that people are in love all the time. It can't and won't stick forever. But do you remember me after all these months? How about Bobby and Gwen and Dakota? That's much more valuable to everyone. I much prefer our friendship, you know. I think it works well, and I think I was wrong when I wanted more. And I'm sorry, but in that respect, I'm always going to have to love you. You're my best friend."

"You're mine," Jason said. "And even if I'm going to be running around from one camp to the next forever and ever, we're still going to be able to work together. We'll still go out to meander around New Rome and we can eat tons of fries at Lucius' food truck and hang out and Iris Message each other in the middle of the night to be idiots about time zones with each other. We're still looking in the same direction, trying to reach the same goal and do the same thing and survive, right?"

"If we stay in the same lane this time, I think we really can love each other," Reyna said.

Jason grinned and took Reyna's hand, squeezing it. That was secret language for thank you, I'm glad you're here and you rock. Sometimes for calm down, but Reyna had never felt happier and calmer than she did right now.

"Although I do want to hear about this first date," Reyna said. "Please tell me it was somewhere nice, Grace."

"Okay well I didn't know people outside of Rome celebrated Valentine's Day, so I was a bit last minute."

"For the love of Olympus…." Reyna sighed. "Tell me you figured something out, I really don't want to smack you right now."

"I did!" Jason said. "I did, and it was great! Listen..."

Piper and Annabeth were peeking out of the dining hall, ignoring the flurry of colourful lights and the blasting music. They weren't technically spying since Jason and Reyna weren't technically hiding. They were, after all, just laying in the Central Green and pointing at the stars and laughing at each other.

"I think they're going to be okay," Piper smiled.

"Yes," Annabeth said relieved. "I think they're on the same page again. That's good, I think they're part of the same book..."