Things after the war were never quite the same.

Sure, they laugh and they joke and they still look forward to tomorrow, but.

They laugh as if they're scared the moment would be ruined, timid and uncertain, sometimes. They joke about the war and the scars they've gotten (as if the war has given them this cynical sense of humor), sometimes. And they look forward to tomorrow but they are too eager that they don't sleep because sleep brings the nightmares and the blood and gore and everything, sometimes.

He hasn't gotten the worst of it, you think, but in a way, maybe he did.

Percy and Annabeth have each other's arms to escape the nightmares. Jason and Piper probably now have their own villa back in Camp Jupiter. And Hazel and Frank. Leo has his screwdrivers and his nuts and bolts and his monkey wrenches. You don't think they're much of a comfort, really.

Still, you think they're a little better than when Jason went gone and all you had were jelly beans and a whole camp on your shoulders.

So you figure. You figure having each other would be loads better.

0000

As it turns out, having too much ambrosia doesn't incinerate demigods to ashes. Or Leo is just a special exception because he is so high right now, what the hell.

You're not sure if he was trying to kill himself (a regular occurrence) and just failed very, very, spectacularly (another regular occurrence) and all his attempts would have been funny except that he's trying to kill himself and you're not even sure if he's serious in his attempts or he's just really, really, incredibly stupid.

You're sure, however, that you are hoping with all your black, shriveled heart it's the second.

0000

You volunteered to stay at Camp Half-Blood to help fix the damage you've done. Still, days after everything's been fixed and every bricks are properly placed, you find yourself not wanting to leave anytime sooner.

You find that you like the Camp very much. It's not Camp Jupiter, with its neat grids and the towns and the huge number of people in it. It's not Roman. Camp Half-Blood is confusing, almost chaotic, but each has its place, like each demigod has a bed in his or her godly parent's cabin, and there are very little people here compared to Camp Jupiter you find that you know almost everyone's names. Not all of them like you very much, which is understandable, since you helped wreck their camp.

You had yourself settled in the Big House, sometimes you even train with the Greeks and you teach them Roman techniques and they teach you Greek techniques. Sometimes you visit Leo in Bunker Nine, sometimes you help him, sometimes you annoy him, sometimes you kiss him. You talk with Annabeth about stuff you're not sure about. You eat dinner with them, you sacrifice food to your mom(you find it weird that they call their godly parents mom or anything of the sort so casually, but you find it oddly comforting, too), you sing camp fire songs with them. Life has been, well, pretty good.

0000

"So bye-BYE, miss American PIE!"

Today has been very educational to you. You learned that Ambrosia gets you wasted, and Leo is a terrible singer.

"Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry-" You are this close to actually killing him yourself. You're not really a big fan of music but you're pretty sure someone down there is rolling in their grave, "And they good ol' boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye-" You're not even sure he's singing a real actual song or if he's just singing at a random, "Singing this'll be the day that I DIE! THIS'LL BE THE DAY THAT I DIIIIEEE!"

Leo flops his head to your shoulders and you loop your arms around his waist worriedly. Bunker Nine isn't the best place to sleep in when you're hangover- wait do people get hangovers when they're drunk on godly food? Ugh whatever, the cabins are still a long way from here and you're not sure you could bring him there. So you ungracefully dump him onto a chair that doesn't look very comfortable. Sacrifices had to be made.

You stare at him from where you're standing but he laughs this very heartfelt laugh, joyful and full of glee and you feel yourself feeling oddly a little happy and giddy looking at him like this.

You know what, you feel hugely odd about everything happening right now.

"What if we dance?" Leo slurs, looking at you with a grin and he's really, really drunk right now.

"What if you just drunkenly pass out, for Bellona's sake."

He ignores you, but his expression sobers up, as much as a demigod drunk high on ambrosia can sober up. He reaches up and holds your hands, leans his head on your stomach. You swear it doesn't bring the butterflies fluttering. "What if we never met, Reyna?"

You squeeze his hand, to assure him. That in at least one lifetime you've met. That hey, maybe you've already met in the past. That maybe you'll meet again with other names and another faces and different souls. These are not things you think a squeeze can convey, but he nudges his head a little and you think that maybe he understands.

"What if I was someone else, Reyna?" His voice is nearly a whisper, hands clutching yours tighter, the mass of black hair on your shirt too close they almost tickle. You can hear his soft, wheezing puffs of air. "Reyna. What if I was someone better, Reyna?"

"Well," You say, rubbing your thumb across his hand, and you run your free hand on his messy hair, trying to untangle the knots, you smile at him, lousy kid. "There might be some sense, but I'd be in suspense, for on such a pretense, you wouldn't be you."

"I know that- that poem. What if I knew how to write poetry, Reyna?" His head turns and his eyes peaks out under the black, looking at you. You swear you don't blush. Gah. "I wanna write 'bout you. An' your hair. Pretty, pretty." You are definitely not blushing. No, shut up, that's not a blush. "Queen of my fuckin' heart, that's what you are."

You burst out laughing. "You know how to make the ladies swoon with your words, Leo," You pat his head, "It's amazing."

"Shut up. I'm not done," He releases you hand, and for a moment you frown upon the loss of contact, but his circles both his arms around your waist. You don't blush. "Where was I- oh- um. We can be tacos, Reyna. I am your big warm taco blanket and you are my yummy filling. Very yummy."

Wow. This is doing things to your stomach and to your chest and there's something in your throat and –

"Bluh. Food analogy, what the fuck am I thinking, Holy Hephaestus, I'm so shit at this." You pat his head, and you don't blush.

"Hehe. No, that was great. I like tacos."

"But not as much as me, right?" His hug is tighter around you, and wow you are just starting to notice how his face is very near to some parts of you you didn't think you'd like anyone hanging on. "You love me more than tacos, right Reyna, right?"

"You clingy Joey, oh my god. I am your mama kangaroo. You are my baby kangaroo, Leo."

"No. nonono. I am your kangahusband. You're my kangawife. Right. You love me like that, right?"

You kiss him on his forehead, because that was a really ridiculous thing to say. "Yes, my kangahusband. I love you like that."

0000

A/N: wow this is really dumb I'm sorry. It's just been too long since I've written something and life is busy with school and I have never posted Leyna here? But here's one and they don't even kiss. Wow I am ashamed I am so sorry.

(fun fact I was gonna make Leo say "Lets make a hundred kangababies, Reyna" but that just lead me to write smut and I am so sorry I cant post that here or anywhere omg)

Hopefully I'll be able to post more soon!

xoxo may you have more leynas in your life