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Tears roll down Annabeth’s cheeks, the bright lights making them glisten against her pale skin.
“Did it mean anything to you?” Reyna chokes down a sob of her own, “Did I mean anything to you?”
“I’m sorry,” Annabeth shakes her head, like she can’t process what’s happening, “I didn’t mean for it to end this way.”
“But it did.” Reyna’s voice is clipped, strangled on emotion.
“AND CUT!” Someone yells from behind them. “That was perfect ladies! Don’t even need to do another take.”
Immediately they both relax, loosing their shoulders, and giving each other beaming smiles. Their director comes over, as does the rest of the crew, and starts debriefing them. Tomorrow they’d start on the first of many action scenes so all of them needed to be prepared. Weeks of stunt and action-training would all be put to the test, and Reyna for one was beyond excited. Although she had been in a fair number of movies at this stage the action scenes had been minimal and she hadn’t needed such high-intensity training till now. The crowd disperses as everyone packs up to make their way home for the night.
“That was good.” She grabs her co-stars hand and squeezes.
“So good!” The blonde agrees, “And now I’m ready to go home and crash onto my couch with a burrito and a good movie.”
“Oh so anything with me in it then?” She smirks.
“You wish Arellano, there must be something to drool over. I’m thinking ‘Persephone’s Fall’ so I can stare at both Persephone and Hades.”
Reyna can’t help but agree because those two actors are truly delicious, and from what she’s heard unbelievably nice on top of that. She doesn’t know Silena Beauregard or Charles Beckendorf personally but she had seen them around a few times at award shows and after-parties.
‘What are your plans?”
“Oh,” She thinks about it for a second, and comes up empty. “I don’t know. I guess go home and crash.”
Grey eyes roll, “You are such a bore. You are coming home with me. We can both eat messy burritos and copious amounts of ice-cream and watch the movie.”
“Oh?” Her shock is evident on her face and it makes her co-star laugh.
“Come-on let’s get out of all this and go home. I need a shower desperately.”
Reyna makes haste of stripping and folding the clothes she needs to return to the costume department and then tugging on her own grey sweatpants and lavender hoodie. Her makeup is a problem for later so with a final glance around her trailer she slips into her sneakers and grabs her keys. The nights are starting to get chilly as they slowly slide into winter and it is particularly evident tonight when a west wind blows across her cheeks, biting at the flushed brown skin.
“You ready?” A voice calls from the darkening lot.
“Yep, just have to drop this off in costumes.”
“We can go together. And then you’ll meet me at home?”
“Sure, do you want me to stop and get anything?” The place their clothes in the bin labelled ‘Used on set’, huddling together as they step outside into the now icy wind.
“No, I think I got everything. I’ve already ordered the burritos, they’ll be there by the time we are, and I already have chocolate and chunky-cookie ice-cream in the freezer.”
Reyna nods, “See you in a bit.” And then she’s hopping onto her motorbike and shoving her helmet over her head. With a rev she is off, racing out of the studios and to Annabeth’s. She can no longer feel the wind on her face but that doesn’t stop it from seeping through her clothes and freezing her insides. She hates winter. Luckily her destination is not far and soon she is pulling up to the apartment buildings and parking in the visitors section. Bright headlights catch her eyes and she recognises Annabeth’s car, a bright blue Mini Cooper. The first time Reyna had seen it she laughed so hard the blonde had punched her in the arm. She had to start line runs with a numb arm and a very unhappy co-star. Luckily a custard-filled doughnut and a hot cup of coffee made her a very forgiven friend.
The blonde walks towards her, a brown paper bag swinging in her hands. “I forgot I didn’t tell you where I live and I was panicking the entire ride over that you’d gotten lost and I’d never be able to find you and then I’d have to work with,” She makes a disgusted face, “Hera. Ugh that would have been a disaster.”
“Glad you have no concern for my personal safety,” Reyna huffs, “You only care about you’d replace me.”
A teasing smile twitches at those pink lips, “You can injure yourself after we finish this.”
She shoves her as they get into the elevator and they both end up squished against the cool metal, laughing.
“Leave me be Arellano, or we battle to the death!” She whips out her car keys and points them menacingly.
“Never Chase! We duel till dawn.” Her motorbike keys are gripped tightly in her hands, the grooves digging into her skin, and there is a gleam in her eye that promises war.
As the elevator jerks to life they stand opposing each other, legs apart, brows furrowed, and barely restrained laughter twitching at their lips. It is very awkward, then, when the elevator door slides open to reveal to very confused people on the other side. Quickly they straighten up and move to the back of the box, biting their lips to hold in the giggles threatening to escape. Their shoulders press together as they wait for their floor and they absolutely refuse to look at each other.
It is a blessing when the elevator dings to indicate their floor. They race out of there, hand in hand, and breathless with laughter.
“Did you see their faces?” Annabeth snorts, clutching her stomach as she tries to let air into her lungs.
“What if they thought we were two robbers fighting for the right to steal in the building?” Reyna gasps.
“Or two cosplayers trying to fight for the princess’ hand.” The blonde falls to the hallway floor, unable to hold herself up.
“They probably thought we were absolute weirdos.”
“We are weirdos.” She giggles, “Come on let’s go inside before we traumatise more residents.”
So they stumble into her apartment and collapse onto the couch to collect their breaths and composure. Reyna takes the time to glance around the place she’s only briefly seen twice and is surprised to note the sheer lack of personality on the walls. She thought there’d be pages full of weird facts ripped out of old-fashioned medical books, and tons of half-done architecture drawings scattered on the coffee table. And a picture or a few of Annabeth’s beloved Greece with its old structures and beautiful oceans.
“Are you judging my blank walls?” Those grey eyes are still closed to the world so it is an amusing surprise to hear the question.
“Why are they blank?” She doesn’t bother to deny the judging.
“In a burst of inspiration i took everything down a few days ago to redesign and then i lost all that inspiration and haven’t had the energy to put anything back.”
Indeed there were small hooks, and bits of tack stuck to the wall. “Want me to help?”
There is quiet for a while, and she almost believes the blonde had fallen asleep but then, “That would be great. But not today. Today we feast and laugh!’ And with that she launches herself off the couch and races to the kitchen.
Reyna laughs and follows suit hopping onto the counter as Annabeth worked around her. She offered to help with prep but she was instantly shooed away so she sat contently on the granite top and watched her friend busy herself around the kitchen, unpacking the bag she’d brought in that held the still warm burritos, and grabbing the ice-cream from the freezer along with two spoons.
“Drink?”
“Just water.”
“You grab the glasses, i’ll get everything else.” She points to the cupboard next to the sink. “I’ll have water too, there should be some in the fridge.”
Finally they had both settled down in the lounge, shoulders pressed together and feet tucked underneath them. The blonde fiddled with the TV for a little before the opening credits to Persephone’s Fall starts playing. She looks over, grinning wildly, and holds up the foil cylinder. “Cheers!”
They bump their food together and settle in to watch the movie. And as Persephone falls for Hades, despite their sarcasm and smart-ass comments, Annabeth laughs herself silly and Reyna drowns in the sound. And she thinks, sitting their in that cosy apartment, shovelling ice-cream into their mouths that maybe falling wouldn’t be so bad. She already has her Hades afterall.