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Reyna was minding her own business. It was a strategy that usually worked to keep her the way she preferred- safe and not arrested. However, her girlfriend never did anything that wasn’t trouble. In the rare case that something didn’t lead to trouble, it broke at least a few rules.
Thalia was charming in her own way, and Reyna had adapted. However, when she was trying to sleep, she usually didn’t expect to hear Thalia knocking at her window.
It took Reyna a few seconds to register what she was seeing. She picked up her watch from next to her bed, which told her it was just past one in the morning.
Reyna crossed the room and opened the window. “Thalia? What are you doing here?”
“I have something to show you. Come on.”
“It’s one in the morning, Thalia.”
“Duh. That makes it so much better. Now come on, we’re on a tight schedule.”
Reyna didn’t ask what Thalia was planning. She simply found a pair of shoes, fixed her braid, and climbed carefully out of the window to join Thalia.
“We’re sneaking out at night in our pajamas,” Reyna said. She laughed- it was a ridiculous thought, the praetor of Rome sneaking out with Thalia Grace, of all people.
Thalia shrugged. “At least you had the foresight to bring shoes.”
She was indeed barefoot. Reyna didn’t point out that she would have had a much harder time sneaking out of the guest barracks had she been wearing shoes. Instead, she let Thalia lead her away from the praetor villa.
The two walked, hand in hand, down the empty streets of New Rome. What struck Reyna was how calm and peaceful it was. Usually there were children darting through alleys, carts selling fruit lining the sides of the streets. She was used to it that way. Yet, the quiet, however unnerving, was something Reyna could stand to see night after night.
Thalia squeezed her hand, which Reyna squeezed back, feeling Thalia's calluses, the ring on her middle finger. Usually, Reyna couldn’t stand to be touched. Thalia was, as always, the exception. The feel of Thalia's hand in hers was comfortable and natural, like it had always been there and always would be.
Thalia led Reyna through the praetorium and downtown to New Rome University.
“The university? What are we doing here?” Reyna asked, confused.
“Things. We only have a few minutes.” Thalia led Reyna through the abandoned hallways of the building.
“A few minutes until what?”
Reyna’s question went unanswered. Thalia opened a maintenance door to reveal an old rusted ladder, which she immediately started to climb.
Reyna didn’t bother to ask if it was safe. For one, nothing Thalia did was safe. Yet, she would always claim that it was. It was best to just climb the ladder carefully and not look back.
They reached a small trapdoor in the ceiling, which Thalia pushed away with ease and hoisted herself onto the side of the hole. Once she made her way up, she pulled Reyna up with her.
Reyna recognized this place. She and Thalia were at the top of the university’s bell tower. From here, you could access the building’s entire roof. She could see why ever-rebellious Thalia was drawn to this spot.
“How did you even learn to get up here?” Reyna asked, equal parts amazed and confused as to why Thalia acted like they didn’t have much time.
“Lavinia showed me. She’s helping me out a bit with this tonight.”
Reyna got the feeling that she was missing something. “What do you mean, she’s helping you? What’s going on?”
“You’ll see in about-” Thalia took Reyna’s hand and looked at her watch. “-two and a half minutes.”
“ What is going on?” Reyna asked incredulously.
“You’ll see. Follow me, we’re going over there.” Thalia pointed to a spot on the roof overlooking the Field of Mars.
They walked carefully across the roof to the spot Thalia pointed out. Reyna squinted into the distance, but it was pitch black and she couldn’t see anything.
“Why are we here?” Reyna asked.
Thalia smirked. “You’ll find out soon. And trust me, you won’t regret sneaking out.”
“I am a Roman praetor,” Reyna said, half mockingly. “You will tell me what you brought me up here for or-”
A strange noise rent the air as Thalia cut her off, pointing towards the Field of Mars.
“Look.”
A firework shot into the air, exploding into thousands of tiny fragments. Then came another. They were giant rainbow fireworks, of the most stunning Reyna had ever seen.
Thalia was grinning from ear to ear, and Reyna noticed that she was too. Fireworks continued to shoot into the air, each one better than the last.
And it was all for them.
It was strange to think that the two of them might be the only people watching the stunning fireworks show.
It was strange to think that she, the praetor of Rome, was sitting on a rooftop with her girlfriend, who had brought her up here to watch the fireworks.
It was strange to that Reyna was supposed to be the law, the one who follows the rules, but there was nothing, nothing, that could be done to stop her now.
As she watched the fireworks, she looked at the colors and patterns taking turns lighting up the night sky, shooting high and cascading to the ground. She was able to fully appreciate that Thalia had picked them out. The whole thing- sneaking out at night, climbing the roof, and now this. It was so… Thalia. She was all bright colors and impossible dreams, a mind that worked best when confined by nobody’s rules but her own. Reyna, however, had always been about leadership and order, keeping the chaos and lawlessness down.
But sometimes, she thought as she once again took Thalia’s hand, watching as a comet of blue and orange and pink tore through the sky, Thalia’s rebellious streak was a good thing.