OUTLAWS OF LOVE
CHAPTER FIFTY TWO
❝HEY, TEARS ALL FALL THE SAME, WE ALL FEEL THE RAIN, WE CAN'T CHANGE. EVERYWHERE WE GO WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE SUN, NOWHERE TO GROW OLD, WE'RE ALWAYS ON THE RUN. THEY SAY WE'LL ROT IN HELL, BUT I DON'T THINK WE WILL, THEY'VE BRANDED US ENOUGH, OUTLAWS OF LOVE.❞

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Pain was something consumable, meaning you're meant to feel pain and suffer through it. Because no one is built to be immortal, to be so strong that you can withstand any type of pain. It's almost impossible. Because there has to be one type of pain to bring you to your knees, to force you into the dark oblivion of your mind, to drag you to the depths of Hell.

Theo has always been someone who is tough, someone who could take whatever is thrown at him. He's been through it all, near death, kidnap, verbal abuse from his peers, and meeting eye to eye with a demon from the Underworld. He's been through so much, yet he's still alive, he's still standing up straight with a determined glint in his brown eyes.

He thought he was untouchable, that he felt no pain.

Oh how wrong he was.

"- WE NEED APOLLO HURRY UP!"

"- WE'RE LOSING HER!"

"- I'M NOT GETTING A HEARTBEAT!"

". . . please Rey, please don't do this to me . . . "

Reyna is reckless. She was reckless when it came to her words, her actions, and her decisions. She always thought about others, never for once did she ever think about her own well being. And for the first time, looking after someone else other than yourself was a bad thing. Because it almost took away her life, almost ended the war early for herself.

Theo hated how reckless she had gotten, how much she had changed since the war had began. She's stronger both physically and mentally. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but he disliked it for many, many reasons. In his eyes Reyna Cohen has always been someone he had to look after, he doesn't need to nor was he told to, but this is his person, his best friend. Maybe he didn't like it because he knew that Reyna would now see herself as independent, that she didn't need to rely on him and that she could take on these dangerous monsters herself. But deep down he knew it was because he didn't want to accept the fact that sooner or later she won't need him anymore.

He remembers everything clearly. It was his fault for getting so distracted, for focusing on the safety of others instead of his own. That was his first mistake.

All of a sudden he heard Rosé shout his name out of despair. He turned around and met the eyes of a Roman demigod Theo wasn't quick enough as he rose his sword into the air, ready to defend himself against the enemy. He knew who this guy was, a former classmate of his who has always despised Theo and picked on him for no reason. But the curly haired boy couldn't believe that the guy would go as far as to kill him.

He braced himself for the pain, to feel the blade of the sword slice through his skin and to feel shoots of excruciating pain. But he didn't.

Theo opened his eyes and saw Reyna standing in front of him, her own sword deflecting the blow. She pushed the guy backwards and Theo couldn't help but helplessly watch as his best friend engage in a full blown sword fight. Reyna wasn't on the defense, but on the offense as she tried her best to strike the guy.

He thought that the outcome would have her win.

He was wrong.

He watched as the guy plunge his sword through Reyna's abdomen, the sword completely going through her body. The sword in Reyna's hand fell out as her hands immediately reached for the blade. She gritted her teeth as she held the sword in its place, the skin on her hands bursting as blood poured. The guy looked flustered and shocked as he tried to remove the sword out of Reyna's body, but the female leader was firm and held it still.

"Theo, now!" she exclaimed. Without thinking twice Theo ran towards the guy and knocked him on the side of his head with the butt of his sword. The guy crumbled to the floor and Theo didn't hesitate to throw his own sword aside to punch the living shit out of the guy.

All he saw was red as his fists began to bloom with pain as his knuckles collided with the guy's face. He wasn't in his right mind as painful slaps grew louder and louder. Theo sat on the guy's stomach to hold him still. But Theo was so angry, so full of spite that he didn't realize that he had knocked out the guy long ago.

"Theo! Theo! Theo, that's enough!" Nathan Cohen shouted at his friend as he pulled him off of the unconscious demigod. The oldest Cohen twin brought him to his feet and shook his friend's shoulders to break him out of his trance like state. Nathan cupped Theo's face and slapped his cheeks as a last attempt. "She needs you, Theo. Don't do this, okay? You're better than that."

She.

Reyna, he thought.

Theo ran to his friend and pushed Sean O'Connoway aside. He brought Reyna's head onto his lap as Katherine pressed her hands against the wound. He cupped her cheek and called her name out softly. She tried her best to keep her eyes open, to focus on Theo's face, but her vision remained blurry.

"You're stupid. Why didn't you look out for yourself?" Reyna croaked out before she violently coughed. Blood spilled out of her mouth, drenching and staining her shirt and her porcelain skin.

"I'm sorry, Rey. Why would you do that? Why?"

"Someone has to look out for you. I want to be that someone."

She was reckless, a storm that cannot be stopped. And Theo wasn't ready to see that change in his friend. He wasn't ready to see her grow without him. It's a selfish thought, but maybe it's because deep down he knows that he doesn't know home without her.

There's this nagging thought in the back of his mind that he hopes that when this all over that they'll be able to go home as the people they once were. Maybe in his memory there was this perfect image of the two, their dynamics, their banter.

He didn't want the war to change them, not more than they already have. Because at the end of the day he knew that it wasn't long until they soon became victims of a war.

They were doing good in the war, they built an army to help defend the human civilization knowing that if they didn't then no one else would. With Reyna the two were co-leaders leading confused demigods, training them.

Reyna grew taller and wasn't as frail like when they first started. She grew stronger and muscles grew where there was nothing but bones and skin. Her hair grew longer and thicker, always tied back to prevent getting it in front of her face. Her once pale skin darkened from excessive training under the sun.

This may show signs of her strength, her will, and her determination. But Theo knew better than that, he knew that it was because she's scared of losing, scared of dying, scared of everything.

She's strong now, but at the same time she's weaker than she's ever been.

It seemed like he waiting outside her room for forever. Theo paced back and forth as horrible thoughts came to mind. Everyone was worried. Nathan was sitting in front of the wall next to her door, Katherine and Sean held one another as they tried to comfort the thought that everything was going to be okay.

Maybe he's being pessimistic, maybe this war has broken his train of happiness. Because all Theo could think about is having Apollo come out with a grim expression on his face. And he'd wait until the words 'I'm sorry' left past the god's lips.

He was ready to face the reality that his best friend is dead, he was ready to live his life with the guilt and the absence of Reyna.

He was ready to hold back his cries and comfort Nathan first knowing that the older brother would break to find out his twin had died. But Theo knew that that is his first plan, because it would distract him from the idea that Reyna is really gone.

Apollo stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. The god's shirt was stained with blood and sweat beaded his forehead. He looked exhausted and Theo almost felt bad for screaming at the god earlier, but he knew that Apollo was the best out of best. After all, he is the god of healing.

Theo's nails dug crescents into the palms of his hands as he stared anxiously at the god. He braced himself for the blow, for his chest to tighten at Apollo's words, to feel numb wash over his body. He was ready to hear Apollo say that Reyna is dead, that it was too late, that there was nothing he could do.

"She's alive."

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A/N;

In which Sav is lazy and couldn't pull out another Tosé updates so you guys get this lovely #Reo chapter! Aka my babies, aka I wish I could draw so I could make Falling Dimensions real.

So if you guys didn't know I have a Q&A thingy up! It's for you guys to ask questions to the characters and me! Hell it doesn't even have to be questions, it could even be you cursing at me because you hate how angsty I am ( too bad kid, life is tough ), but you should check it out!

me: *supposed to be updating and planning out chapters so I can publish them later*
actually me: *spent four hours last night finding random gifs of rosé for fine lines and watched kpop aegyo compliation*

Here's a lil treat for you all!
Rosé dancing to Beyoncé because I watch this video religiously like I'm not even lying.

https://youtu.be/X3P6dnL2OyY

Dedicated artemistics! She's absolutely love and I believe she finished the book in one day, so hats to you! Oh and if you guys want a dedication comment on this inline and I'll add you to the list! The book is coming to the end, but I will for sure dedicate it to you guys in the sequel!

Much Love Guys.

( written: september 17, 2017 )
( published: september 17, 2017 )