So here is the sequel to 'For Calypso'. Hope this isn't a train wreck too.
George looked on sadly at the short Latino teen sitting at the employees' lounge who stared pointedly on the wall. A long time ago, Leo had been a bright enthusiastic child with a love for life. He was always smiling. He was always cheerful.
He was happy.
But then the fire came and took his mother away, and George never saw the happy child again. The day after the fire, they had taken Leo to his aunt's, but she refused to do anything for the boy. That's where George stepped in.
He had taken Leo under his wing, given him a home. It was the least he could do for his late boss' child. At first, Leo seemed to get happier. He never truly became the child he was before; he smiled less often when he thought people weren't looking. He had this...sadness behind his eyes, but he was getting better.
And then, one day, he just left.
Ran away, the cops told him. They had found him in a small town 5 miles away. When George tried to talk to Leo, after the cops brought him home, the boy said he didn't want to come back. George could understand. Too many bad memories. With a heavy heart, he bade farewell to Leo.
That was 9 years ago.
A month back, Leo was at his doorstep, wet from the rain outside, asking if he could spare him a job in his garage. George immediately gave him the job.
Over the next few days, George observed Leo. The teen was back at cracking really bad jokes, and for a moment, George though Leo had healed. But then when he chanced upon Leo sitting at the employees' table staring at the wall like that, he saw that he was wrong. Leo hadn't healed. In fact, it seemed that Leo had just gotten more hurt.
But he was good at hiding it.
George tried talking to Leo about it, tried learning about what happened in the years he was away, but Leo just shook himself out of his stupor, gave George a blinding grin and cracked a joke. "You know, the usual. I was just busy saving the world."
Leo seemed to find this extremely humorous.
So George was stuck, not able to do anything for the boy, and still wondering what had turned Leo into a person that hid from the world.
-O-O-O-
"Leo."
The demigod in question turned around to look at the person who called him and saw her. Eyebrows scrunched, lips twisted in a slight frown, hands on her hips, trying her hardest to look stern. She was also wearing red.
Leo really did like the colour red.
"Calypso." He mumbled, taking a step forward, reaching out for her, but she ducked under his arms and continued glaring at him.
"What is this I hear about you still not being over me?"
That drew Leo short. He just stood there and blinked. Out of all the things that Calypso would say when she saw him again, that was not what Leo expected. So he just and gaped, imitating a goldfish.
Calypso did not relent.
"One year!" she yelled. "One year I've been dead and you still haven't got over me! Why haven't you got over me yet?!"
That snapped Leo back into his senses. Straightening up, crossing his arms over his chest, and glaring right back at her he snapped back childishly. "I don't want to."
Calypso obviously did not expect that. Her features slackened, just a bit, before regaining their sharpness.
"Leo Valdez! You better get over me fast, or else I'll-"
"What? Haunt me? I'd like that! Be my guest!"
The lapsed into silence again, glaring at each other, locked in a my-will-power-is-greater-than-yours contest, until Leo's lips quirked. And with that, the dam broke, both of them collapsing into laughter.
-O-O-O-
Leo thought it was about time that he went back to Camp. He obviously was wrong.
When Leo reached camp, he stood at the edge of the forest, looking down as all the campers gathered around the campfire, singing songs about Uncle Midas' goat. He looked at them all happy and imagined how they would react to him coming back. Jason and Piper would hug him until he died, Percy would laugh and slap him on the back, Annabeth would sniff and say it was about time he returned and all the campers would crowd around him, staring at him with eyes wide and filled with hero-worship.
And that's what stopped him.
His entire life was one screw up after the other. His mother had died because of his flames. Annabeth and Percy went to Tartarus, because of him. The rest of the Seven nearly died a million times because he wasn't paying attention. And Calypso? The one thing that actually mattered? He couldn't protect that too.
As far as Leo was concerned, he did not deserve to be called a hero. He was worthless. His father was a god that excelled in fixing things. Ironically, everything Leo held dear just broke. A son of Hephaestus that couldn't fix the mess his life had become. That's what he was. Not a hero.
Leo wasn't ready to be before crowds, but he could always visit Bunker 9. Leo made his way into the woods, ducking under stray branches, and jumping over vines that would have tripped him, when he heard it. The faint rustle of dry leaves being crushed underfoot.
Something was near.
Leo slowly pulled out his hammer, trying his hardest not to make a sound, as he crept and hid behind a tree. The monster probably didn't see him. Leo's heart was thumping madly. How the hell did a monster break through the barriers of the camp? But Leo pushed the thought to the back of his head. What mattered now was taking the monster out. After psyching himself up, Leo finally felt brave enough to peek at the monster from behind the tree. So he did.
And his mind promptly broke.
The monster, wasn't really a monster. Instead, it was two demigods. Wrapped rather intimately around each other. The girl was without her shirt. So was the guy. And their hands were in places where hands shouldn't be, and Leo was too young for this shit!
The two people (demigods, the pert of Leo's mind that was still functioning added) were busy trying to eat each others' faces off. Then the guy broke off the kiss and started nibbling on the girl's neck and the girl let out a wail of pleasure, and Leo's mind completely stopped functioning as alarms in his head blared out Run away! Run away! Run away goddammit!
And Leo ran away as fast as he could, trying his hardest to get rid of the image in his head and the blush on his cheeks. In his defence, the girl did look rather good without her shirt.
Stupid hormones.
-O-O-O-
He and Calypso were resting against a tree this time, admiring the falling leaves, both silent until Calypso turned to look at Leo.
"The girl really did look nice without her shirt, didn't she?"
And then she laughed at the hot blushing mess Leo became, while Leo tried hard to keep his hair from catching fire.
-O-O-O-
Leo didn't go back to Camp Half-Blood for a week.
-O-O-O-
When he finally did go there, he avoided the area where he caught the two completely, and instead, took the long way around. When he finally got there, he was too exhausted to enter the Bunker (Leo had to fix a total of 4 cars that week) and so, decided to camp out for the night. He was tired, but not sleepy, and decided to stare at the stars that shone down on him until he did feel sleepy.
Sadly the Fates had other plans for him.
"So peeper, enjoyed the view last time?" Leo turned around to see the girl from last week settled comfortably against the wall of the bunker next to him. Leo's eyes widened and he was too tongue tied to respond. The girl gave a tinkling laugh before fixing Leo in her gaze with a vaguely hungry look in her eyes.
"It is rather unfair that you got to see me without my shirt, while I didn't get to see you without yours."
This time Leo's hair did catch fire, and the girl gave another happy, clear laugh. "You really are adorable." She purred and Leo decided that she was having too much fun, so he got up and ran from there.
This time he made a promise to not come back to camp. Ever. Forget about hero-worship, Leo didn't want to be anywhere inside a five mile radius from the girl.
-O-O-O-
"Okay, I admit it. She is a bit too forward for my tastes."
Leo snorted.
"You think?"
-O-O-O-
Reyna was wondering when everything around her decided to go to hell. The group of five demigods she had under her command for this quest were dead. She was the last remaining survivor. And in front of her stood a Hydra, all eight pairs of eyes aimed at her.
She took a nervous step back, her right hand cradling the large gash in her arm, her eyes darting wildly around looking for her lost sword. The hydra took a large step forward, towering over her, its nostrils flaring. This time she took several steps, wishing that she had some backup.
The hydra reared its head back, a clear sign that it was going to attack. Reyna scampered away, hoping to put some distance between the reptile and her, but to no avail. The hydra screeched harshly and spat out its acid. Which landed on Reyna.
The pain was unbearable. The acid burned its way through Reyna's armor and bit into her skin. Her mouth twisted into a yell of pain which was stopped short of one of the Hydra's clawed limbs smashing straight into her. Reyna crashed into a tree, and watched wearily as the monster approached. She was shattered, battered, bruised, burnt and too weak to stop its approach.
Her eyesight was dimming, her vision growing darker and blurrier when she saw a fire ball crash into the side of one of the hydra's head. A massive, golden-yellow blur crashed straight into the hydra after that and she blacked out.
When she awoke all she could see was a brown blob hovering before her and sparkling, golden dust in the background.
She blacked out again.
-O-O-O-
"Well she's kind of cute."
Leo just gaped at her.
"Are you kidding me? She is Reyna! Praetor of New Rome! She could kill me without even looking at me! And she has a good reason to. I freaking BOMBED HER CAMP!"
Calypso frowned for a moment, thinking, before she spoke again.
"But you got to admit it. She is pretty cute."
Leo opened his mouth to argue, and promptly shut it again. He tried saying something again, and failed.
Again.
You couldn't argue with that kind of logic
And Reyna was pretty cute.
-O-O-O-
A copper colored roof greeted her when she opened her pushed herself up from the bed, wincing at the dull ache she felt, and looked around. The entire room had a similar color scheme. If it wasn't coppery yellow, it was bronze-red. The walls were filled with wires and monitors, each playing a video of sorts.
One featured Bugs Bunny.
Ah. So it was TV.
On the far side, before another screen, a short boy with curly hair sat hunched over, staring intently at a screen, blocked from her view by a huge lump of metal and wires that was situated next to the boy.
Scowling at the unknown person, Reyna reached for her knife, but found it missing. Giving the room another glance, she found her knife on a table kept against the wall.
She reached out for it and yelped in pain. She glanced down at her waist.
Bandages were wrapped tightly around her waist. Stitches? She didn't have time to think.
"You're up?"
Reyna turned so quickly, that her neck got a crick. Ouch.
The boy quickly jumped up and turned to face her. Reyna squinted. She knew those elfish ears and that mischievous smile.
"Valdez?" she ventured, hesitantly.
"The one and only." He took a quick bow "You may now proceed with the squealing." The lump of metal plates besides him gave a few groans and squeaks. "Hey! I am totally squeal-worthy!" A few more groans and squeaks. "Stupid lump of metal." Leo scowled and gave it a kick. But Reyna could see the fond quirk his mouth had.
Reyna made to get out of the bed and groaned in pain again. Leo immediately ran up to her and gently pushed her back into bed. She let him do so.
"What happened?"
"Well, I was riding Festus one fine day and saw you getting whacked around by a Hydra. Decided to pop down there and lend a hand."
Reyna's eyebrows scrunched together. "How long ago was this 'fine day'?"
Leo smiled a bit guiltily. "...Err...A week ago."
Reyna let out a curse.
-O-O-O-
"Frank?"
"Holy Hell! Reyna? Where in Tartarus are you?"
"I'm still not quite sure about that, but the important thing is that I'm fine."
"You're entire lower body is in bandages."
"...I'm healing. That's why I wanted to call you. I'm fine over here, the Hydrae are dead. You can stop worrying."
"Wait! Rey-"
The Iris message was cut.
"Was that Leo in the back?"
-O-O-O-
Reyna was recovering a lot more slowly than she thought she would, but she wasn't complaining. True, back home people were worried, but she had told them that she was fine. Frank could handle most of the paperwork. Hazel was taking care of Aurum and Argentum, so need to worry about anything back home. Plus after being on quest after quest and running the camp day in and day out, it was nice to relax for a bit.
The fact that Leo was around also helped a bit. All her interactions with him led her to believe that he was immature beyond his years, but watching him from close quarters changed that belief. He wasn't immature beyond his years, he was worse. Every third sentence out of his mouth was a joke that made her want to kill him. But he did spend time with her, lent her an ear when she was frustrated with her slow recovery or worried about the camp or just plain lonely. Reyna didn't have many friends. After a month at the Leo's home/cave/room/hideout she wondered when exactly Leo came up on that list.
She chanced upon him in one of those rare moments he was pensive, leaning against a window looking out at the scenery. At first Reyna wondered as to which place they were looking at, and then wondered how they could be looking outside when they were supposed to be underground.
Magic, she told herself, will never make sense.
She took a spot leaning over the railing, next to Leo, wincing as she felt a twinge of pain from her wound and admired the view she was getting. A few more days and she would be fully healed. After a poignant lull in noise level, she spoke up.
"You know they still wish you would come back to Camp."
Leo didn't turn to her, instead continuing to look at the mountains in the distance. "I don't want to go back. Well, not right now. Maybe after some time I might, but not right now."
Reyna's eyebrows furrowed as she looked at him quizzically. "Why not?" As far as she knew, Leo loved talking to people. Actually his conversation partners didn't even need to be human. Leo liked talking, period. For him to seclude himself, that didn't make much sense to her at all.
Leo looked at her, as if debating with himself about something before giving her a wide grin. "It's just that I need some time away from the adoring masses."
Reyna arched her eyebrows. Leo was hiding something. She wondered at what point of time she got so good at understanding Leo, but quickly dismissed her thought. They were friends, and leo was just as good at reading her than she was at reading him. Leo was hiding something, but she decided to let it go. Gods above, she had enough secrets of her own.
She turned to look ahead and lay her head against Leo's shoulder. He turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow, and she glared at him, daring him to say something. When he put his arm around her shoulders, she just scooted closer and put her head in the crook of his neck.
-O-O-O-
George found Leo sitting at the employees table all alone once again, and decided that it was about time the two of them had a serious discussion about what had happened in Leo's life when he was away. It was the second glance that stopped George in his tracks.
Leo was still sitting there quietly, but his fingers were moving, tapping the table top in some sort of pattern. He wasn't grinning like the hyperactive boy he was when he was younger, but he was smiling a small, nearly unnoticeable smile.
Leo may not have become completely better after his mother's death but he was improving.
With a soft smile, George walked away.
-O-O-O-
Calypso and Leo were at a pier this time, both staring out into the setting sun, their legs hanging off the docks they were sitting on.
"I'm glad that you have Reyna."
Leo was silent for a moment. "Yeah, I'm glad too."
They lapsed into a comfortable silence until Leo broke it.
"Am I going to see you again?"
Calypso took his hand in hers.
"I'll be here as long as you need me to be."
Leo squeezed her hand and shot her a grateful grin.
"Thanks."
-O-O-O-
Leo wasn't exactly sure what he and Reyna were. They were definitely friends, a bit more than friends actually, but he wasn't quite sure if they had what he and Calypso had. Sometimes at night one of them would have a nightmare, and the other would be at their side comforting the nightmare victim. Somehow along the way, they decided to just sleep together. It was more convenient, as Reyna had put it.
Leo was pretty sure that friends didn't sleep together, but you wouldn't see him complaining.
They had moments, of course, but the majority of their time together was spent either in working on one of Leo's machines, checking on Reyna's injuries, playing fetch with Festus outside in an underpopulated area or watching Spanish television shows. Friend stuff.
But they were more than friends. When he had told her about his past, they were both sitting up in bed, leaning against the wall which was behind their pillows. Reyna had held his hand and leaned against his shoulder. I'm there for you.
She had then told her about her own past and Leo wondered how she was still able to function in society. With growing horror he had listened to her story. When she had told him "They were pirates, Leo. They were drunk half the time and I was just a small defenseless girl. They did things to me." Leo thought his knuckles would tear with the sheer intensity he was clenching his fist in.
It was then he realized that Reyna was crying. Snaking an arm around her he pulled her to his chest and let her sob against it. It's gonna be alright. I'm here for you.
Later she had revealed that after escaping the ship, she couldn't handle making contact with people she didn't trust. It took Leo a while to actually connect the dots.
So there they were, sometimes friends, sometimes something more. Leo felt confused even just thinking about their relationship, but all he knew that it was something good.
But he should have known good things never last.
-O-O-O-
Gods, it was painful. Another sorrow-laden sob left her as she hunched over in her cabin. No one was there right now; all of them were out doors. Good. She didn't want any of them to see her like this.
She didn't want their surprise at seeing her so broken up over a guy that left her. She didn't want their sympathy. She just wanted to be alone.
"Hello Drew."
Wonderful, she just had to think that, didn't she? Idly she wondered if she got more sarcastic when she was crying, but it wasn't the time. She wiped her tears to look up at her visitor.
Aphrodite was there in all her glory and splendour. A blood red dress hugged her curves and showed off her long shapely legs. Her blonde hair was done up perfectly, they flowed down past her shoulders like a waterfall. Lipstick covered her sensuous lips. Blue eyes that could easily snare the hearts of men were drawn together in worry.
Compared to her mother, Drew was a wreck. Her eyes were red and puffy. Mascara ran down in rivulets due to the tears. Right now she was ugly, everything a daughter of Aphrodite should never be.
"What do you want?" Ouch. That was harsh. The words had literally tumbled out of her mouth before she could even comprehend them.
Her mother did not seem to take offense to them. Aphrodite walked over to the bed and sat down next to Drew, running a hand down Drew's long black hair. "I just want you to be happy, Drew. I know Malcolm meant a lot to you but you are a daughter of Aphrodite. You don't pine after boys. Boys pine after yo-"
"I don't want to be a daughter of Aphrodite anymore!"
Aphrodite did not say anything, simply trying to be comforting to her daughter as she vented.
"I'm tired of having meaningless relationship after meaningless relationship. I just want something special. I want someone who makes me feel special. Who likes me because of me, not because of my body. I want someone who makes me happy. Someone who I can spend the rest of my life with."
Drew broke down into sobs again as Aphrodite quietly tried to soothe her daughter. Drew should have felt glad that her mum had actually visited her. Not many of the demigods could say with certainty that they had met their parents, but right now Drew didn't care about it. She just wanted to cry and cry until she was too exhausted to cry anymore.
"Love is a terrible thing." Aphrodite quietly mumbled "Yet, everyone wants it. It can break the minds of men, make them do the most horrible of things yet they chase after it. They think that after finding love they will be happy, but not all of them are. Some live a life regretting the things they did in their pursuit of love. Do you really want the same fate upon yourself?"
Drew didn't reply just buried her face into her knees as she hugged them tighter. Aphrodite gave a sigh and stood up.
"Even though I know you are my daughter, I cannot tell you who your soul-mate is. But I can tell you how to find him."
Saying so, she rummaged through her purse and pulled out a piece of paper on which she quickly wrote something and left it next to Drew. Giving her daughter one last look, Aphrodite turned and walked out of the cabin.
An hour later, when Drew was too exhausted to feel anything, her hands found the paper and she read it. It was the name of a demigod she knew. Beneath it, a series of numbers were written in her mother's flowery writing.
Pulling out her phone, she quickly dialled in the number and texted him, before collapsing on her bed, a small smile playing on her face.
-O-O-O-
Drew Tanaka: Valdez, I still haven't seen you without your shirt. Don't you know it's rude to keep a girl waiting?
So that's that. There will be another chapter coming up so... stay tuned? (That sounded waaay too corny for my tastes) I've already planned out the next chapter, but I wanna see what you people think will happen next. So if you want to, you can leave a review. Just saying.
Hope you enjoyed.
-ProdigyPsycho