I wrote this for the Livejournal community that does PJO gift exchanges. Not really farmiliar with Percy/Calpyso so hopefully this is okay! Enjoy :)

Don't own PJO, all rights go to Mr. Rick Riordian.

Learning to Let Him Go

As soon as Lord Hephaestus arrives, I know that my time with Percy has been cut short. I never thought he would stay forever, but I had hoped we would have a while longer to be together.

I leave the two on the beach, giving them privacy as they speak of important matters. Making my way to the meadow, I can't help but think about Percy. He has been one of the most captivating heroes to land on my island. I know that his departure will be painful for me.

While I walk, my thoughts play through the last couple of weeks. I watch Percy land on Ogygia, and even from a distance it is obvious that he is barely conscious and burned terribly, his hair and clothes badly singed and tendrils of smoke floating off his body. The moment he fell into the lake, I knew that the gods had delivered me what would surely be both another gift and another punishment.

Finally reaching my beloved flower garden, I sigh. Bending down, I fix the petals on a beautiful green flower which reminds me of the color of Percy's eyes. I recall the first time I saw those eyes.

I was so startled by their complexity; they were unlike any I had ever seen before. The way they shined reminded me of the beauty of the lake when the sun covers it with its rays. But what fascinated me even more was how they seemed to be filled with a hundred different emotions at once. I saw confusion, terror, pain, relief, and understanding all at the same time.

It was a long while before I got to see those eyes again, but it was no problem for me. I enjoyed caring for Percy, watching him slowly become stronger. Sometimes I would sit at his bedside for hours, listening to him mumble in his sleep. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside of his mind. The things he said weren't always coherent, weren't always cohesive. It was hard to figure him out.

And then finally one day he awoke. I do not remember how much time had passed since he had first fell from the sky, but I had already gotten used to his presence. We exchanged but a few words; nevertheless it was all I needed to realize that I was already falling in love.

The days wore on, turning into weeks, and the more time I spent with Percy, I realized how hard it would be to let him go. I tried to hide my emotions, to put up all of my shields, but like always, it was no use. He seemed so adept at breaking through the aloof exterior that I tried to convey, and I couldn't control the occasional smiles I would pass his way.

I tend to my flowers, and making sure that they are healthy and thriving. I love caring for things, and enjoy spending my time making sure that the island is in perfect condition. It is really the only thing that I have.

What seems like hours later, I hear footsteps moving across the soft green grass. I turn my head and my breath catches a little. Percy is walking towards me, the moonlight reflecting off his still slightly pale skin. He looks troubled, and I know that the time has come to let him go.

We walk, and we talk, and I do the one thing I tell myself I would not do. Tears spring to my eyes as I profess my love. I ask him to stay; guiltily try to tempt him with immortality.

What happens next surprises me. It has never happened before, and it is hard to believe that it is actually truly happening now.

He grabs me by the hand and drags me to the shore and says, "I think I love you too, but I'll grow to love you even more."

My heart stops beating and I look at him in awe. Percy is staring back, straight into my eyes. I have learned to read him like an open book. I can tell what he's saying is the truth. I see the love mixing with the pain and the confusion and the guilt and all the other emotions that one human being should not be able to feel all the same time.

It is all I've ever wanted. A hero to call my own, one that would stay with me for eternity. Someone I could love forever and unconditionally. But if this is all I've ever wanted, why do I feel so wrong inside? My emotions seem just as conflicted as the ones flitting through Percy's eyes.

Oh how I want him to stay! But deep down in my heart, I know that he can not. I can't tempt him with this beautiful island and a never-ending life. Percy has things he has to do; he has a destiny he has to complete.

"No, Percy, you must leave," I say sadly, "I was wrong to offer you another option. You must return to the mortal world, to your friends and your family. To the prophecy you were meant to complete."

Percy looks at me confused. He holds my hand even more tightly than before.

"But Calypso, I want to –" he falters, looking at me with those eyes. Then I see new emotions that I had not seen before. Percy looks at me with determination and acceptance. I can tell what he is thinking. He knows that he can not stay.

"I'll come back."

"No man ever finds Ogygia twice, Percy. When you leave, I will never see you again."

Suddenly he pulls me close, and I close my eyes and I breathe in deeply. He smells exactly like the sea.

"This won't be our last time together," he says softly into my ear. "I will do whatever I can to make sure that you are freed."

He says his words with such certainty that I can't help but believe him.