Written for Caesar's Palace Prompts (prompt: nurture) and Challenges by the Dozen (prompt: post-canon).
Calypso didn't remember what children look like, at first. When Percy and Leo came to her, they were children, but they were not the kind that Calypso now had inside of her. This kind of child was much smaller, more delicate. It's been a long time since the gods had any children with demigods, and she hopes her child will have the fiery spirit of its father and the healing qualities of its mother.
Calypso placed a hand on her stomach, musing. Soon it would grow round and protrude from her body is an awkward way that she supposed might feel right at the time. She stood before a mirror, pushing the skirt of her dress against her belly, observing. How strange it was to have something so tiny in her, and how strange it was to have the tiny thing grow like a plant.
Her mind wandered back to the days on her island when she spent the waking hours tending to her plants. Now, she only had a few windowsills to put pots on. At first it was hard; Calypso needed to take care of something to feel whole. But now something bigger was coming, perhaps more difficult to take care of than a plant.
She heard gentle footsteps creep up behind her, but she pretended not to notice. Hot arms wrapped around her waist, rough curls brushing her neck.
"How's my girl today? Feeling better?"
Calypso bit down on her cheek. How would Leo react? They had only been courting, or what Leo called dating, for two years, and only living together for a few months. A baby was something to be proud of, she knew. It was a woman's pride in her era to carry a child, and even better to carry a son. But things had changed, and perhaps a child would be an unwanted burden now. She hadn't talked to Leo about children, yet.
"I think I'm doing fine," she said. She turned around to face him. "I'm not sick. I'm just…" She trailed off, looking at her feet. She always prided herself on being able to read Leo well, but she didn't want to try.
"What's wrong?"
Calypso smiled at him. Ever since they'd moved to the city, Leo had been concerned about her, always asking her if she could sleep at night, buying her nature sound music boxes, crossing the street with her. The switch from a secluded island with no people for miles to a bustling city came as a huge shock to Calypso, and she suffered anxiety attacks whenever she left the front door. So she mostly stayed inside and let Leo do the shopping. She'd been talking with Chiron and Apollo (almost ashamedly, even though they assured her that she had nothing to be ashamed about) about her symptoms and how to lessen them. Apollo told her that she might be almost ready to go to a supermarket, but meanwhile, Leo was looking for a countryside home to stay at. The only problem was it was hard to get a sufficient job in the countryside with his skill set.
"What's wrong?" Leo repeated. "Talk to me."
"Nothing," Calypso managed. "But." She mustered up the courage. "I'm pregnant."