Hey guys, this is a one shot about Leo Valdez (again) (what a shocker! He's literally all I write about) It's based on the song Every Night by Imagine Dragons. This was requested to me by Omega Alpha Hydra. Sorry it took me so long to finally write this, yikes. I've been suuuppeeerrr busy with school. Anyways, Hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing

Leo's POV

I stared out into the water. I was sitting on the bench on the beach watching the waves lap lazily against the shore. I didn't usually come out here to just sit and think but I needed a change and some fresh air. The sun was setting and the sky was turning a beautiful orange and pink, way more beautiful then I have ever been and ever will be- inside and out. I wasn't really much. I was short, scrawny, had a curly, crazy mess of hair, and was a boy who was always running away from everything, always feared the truth, always making jokes to cover up the pain, and desperately in need of love.

It was the months right after the quest that Jason, Piper, and I went on to save Hera. Me and my siblings- mostly me- were working on building the Argo II day and night. There was no rest for me or them. It was all a very stressful situation. I never stopped working, I rarely ate, and never slept. It was really starting to take a toll on me and my body. Just sitting there I was struggling to keep my eyes open. I wish the ship was done already- it probably should have been done already. If any other competent person was building it, it would have been built already. But me, well, I can't seem to do anything right.

The amount of times I've screwed up on the ship alone is incredible. And it doesn't help that everyone is always nagging me to finish up. Annabeth comes in three times a day to see the progress and tell me to hurry up, that we're running out of time. And Piper and Jason? I haven't seen them in like two weeks now. They don't help out with the ship because they can't, they're not experienced and have no idea what to do. So instead they go off and do... whatever it is they do. I wasn't even sure what they spent their time doing. Training? Rock climbing? Hanging out? Talking to other campers? Actually eating and sleeping? Eating each others faces off because they're just so madly in love that they forget about me? Probably- most likely- all of the above.

The wind blew and ruffled my hair up, making it messier than it already was- if that was even possible. I closed my eyes as I felt the cool breeze on my face. I wish I could actually do something right for a change. I was really just a nuisance to everyone, always have been. Honestly, if anyone ever told me to leave or asked me to disappear, I would. It's not that big of a deal, I can just run off again for like the seventh time. It's not like I'm a novice at it or anything. I'm just a liability, I wouldn't blame Annabeth if she ever got so fed up with me she just ordered me to leave camp. I would just turn and go.

But until I push someone too far and off the edge, I was stuck here, feeling mostly unwanted. Sure it sucks, sure you always want to feel wanted but I haven't been wanted in a long time so it was nothing new to me. Just the same old, same old. Just like this camp and the actions I do everyday. I'm just going through the motions, trying to get by. But still I stay here. Why? I'm not really sure to be honest, but I do. I stay. I come back. I repeat it all. Every day. Every night.

I had found myself lying on the beach, steaming and burning from a very long fall. I had looked up and found a very ticked off girl with wavy hair looking at me angrily. Now it had been a couple days- maybe weeks, I wasn't really sure, time ran weird here- since that day and things had started to turn around. This girl, Calypso, she really wasn't that bad. For my whole life I had walked around, gone through alley ways, foster homes, camps, people, trying to find myself, trying to learn who I was and what I lived for. All I ended up finding was Calypso. She was a much better find. I was glad I had stumbled upon her.

But I was worried. She was beautiful, charming, sweet, immortal, the daughter of a Titan- and what was I? She was way out of my league, there was no chance I could ever be with her, and yet I found my self falling hopelessly for her. I was head over heels, lusting after this gorgeous girl who probably didn't think twice about me. I mean, why would she? I can hardly stand myself so, honestly, what could she think of me? I was nowhere near amazing. She had seen so many great heroes come and go only to get stuck with me. She probably didn't want anything to do with me, probably wanted me to grab my stuff and leave as soon as possible. She probably had 25 different reasons to hate me and I'd probably agree with every one of them. If she wanted me to leave I wouldn't blame her, I would just turn and go like always.

And yet, when I finally did get the chance to leave, when she finally managed to shove me off her island, I swore upon the River of Styx that I would return for her, that I would get her off. Why? Who knows. She probably didn't really love me. Probably kissed me to trick the island, make it seemed like she had fallen in love with me so I could leave. She was probably using me, making me fall hopelessly for her so I could come back and get her and take her off her island. Even if on the off chance she did actually love me, she would probably get over it and forget about me after a couple days. Who was I? I was nothing. I was no one.

Despite this, if it was up to me, I'd come back to her every night if I could. I would stay with her all day. I wouldn't leave her side, the same way I couldn't get the thought of her to leave my mind. And nothing could change the fact that I would give up everything to make sure she was free from her curse.

It had been a couple months since I had gotten back to Camp Half-Blood with Calypso. I had done it. I went back. I saved her. And she came home with me. She stayed with me. But I couldn't help but feel like she felt she was obligated to since I was the one who restored her freedom.

We were sitting on the bench on the beach one day, the same place I had sat so long ago by myself, watching the sun set, turning the sky a beautiful pink-purple. I still wasn't as beautiful. I was ugly, inside and out. I looked over at Calypso. She was beautiful. How could someone so beautiful be with someone so ugly? There was no way she could really love me.

Calypso noticed me staring and looked over at me, her eyebrows furrowed. "Leo, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said. "Just thinking."

"About what?" she asked. She had her hand loosely in mine.

I looked her in the eyes and told her the truth. She could tell when I was lying so what was the point of trying? Plus, if there's no trust and truth in a relationship, is there even a relationship at all? "Just wondering how someone so beautiful could be with someone so... well, me."

Calypso looked at me with a look mixed with confusion and concern. "What do you mean?"

"Calypso, you're gorgeous. Absolutely beautiful. You're everything good in this world and more. You could have anyone you wanted, do anything you want to, why would you want to stay with me? I'm not even close to you. Comparing me with you is like comparing a rock with a diamond. I'm ugly, cracked, broken, I wake up in the middle of the night screaming from night terrors and I wake you up in the process. I cary such a large weight on my shoulders, I have so much baggage from my mom and foster families and friends and living on the streets and I'm not sure I'll ever be completely fixed or completely happy ever again. Why would you want to stay with someone like that?"

Calypso's eyes softened and tears brimmed in them. "Leo..." she whispered. "Leo, don't say that. Don't you dare ever say that again. Leo, you are beautiful. You're beautiful to me and to quite a lot of people, I wish you could see that yourself."

I swallowed hard. It felt like there was a lump in my throat. My eyes suddenly seemed a little misty. "Sometime's I'm afraid that you're with me because you feel obligated too. That, because I took you off your island, you stay with me to pay me back."

Calypso shook her head wildly. "No, Leo, that is not the case at all and you know it is not. I stay with you because I want too. I stay with you because I love you and because I want to spend the rest of my days with you. You're the only person I want to be with. Who cares about nightmares? Everyone gets them and I have no problem with them waking me up. I'm glad they do because then I'm awake to comfort you and make sure you're okay. Of course you're a little cracked and broken, who isn't? And yeah, maybe you are a little more than most people but, Leo, that's what makes you so beautiful."

A strangled noise came out of me and I felt a tear roll down my cheek. "If you want to leave me... if you ever want to... I understand, Calypso, I-I really do." I struggled to get the words out through the tears that were starting to make their way down my cheeks and the sobs starting to leave me mouth. I didn't know where any of this was coming from. Maybe it was from all the years I've been running away from it, trying to avoid thinking about it, trying to avoid feeling. I had just been walking through life numb, just trying to get by, trying to survive. All the years of self doubt and loathing had finally caught up to me. All the tears I have ever held back where making their way out now.

Calypso threw her arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. I wrapped my arms around her waist and leaned my head into her shoulder and cried. I felt bad for doing this and for acting this way but I couldn't seem to stop myself. This was all out of my control now. I had waited too long to finally let it out and it was all coming out right here, right now, whether I liked it or not.

"Leo, I will never leave you. I love you too much to do that." Calypso whispered into my ear.

"I love you too," I choked out.

Calypso continued to hug me tight and whisper in my ear. "I'll always be here for you, Leo. No matter what. I don't care what we're dealing with, it doesn't matter, I'm going to be here with you. I've stayed with you for this long and I have no intentions of going anywhere any time soon. I'm coming home to you every night, Leo. No matter what happens. My mind is made up and nothing could change it. I'll stay with you forever. I'll come home to you every night."

"Every night?" I choked out through the tears. I hiccuped and she giggled.

"Yes, Leo, every night."