Piper sneezed three times, eyes scrunched shut, lungs burning, before she could begin to register her surroundings.
The smell alone had her senses completely befuddled, torn between serene bliss and complete repugnance. Love was, quite literally, in the air, shimmering and silver-gold when the sun's rays danced joyfully through the right patch of dust particles. There was no way to describe the scent; it was unlike anything Piper ever smelled. It didn't bring her hunger or joy or revulsion, it simply existed alongside the light cloud and gentle warmth.
Take a better look around you, Aphrodite whispered, you've entered the first hour. To the couple in the bubble, it will feel like a day, but you will feel the real time. I will draw your attention to one particular aspect of each private scene. Some of your friends are rather...complicated with their feelings, and adjustments have been made to accommodate couples sharing one person. You just relax; let me guide you.
Piper inhaled deeply, opening her eyes as she exhaled. "I'm ready," she said to an empty room.
Before she could feel foolish for breaking the silence, the daughter of Aphrodite felt the air tense before rippling slowly, softly, blurring then focusing on the first couple.
Piper blinked, baffled. The couple before her wasn't what she expected at all. She'd heard about it from Annabeth, but that was speculation, second-hand truths mixed with theories and bouts of spoken insecurity.
Some of which Piper could no longer consider opinion. Not that she'd ever tell Annabeth that, of course.
There, sitting beside Percy Jackson, was Calypso. There was nothing to indicate that this was she directly, save for the outdated clothes (indicating that this wasn't just a past girl from life in the mortal world) and the earthy beauty, but the way she looked at him, the way he looked at her, full of regret and curiosity and strange affection made it obvious. This was the girl he'd been with while Annabeth believed him dead.
The two weren't speaking; they just sat, somewhat uncomfortably, as their eyes flickered from their hands to each other to the room.
Piper wondered whether the Calypso he spoke to was actually her, or whether it was a projection of his mind. She wondered whether or not he'd remember this, whether or not he'd wake after their rest and think of her.
Annabeth would know immediately when she woke.
Annabeth won't remember being awake for all of the days. Percy will remember being awake only when he's with people. Now pay attention. Listen.
Sure enough, Piper could hear low murmurs as she focused on them instead of her mind. Inching closer, she ignored the small voice of her conscience berating her from eavesdropping and sat before them. They couldn't see her, but she could see everything, the details of their features starkly clear despite the fog.
"I told them to release you," Percy said, staring at her hands clasped together in her lap.
"Telling the gods to do something doesn't mean it will happen, Percy. You should've known that better than most."
"I made them swear on the River Styx... They gave me their word..."
Calypso looked up, expression a mixture of exasperation and confusion. "You didn't try hard enough to make them fulfill their promises. You should've—"
"I should've tried harder, I know. I should've stayed with them until they did it. I should've fought harder. I should've forced them to release you right there, made you appear in the throne room so you could leave with us. I should've never even left your island, but I had to; my world was at stake. I couldn't just abandon them, my mother, my family. I couldn't leave them to be torn apart by monsters. I shouldn't feel like I have to justify my leaving."
Calypso opened her mouth, then closed it, her gaze shifting back and forth, away from and to Percy's shaky glare.
Their bodies were almost touching; throughout their arguing, they inched closer and closer to each other until there was barely any room between them. Piper noticed this seconds before they did, and her embarrassment seemed to seep into them, because their faces turned red, their postures stiff, awkward, but they didn't make any moves to change their positions.
Piper knew Percy wouldn't cheat on Annabeth, but she couldn't help but watch with anger, prepared to jump in and interrupt.
Even though she didn't want to see it, Piper could tell they were a match for each other. Not the ultimate match, if she even believed in that sort of a thing, but their compatibility was undeniable. She was relieved Annabeth couldn't see this, couldn't see them.
"I know you had to leave," Calypso murmured. "Even though it hurt me, I understood it. I don't blame you for leaving me... Not really. I blame you for forgetting about me. I blame you for not following through on your word. I blame you for making me think you were any different than the rest of the heroes that came to my island and broke my heart, even though you weren't."
Piper tensed, expecting Percy to rise angrily in defense—she saw this kind of behavior with Annabeth on occasion, and rarely did an atmosphere like this not result in a figurative explosion—but he only slumped slightly and sighed. "You're right," he said, without bitterness, without anger. "I didn't treat you right. You deserved better than that..."
Shock engulfed the daughter of Aphrodite; this wasn't something she expected at all. This wasn't the strong, sure Percy she'd come to know. This wasn't anything she was accustomed to. Percy looked broken, openly broken. His self-loathing shone like a lighthouse on a clear night.
Calypso leaned forward, her eyes warm, alight with some strange peaceful acceptance, and something inside Percy seemed to break, because a tear, then two, three, slipped down his cheeks. She pressed her lips to his forehead, and he broke down, gathering her into an embrace she immediately returned, shaking slightly, soundlessly.
Piper allowed herself to slip away silently, determined to let the couple have a private moment.