Chapter Eleven

The part that annoyed Calypso the most was how easy it was to like Percy. He was a genuinely good man, a hero, and those were the ones who always caught her attention, even before she was exiled to Ogygia. But even more so, what really hooked her, what drew her in and refused to let go was the same thing that all her sisters had been attracted to. He was dangerous and powerful. Percy was, in the fullest sense, the ideal man for an immortal. That was what made this even more difficult. She knew sooner or later, the Fates would send him away from her, as they always did. She loved him, as she was cursed to, and he certainly felt something for her, but she wasn't certain it could be love.

She had told him that she wanted a new table, as her current one was old and unadorned, but she didn't have the skills to do so. She had hoped he would try to get Hephaestus to send her a new one when he returned to the mainland, but instead, when she had awoken, she had found him working on building her a new one himself, the long planks laid out, tools strewn in front of him. To her amazement, there were images carved into smooth wood, her sisters, the garden, Olympus, and many other wonders. The largest carving in the centre was of herself, and by all the gods it was immaculate. The table, once Percy was finished with it, was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and that said a lot.

"How—why—" she stuttered, not quite sure what to say. Percy grinned, his white teeth flashing in the light which made her want to kiss him. But she didn't.

"You said you wanted a new one, and I slept for five days. I had the energy to burn," he told her, his eyes glimmering emerald, "besides, I've done a lot of fighting recently, and almost nothing else. It's good for my hands to be used for something other than death."

"Very astute, cuz," a mischievous voice called out, and Calypso's hearth clenched. This was the moment. This was when he would leave her.

"Hermes," Percy said in a rather neutral tone, which made the god frown.

"You alright bud?" he asked, "you seem… angry? Have I done something?"

"No." Percy said simply, "but you can tell Zeus to sit on his bolt. I'm not going back."

Calypso didn't bother trying to hide her gasp, and Hermes recoiled in shock.

"What?"

"Did I stutter, Hermes?" Percy snapped, "I quite like it here. The view is nice, and the company is exquisite. And, unlike the council, Calypso doesn't expect me to fight her battles for her. So, tell Zeus to sit on his bolt, and either let me be or deal with me himself."

"I—why?" Hermes settled for.

"Were you not listening?" Percy sighed, "I like it here. I like the company here. It's peaceful, something I've never had. Is that too much to ask for?"

"Percy…" Calypso said sadly, "you cannot defy the Fates."

She had expected him to cave at that, curse the Fates and leave, but instead, he laughed. Laughed!

"Those old hags?" Percy sounded amused, "they haven't been able to make me do anything. Ever. Why, do you want me to leave?"

"No!" She quickly exclaimed, and Hermes shot her a look, "but everyone does. That's my curse."

"It's not a curse," Percy countered, "or, not in the traditional sense. It's my kin being massive pricks. Hermes, go to Olympus, and relay my message."

"Perce—" Hermes tried, but the immortal demigod whirled on him.

"Go!" He barked, and Hermes flinched at the ferocity of it. "I won't ask again."

Hermes rose his hands in surrender and flashed away. When Percy turned back to her, she saw the fire in his eyes, but they quickly softened when he looked at her. He looked up to the sky, before sighing.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," he said softly, "I'd go inside if I were you. This won't be pretty."

"Why would you do that?" She asked him, "why defy Zeus?"

"My uncle has been annoying me lately," Percy shrugged, "not exactly at the top of my 'needs to be pleased' list for the past few millennia. And he knows it, too. I've no idea why he pushed his luck."

"I—"

"You should go inside now," Percy repeated, though his voice was more urgent this time, "chances are, you'll hear this conversation from there."

Calypso nodded and was about to do what he said when she paused. He refused the gods to stay. On Ogygia. With her. He wanted to stay with her. She wouldn't leave him. She would prove that he made the right decision.

"I think I'll stay," she said, jutting her chin out, "you should not be alone for this."

Percy stared at her for a moment, before grinning.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you so much," he told her, his smile widening before dropping onto the ground, patting a spot next to him, "care to join me?"

She settled on the ground next to him, smoothing her chiton out, and crossing her legs. She was, after all, still a lady, and there were certain things that were to be respected. Percy leaned back, resting his head on the bench he had made for the table, a beautiful birch wood that seemed to glow under the sunlight. She mimicked the action and was surprised to find it relatively comfortable. Her hands were resting at her sides, and before she could react, Percy took her right hand in his left, and began gently playing with it. She didn't mind the action. It was soothing.

"Perseus!" Zeus' voice roared through the peace and quiet, and Percy sighed beside her, before leaning up again.

"Hello uncle," he replied, "you're looking a little red in the face. Are you feeling unwell?"

He had yet to release her hand, and Calypso soon realised that the entire Olympian council could probably see them. She found that the issue didn't bother her as much as she expected.

"I ordered you to return!" Zeus barked.

"And I told you when I returned that you can't order me to do anything," Percy replied in a calm tone.

"We need to discuss what happened in the Deep Trenches, Percy," the weary voice of Poseidon came through, and Percy's grip on her hand tightened a fraction as his face darkened.

"There's nothing to discuss, Lord Poseidon," he replied, "there was a threat to Atlantis, and I dealt with it, as is my right."

"The death toll was atrocious, Perseus," Zeus growled, and Percy released her hand as he shot to his feet. Calypso had never seen someone move so fast before in her life. Zeus, who had been leaning forward in his throne, shot back, slamming against the headrest, even though it was only an Iris Message.

"You, of all people, do not get to throw deaths at me, little Zeus," Percy spat, "I remember the World Wars, and the death and destruction that was wrought. I fought in them. But you? You started them. All those deaths, all that pain, all that suffering? That's on you. So yes, I killed a large number of beasts, but that's all they were. Monsters, who prey on mortals and innocents."

Zeus opened his mouth to respond, but Hera placed her hand on his arm, and he turned to her inquisitively. The image shifted to Athena, whose narrowed eyes were trained on Calypso. Percy clearly didn't like that, judging from the way that he cleared his throat.

"I'm over here, Lady Athena," he said loudly, and like before with Hermes, the goddess flinched, "you've clearly got something to say, my lady, so?"

"What—what can we offer you to have you return to Olympus?" Athena asked, surprised to be negotiating with Percy. Calypso understood it, in a way. From what little she did know, it was well known that Percy had raised Athena when she was a godling. More so than Zeus, Percy would be the closest to a farther figure that she would have.

"What makes you think you can offer me anything?" Percy asked with a quirked eyebrow, Zeus' curses in the background becoming louder, as were Poseidon's challenges.

"I—what do you want, then, Percy?" Athena sighed.

"That's better," he nodded, before returning to his seat next to Calypso, "for one, I think my charming companion here should be released from her prison. I think she's suffered long enough, don't you?"

"We can't just release the daughter of a Titan!" Athena exclaimed, but Percy wasn't having any of it.

"What exactly do you think my aunts are?" he challenged, "Hera, Demeter, and Hestia—the daughters of a Titan. Not just any Titan, either, the Titan Lord. Zeus, Hades, my father—the sons of Kronos. Artemis is the daughter of a Titan, Apollo the son of one. You yourself are the daughter of a Titan. Unless you plan on locking yourselves up, I'd come up with a different excuse."

Calypso couldn't quite believe what was happening. Even when Percy had argued against her banishment at the end of the Titanomachy, he hadn't fought this hard. She withheld a smile, lest the others think she was manipulating him.

"Percy," Poseidon sighed, "would you please just come home?"

"I've made my terms clear," he replied, "take some time to ponder them. Until you've decided, we have nothing to talk about. My lords, ladies."

He finished with a flourish bow and then waved his hand, cutting the Iris Message off before anyone could respond.

"Why would you do that?" Calypso demanded, "I don't need you to fight my battles for me!"

Percy blinked.

"I didn't think I needed to," he responded slowly, "you can fight battles yourself , but it's never a good idea to fight a war alone. Everyone needs allies."

"And you think this," she motioned to the island around them, "is a war?"

"I think it's been a war since you were exiled here. You've been fighting it alone for millennia, and that's wrong. You're an empathetic person, Calypso, and it's an amazing quality to have, but the Gods have manipulated you, cursed you to have your empathy be overridden by your ability to love. It's abuse, and I won't abide it. Not anymore."

"Because of what happened to you?" She asked with a frown.

"Partly," he acceded, "but mostly because I turned a blind eye to the tyranny of the gods for too long. Sometimes I wonder if all of this would have been resolved if I had just taken that stupid throne myself. No rising Titans, no children fighting wars. But maybe I would have turned out to be the same as Zeus. There's a lot of what-if's in my life," Percy paused, eyes drifting towards the sea, where the raft had appeared not too long ago, bobbing in the water gently, "I don't want this—you—to be one of them."

"How are you real?" Calypso hadn't meant to say that aloud, but it just… slipped out, she supposed. Percy blinked and then laughed.

"Good question," he smiled broadly at her, "I'm not entirely sure myself. More so than anything else in this world, I'm one of a kind, but then, I suppose, that makes me as unique as anybody else."

Calypso wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, so she hummed instead. Percy looked at her with a hint of curiosity in his eyes before they flashed with something else. He fished a Drachma out of his pocket before flicking it into the air. It vanished with a flicker.

"Oh Iris, Goddess of Rainbows, and my favourite messanger deity, without whom the world would be sorely—" He began, only to be cut of by a distinctly amused voice.

"Get on with it, Percy, before you make me blush."

"—lacking in joy and colour, would you do me a solid and play some slow music?" He finished, as if he hadn't been interrupted. A very unladylike snort was heard from the shimmering air.

"Only for you, you flatterer."

Shortly after, a soft, melodic piece began playing, and Percy made his way over to her, before holding out his hand.

"I'm guessing you haven't had a nice dance in a while," he told her, eyes soft, but shining brilliantly, "would you care to join me?"

Calypso beamed at him, before taking his hand.

MMXVIII

Hello friends! I would've posted this sooner, but it was Prom weekend, and we all know how that goes for seniors… Anyways, Percy is laying down the hammer, and while Calypso seems kind of damsel-in-distress-y right now, that won't last. In Trials of Apollo, she states (when she is a mortal) that if she was at full strength, she could flick Apollo across Indianapolis, so she'll get a chance to be badass soon enough. Additionally, since it was Percy, and not Theo who was sent to Ogygia, there was no volcano kiss, so Theo and Annabeth's relationship is different than Percy's and Annabeth's was. Feel free to leave a review or send me a PM! Until next time!

Cheers, CombatTombat