There were a million different ways that the epic Peri/Calypso showdown could've ended, but I never would've expected the two to end up becoming friends. It was seriously bizarre. Yet another example of how I'll literally never understand girls.
Still, I was grateful that there wasn't too much bloodshed. I used to have a fantasy of two hot girls fighting over me, but I think that went out the window after today. To be fair, I always imagined it more as two chicks in bikinis wrestling in the mud. Seeing Peri and Calypso trying to murder each other in the sand wasn't exactly doing it for me. All jokes aside though, I'm not sure if I would have been able to live with myself if one of them had killed the other over me. Unfortunately for me, it seemed as though I'd completely ruined my chances with either one of them.
Story of my life, right?
My mind was elsewhere as Calypso helped me fasten the console to the raft with bits of cloth sticking out of her nostrils to stop the bleeding. Peri was resting by the campfire, stuffing her face and moaning in pleasure with each spoonful of beef stew. The Omega-Blood had a few bruises, but she was fine besides something she called "the wiggles" in her extremities. I figured her arms and legs were still tingly after Calypso went all Ty Lee on her pressure points.
Peri didn't seem too eager to speak to me, which I guess I understand considering everything that had transpired. It still made my chest ache the way she avoided meeting my eyes as I returned to the beach to load the raft with the last of the burlap sacks filled with supplies. She looked good in a feral sort of way; her hair was messy and wild with sand and sticks and leaves strewn throughout her golden locks, her skin a few shades darker from the time spent on the island's harsh climate, and just the right amount of dirt on her face.
Calypso was nice enough to give her a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, which Peri seemed beyond grateful for (even though I kinda liked the survivor-themed grass getup she had on before). But what bothered me the most was how close the two had gotten in such a short amount of time. While I was trying to give her some space, Peri and Calypso were like two dangerous, hot peas in a pod. It was weird, right? I can't possibly be the only one who thinks it's weird, right?
Or maybe I was just experiencing quite possibly the strangest form of jealousy. When I'd daydreamed about reuniting with Peri, I thought it'd be all peaches and cream, not... whatever this is. She was supposed to leap into my arms, not smack the centaur shit out of me. It wasn't supposed to go like this. It was wrong, it was all wrong.
Though I'd be leaving Ogygia soon, I still felt like I was in limbo. In the forefront of my mind, I kept wondering for possibly the millionth time if I had screwed things up between Peri and I permanently. I wouldn't be surprised if she never spoke to me again, and I wouldn't blame her either. Just seeing her hug Nico di Angelo back on the ship was enough to make my blood boil and send me into a frenzy. If I'd seen them kiss? Gods, I'd probably go catatonic.
Frankly, I was lucky to just be getting the silent treatment right now.
The raft was already fitted with a mast, so Calypso and I hauled the sail aboard and started on the rigging. By the time we were finished, Peri was approaching with her sword floating beside her. The weapon seemed to move independently, and I didn't understand how or why. I rubbed my neck subconsciously, remembering the way the blade had pressed into my throat. The girls' eyes weren't green anymore, but I was still eager to leave this cursed island for fear that the green smoke that seemed to possess them might return. I just wanted to leave Ogygia behind me.
"I suppose this is farewell then," Calypso said with misty eyes.
"Don't you start crying on me," Peri said with outstretched arms. "Take care of yourself, ok?"
They embraced like they've been friends for years, and my brows furrowed in annoyance. Calypso whispered something to Peri that I didn't quite catch, but the blonde nodded affirmatively.
Calypso pulled me into a tight hug as well, whispering, "She's a good one. Don't screw it up, okay?"
"Yeah, okay," I murmured back, but it felt like it was already too late for that.
Peri and I boarded the raft. I hit the buttons on the Archimedes sphere, muttered a prayer to my dad, Hephaestus, and the Celestial bronze console hummed to life. The rigging tightened. The sail turned. The raft began scraping against the sand, straining to reach the waves.
I wanted to say something, but no words came to me. The sail caught the full force of the wind, and the raft cleared the beach. I struggled to align the guidance console. By the time I looked back, the island of Ogygia was a dark line in the distance, the campfire pulsing like a tiny orange heart.
The sound of the ocean waves weren't enough to snuff out the deafeningly awkward silence as we set sail. I still had no clue what to say to Peri to make up for what I did, what she saw. I wasn't sure if there was even a word in the English or Spanish dictionary that would be able to come close to encompassing our very different experience on Ogygia. Instead of speaking, I did my best to focus on the horizon as we sailed back into the mortal world.
Eventually, though, I heard a sniffle cut through the rhythmic crashing of the waves. I turned around to see Peri facing away from me, her golden hair flowing freely in the sea breeze. She sat with her knees huddled to her chin. Another sniffle.
"Peri, are you okay?" I asked dumbly.
"What? Yeah, I'm fine," she said while rubbing her face. "It's just this stupid seawater."
"You're a terrible liar," I said. "Why are you crying?"
"I'm not," she replied stubbornly.
"Is it because of Calypso?"
She fell silent, and I nodded to myself. "It's okay, Peri. That's just the kind of person you are. You cry for others, rarely for yourself. You're kind that way. It's one of the things I love about you."
I turned back around, and it was quiet for a while.
"We should go back for her," Peri said finally.
"Really?" I asked in surprise.
"What, you want to just leave her on that island all by herself so another scrub can show up and break her heart all over again?" Peri demanded.
"No, not at all. I was thinking the same thing actually, but I didn't say anything because..." I trailed off, unsure how to finish my sentence.
"Please," Peri scoffed. "She doesn't want you."
"Do you?" I asked while watching the waves.
"I... I don't know," she admitted.
I shut my eyes tightly as my heart squeezed in my chest. I knew it. I knew I fucked up. It's all I'm good at, really. It was foolish of me to hope for anything more. Forever the seventh wheel. A curse, similar to Calypso's.
"I need to know first," Peri said. "Did you... do you love her? Were you going to abandon me?"
I spun around and was met with teary brown eyes. "No, no, Peri. Not even for a second... I'll admit that Calypso tempted me, like a lot," Peri scowled, and I continued quickly, "but I always thought about you."
"Then why did you kiss her?" She questioned.
"She kissed me!" I cried. "She just grabbed me and pulled me in before I knew what was happening. And I know this is probably messed up, but... gods, I missed you so much that I just... I just closed my eyes and imagined it was you."
"You're right, that is messed up," Peri spat.
"I know," I sighed. "I'm so sorry. Probably the stupidest thing that I've ever done—"
"That's saying something considering you're pretty damn stupid," she growled out.
"Okay, I deserve that one."
"Stupid and, and short, too!"
"Alright. Hurtful."
"And you can't fight either," she continued. "Freakin' weakling, is what you are—"
"Damn, Peri, you don't have to accept my apology, but you don't need to come for my whole life!"
She deflated with a pained sigh. "I know. Sorry, I'm just... hurt, I guess."
"I know. I hate myself for making you feel this way. Wanna punch me in the face?"
"Nah, I'd probably just shatter your entire feeble little skeleton with a single hit," she muttered.
"Okay," I shook my head. "That's not even... physically possible—"
"Maybe this is what the prophecy meant," Peri said miserably. "Storm or fire. Not both. Maybe we aren't meant to be together."
"What? No way. Don't do that. If you don't want to be with me, then just say that. Don't try to blame it on a stupid prophecy to clear your conscience."
"I'm not trying to clear my conscience!" She insisted with bleary eyes. "I'm serious. Why else would we be going through all this crap—"
"Because that's love! That's life! We get all this shit thrown at us, but at the end of the day, it's you. It's always been you, Peri. I love you with ever fiber of my being."
"I love you too," she said sincerely. "I love you so much it hurts, ya know?"
"Then that's it. Nobody can stop us from loving each other, not Gaea or her giants or a prophecy or anyone. I-I know you think I'm weak, but you make me want to be stronger. I'll always fight for us," I promised.
Peri moistened her lips. "Okay."
"Can I please kiss you right now?"
"Yes, please."
I rushed to take her into my arms, and our bodies molded together perfectly. Her lips were as soft as I remembered, and we got lost in each other for a moment. For a moment, it was just us and the open ocean, my love for her as deep as the depths. What I couldn't say with my lips, I showed her.
I finally understood the line in the prophecy. An oath to keep with a final breath.
What I had intended to be a quick kiss to solidify our love for each other quickly transformed into something more heated and intense. My hands found the small of her back, pulling her impossibly closer to me as my tongue delved into her mouth. Her soft moans, her fingers lacing through my hair, her tongue gliding against my own; it was all too much, yet not enough all at once.
My mind and body were at war with one another. My body wanted more, more, all of her that she was willing to give to me, and I wanted to give her all of me, every piece, whatever she wanted. But my mind kept warning me to slow down, calm down before I erupt like a volcano. Something about this girl, she always drove me to extremes; when it involved Peri, the highs were like mountain peaks and the lows were valleys so deep that they rivaled Tartarus.
My body temperature was spiking rapidly, and I had to make a conscious effort to keep from bursting into flames. I pulled away in an attempt to collect myself, but Peri pulled me back to her lips with a crash, her hands sliding up the back of my shirt to feel my skin directly, her nails digging into me just enough for me to know that this was real. Her leg came up and hooked around my waist, and the way our bodies pressed against each other was like something out of my wildest daydreams. My hands went to her hips instinctively to keep her balanced on the rocking raft. She panted softly against my lips as she was grinding against me, and I groaned out at the rough feeling of her jeans against mine. With the way she was bucking her hips into mine, there was no doubt that she felt the swelling hardness in my pants. But right here? Right now?
I was worried, I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to control myself and my flames. I disentangled myself from her body despite her whines that would normally make me give in to any number of her desires. It was easy for me to forget that we were on a raft in the middle of the ocean. It was easy for me to forget a lot of things when I was with her. I wanted to ravage her then and there, I wanted to give her what she wanted, what she deserved after the hell I put her through, but this wasn't the time or the place.
For her, it had to be right, it had to be perfect.
"You should get some rest," I said, tucking a strand of golden hair behind her ear.
Peri pouted but reluctantly agreed and laid down on the raft, but by the way she squirmed, I could tell that she was too worked up to fall asleep immediately. The fact that I could still set her body alight with just a make out session brought a sly smile to my face as I focused on the Archimedes sphere. Eventually though, the sound of her snoring away mixed with the sound of the ocean waves. I was trying to decide which sound I preferred more when I dozed off at the console.
I was awoken to a seagull building a nest in my hair. I shooed it away agitatedly and shook the twigs from my head wildly. The sunlight was blinding, and the raft had come to a stop at a crowded dock. Clear water, colorful boats, and rocky coastline as far as the eye could see.
"Eh?" Peri stirred. "Trouble?"
"Just a dumb bird," I mumbled, rubbing sleep from my eyes.
"We stopped," she said as she took in our surroundings. "Where are we?"
I yawned and pushed a few buttons on the sphere until the navigation popped up. "Hmm... Looks like we're in Malta."
"Mmm, a chocolate malt sounds so good right now," Peri drooled.
I shook my head with a sleepy smile. "No, Malta. It's an island, no a series of islands from what it looks like. An archipelago."
"Well, one of these islands must have a chocolate malt on it."
"You're probably right. Why don't you hop out, and I'll tie the raft to the dock."
"Sure thing, Captain," Peri said as she sheathed her sword and got to her feet.
I stood there frozen for a moment, an electric surge flowing through me after she called me Captain. She'd said it so casually, surely with pure intent, but that didn't stop my body from heating up like the embers in a fire. My attraction to her was bordering on dangerous at this point, and I had to shake my head to clear the lustful thoughts brewing within. Maybe later we could explore this new... development, but first things first.
I tied the raft way out to sea so that our friends wouldn't be able to miss it. I was worried before that they might've continued on the quest without us, but I had a feeling that they'd be here sooner or later to pick us up. After all, Peri and I are the only ones who can make repairs on the Argo. They need us.
"What now?" Peri asked when I rejoined her on the dock.
I shrugged my shoulders. "All we can do now is wait for the Argo."
"Oh, joy," she muttered, surely cranky from the rough night's sleep. And no chocolate malt.
"Hey, don't be like that! We're on a beautiful island with a rich history and culture. Why don't we see the sights while we're here?"
"Eh, what's the point? You've seen one island, you've seen 'em all."
"Psh! I'm gonna make you eat your words. Prepare yourself for the Ultimate Super Sized McShizzle Grand Tour!"
Peri cracked a smile. "Gods, that's a mouthful. You fit all that on a business card?"
"Save your questions for after the tour!" I said and spun on my heel, marching inland with Peri snickering and chasing after me.