Prompt: The kid you babysit has a very attractive older brother/ sister

Cohort: 3

Written for the Camp Jupiter forum.

Staring at the worn down door, Calypso wondered what she was doing here. Sure, she needed some money after the move to the small town of Olympus, but why was she babysitting?

Checking the time on her watch, Calypso sighed when she noted it was five minutes to four. The time when she said she'd be here, ready to babysit. And Calypso was never late. Looking behind her at her bike, Calypso vaguely wondered if it were too late to jump on her bike and pedal out of there. But sadly, that would be rude.

Hesitantly, Calypso raised her hand and knocked. Barely a moment had gone by before the door was thrown open, revealing a disheveled, scrawny boy about her age. He was rather cute, Calypso thought distractedly.

"Hello, I'm Calypso, and I'm here to babysit Harley," she said, reciting the lines she had prepared earlier.

"Yeah, he's inside," the boy said distractedly. "I'm Leo, by the way."

The boy - no, Leo - held out his hand. Looking at the hand covered in oil and grime, Calypso hesitantly shook it, fighting back a grimace.

"Shoot, I'm sorry," Leo said sheepishly, taking out a slightly dirty handkerchief. Quickly, he wiped his hands on it, and offered it to her.

"No thanks," Calypso said suspiciously. She was not touching that dirty handkerchief. Most likely, it would just make her hand dirtier.

Noticing Leo was staring at her, Calypso cleared her throat, blushing, her stomach... fluttering? What was with that... perhaps it was the sushi she had eaten for lunch. "So... am I going to babysitting?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah," he said. "Harley's inside. I still don't know why he needs a babysitter when I'm around, but..."

Calypso didn't really care. As long as she got the money, she didn't care. Not even that she would be spending time with Leo.

"How old are you?" she said, scowling a little. Really, no matter how cute this boy was, Calypso had a job to do.

"Fifteen, but my mom doesn't trust me," Leo pouted. For a moment, Calypso thought it was cute before clearing her thoughts. She had no time to be focusing on boys. Even cute ones. "Would you say the same, Sunshine?"

Calypso bristled. She did not like being called Sunshine. "Don't call me that," she snapped.

Smirking, Leo whistled. "Wow, Sunshine," he said, adopting a hurt face. "That hurts."

Rolling her eyes, Calypso regretted ever thinking he was cute. Even if he did look adorable with tousled hair and that smirk... "Just let me in to babysit," she said through gritted teeth.

Leo raised his hands and arched his eyebrows, still smirking. And no, Calypso did not think it was cute.

"Sure, Sunshine," he said, infuriatingly calm. "Right this way." Opening the door wider, Leo stood to the side, letting Calypso have her first peek into the inside of the house.

Looking around, Calypso noticed she was in some sort of workshop. Tables cluttered with parts and machines took up most of the room. "So... where's your brother?" she asked.

Leo jumped. "Harley? He's my... step-brother, I guess."

"What do you mean?" Calypso asked curiously.

"It's complicated," Leo said vaguely. "Anyways, Harley's in here." Leo led the way through the workshop and into some sort of living room covered in legos. Calypso was surprised to see machines, weapons, and buildings made out of the seemingly endless supply of legos. In the midst of the minefield of legos, sat a smug looking eight year old boy.

"Leo!" he exclaimed, making his way through the maze of formations. Spotting Calypso, Harley pouted adorably. "I already told you I don't need a babysitter!" he exclaimed. "Can't you babysit me like last time?"

Leo rubbed the back of his neck. "Aw, Harley," he said nervously. "Ma doesn't want me to play with fire around you like I did last time. And besides," he said cheekily, "I think Sunshine here can take care of you."

Calypso rolled her eyes and blushed slightly. The nickname was starting to get annoying... even if her cheeks were getting warm.

Harley brightened slightly. "Okay," he said, still looking suspicious. Turning to Calypso, Harley scrunched his face. "Do you play with legos?" he demanded.

Calypso laughed. "I can if you want to," she said, smiling.

Harley beamed. "Cool!" he exclaimed.

Seeing the smile Leo sent her, Calypso blushed harder. And it didn't help when he leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "I think he likes you." She was sure she was tomato red by now.

Clearing her throat, Calypso gave him what she hoped was a professional smile. Thankfully, she was saved by an excitable Harley waving her over. "I guess I'll see you later, Sunshine," Leo whispered again, smiling cheekily.

The nickname was almost... endearing to her now. But still annoying. Shaking her head, she started to make her way through the maze of legos to Harley, trying, and failing, to put Leo Valdez out of her mind.

"The pizza is here!" Leo crowed. Harley cheered as Leo swept into the kitchen holding a large box of pizza. "Extra cheese and pepperoni, just how I - I mean, you - like it!" Harley giggled and snatched a slice of pizza and dumped it on his plate before sprinting out of the room shouting something about legos.

"Is he always this... hyper?" Calypso asked Leo warily.

"Huh?" Leo said, his slice of pizza halfway to his mouth. Pouting, Leo put the slice back down on his plate. "Why'd you have to stop me from my one true love?" he complained. "I love pizza! Especially the eating part!" Pointing an accusing finger at Calypso, Leo mock glared at her. "And you... you have made a powerful enemy."

Calypso snorted, and fought back a grin. As much as she hated to admit it, Leo could be funny if he tried. "I'm sure you can wait one minute before eating," she said sternly, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach when he grinned at her, a stray smear of grease on his cheek.

"But pizza," Leo said sadly, staring forlornly at his slice. "But yeah, Harley is always hyper."

Calypso nodded. "I figured. He's a cute kid though," she said fondly.

"He is," Leo admitted. "But I'm cuter and hotter." Flashing a smile at Calypso, Leo made a ridiculous pose. "Aren't I, Sunshine?"

Calypso was sure she was blushing. Ignoring how close he was to her, she cleared her throat as professionally as she could. "That is beside the point," she said firmly, even though a small, rebellious part of her wanted to say yes, yes he was cute and hot, a million times yes. Rolling her eyes, she reached around Leo to grab a slice of pizza. After all, she was hungry.

"You know, I haven't seen you around much," Leo commented between bites of his one true love, pizza.

"Well, it's the summer, there's no school," Calypso said, acting like it was obvious. "And I only moved here a couple weeks ago."

"I thought so. I think I would've remembered a face like yours," he said cheekily. Blushing, Calypso forced a frown on her face. Seeing it, Leo raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry, jeez, Sunshine. Didn't mean it," he said, seemingly casual.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, a part of Calypso was disappointed. Shockingly, she wanted him to mean it. Weird. She had only known him for a couple hours.

As they ate their pizza in silence, Calypso took the opportunity to study Leo. Curly hair, devilish grin, scrawny features. Nothing that seemed attractive, and yet it was for her. Funny personality, corny jokes, annoying nicknames. And yet something about Leo... something about him interested her. More than interested her, really. Something about him made her attractive to her.

"Is there something on my face?" he asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. Blushing, Calypso realized she had probably been staring at him.

"Er, nothing! Nothing!" she said quickly. "Just in thought!"

Leo raised his eyebrows cheekily. "Not thinking of me?" he pouted.

Calypso faltered, stuttering. "Er... um, no," she said, blushing.

"Why the blush, Miss I Was Deep in Thought?" Leo asked, adopting a serious face.

"Okay, fine," Calypso groaned. "Perhaps I was thinking of you." Calypso didn't know how she got so bold. All she knew was that the boy in front of her was too gosh darn cute, and Calypso just had to say something. She didn't want to dance around the subject, may as well get it over with.

Staring at her slice of pizza, Calypso knew she was blushing. Determinedly ignoring Leo, Calypso took a hasty bite of her pizza. It was rather awkward, and Calypso felt it keenly.

"Hey," Leo said quietly. "It's fine." Looking at Leo, Calypso was surprised to see that he was blushing as well.

Calypso smiled slightly, and then changed the subject hastily. "So, what grade are you in?"

Leo grinned, the awkwardness temporarily forgotten, or rather, ignored. "I'm going into my sophomore year," he said, grinning at her.

Calypso, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach, smiled. "I'll be going into sophomore year as well," she said happily.

"Well, I guess I'll be seeing more of you, Sunshine," Leo said. Ignoring those stupid butterflies, Calypso finished her slice of pizza.

"Well, I better be heading back to Harley," Calypso said, smiling regretfully. Talking to Leo was comforting in a way. Infuriating at times, but nice.

"I'll come with you," Leo said. "May as well spend time with Harley."

"It's nice to meet you, dear," Ms. Valdez, or as she wanted Calypso to call her, Esperanza, said.

"You too, Ms. - Esperanza," Calypso amended. Leo, who was standing next to her, shifted awkwardly.

Esperanza smiled at her and Leo knowingly. "Leo, why don't you walk Calypso to the door?" she suggested. "Harley, say bye to Calypso."

"BYE!" Harley shouted before sprinting off. Esperanza shook her head and followed, waving goodbye to Calypso as she went.

Leo and Calypso walked to the door in silence. Opening the door for Calypso, Leo smiled his devilish smile at Calypso. Which did not make her stomach do somersaults, no.

"So," Leo said as they walked to her bike, "I guess I'll see you around? You have my phone number as well, so don't hesitate to text me, Sunshine."

Turning to face Leo, Calypso's heart fluttered as she saw his hopeful smirk. "Of course," she said, giving him a tentative smile. Emboldened, she wiped the grease off of his cheek and kissed his cheek quickly, turning around and hopping on her bike. "Goodbye!" she called as she began to pedal away, a smile breaking out on her face.

"See you around!" he shouted. Turning for just a moment, Calypso caught a glimpse of him, grinning dorkily as he touched his cheek before she whipped her head around, still smiling.