Jason's fight with Nico had been the last of the day and everyone had left to change. Calypso sat alone on the bleachers and rested her head in her hands, inhaling deeply. The adrenaline had worn off so now she was sore and tired. Her fight had gone by so quickly she had to replay it in order to remember what happened. She squeezed her eyes shut for a few minutes. When she opened them she jumped at the flash of light brown eyes, soft dark curls, and beaming smile close to her face.
"What the fu-!" Leo squealed and flailed around wildly, "Stop! It's me!"
"I know! That's why I'm hitting you." Calypso growled, "What the balls, Leo?"
Leo rubbed his arm with a pout, "I just wanted to talk to you."
"About what?" She snapped.
"What made you change your mind?" Leo was standing over her with his hands in his pockets.
"What?" She asked intelligently.
He mumbled, staring at his feet, "To come to camp? You seemed pretty sure that your dad wouldn't let you come."
"Oh." She wasn't expecting that. Calypso cleared her throat, "It's complicated, I guess." She did not wanting to spill her sob story all over Leo, but when she looked at him she saw that he was still staring at her expectantly, "Um, I asked him and he..well he reacted the way I thought he would. We, um, argued and well now I'm here so.." She found herself saying, trying her best to keep it from being too serious.
Leo nodded his head in understanding and Calypso was afraid it was going to get awkward before he smiled, "Well, that's good."
She blanched, "What?"
He shrugged, pulling baubles from his pockets to mess with them, "If it isn't serious then it'll blow over by the time you get back," he idly twisted two wires together which made a fizzing sound that he didn't seem to notice, "and if it is serious then you have one hell of a vacation before you jump back into it."
Calypso looked up at him and wondered for the millionth time how everything could just be so simple to him. Either it didn't matter or it did and he would give it time until it didn't matter again. She didn't know how he could live like that. It just seemed so juvenile, so irresponsible. But...she had to admit that, unfortunately, the man was right. If this was going to be her last chance at freedom then she should stop worrying and make the most of it.
Leo pressed something into her hand. His fingers were covered in bandages and burns from the stupid trinkets he made and when he put his hand over hers the difference was startling. Her skin was smooth, soft, and a light cinnamon color. His skin was calloused from work, riddled in wounds, and covered in so much grime that, for all she knew, he was actually three shades lighter underneath. She looked at him warily just to receive that trademark grin. Opening her palm she saw a little bracelet of braided wire with what appeared to be little balls all over them. Calypso, again, looked up at Leo and he gently touched one end of the bracelet making all of the little balls light up in an array of colors.
"I thought you could use this. It'll help you, ya know…" he paused, making sure she was looking him in the eyes before, "lighten up."
Calypso laughed. She couldn't help it. In fact, she knew it wasn't even that funny. But she laughed so hard she had to hold herself because she was afraid she'd split in two. She fell off the bleachers, feet firmly in the air, and cackled like a witch.
Everyone rushed to the small group and looked wildly between Calypso's flailing figure and the terrified Latino.
Piper smacked at Leo and whispered, "What just happened?"
Leo recovered, setting a smirk on his face, "I'm funny, that's what happened."
Jason opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, "No, Leo, like actually what happened?"
"I'M FUNNY AND NOW SOMEONE FINALLY APPRECIATES JUST HOW AWESOME THE SUPER-SIZED MCSHIZZLE REALLY IS!"
At this, Calypso rolled on the floor with tears in her eyes. When she finally got herself under control, she looked up at them blissfully dumbstruck, "This isn't real. Can't be. Summer vacation? Sparring matches? Leo, funny? Yeah, right."
Piper cracked a small smile and nodded to Annabeth, "It's the "no freakin' way" breakdown."
Percy shrugged, "Happens to the best of us."
Frank panda face scrunched up in worry, "Yeah, but I haven't seen one this bad since...well-"
"Me." Leo looked up at everyone and cracked a grin, "But I think mine was waaayyyyy more dramatic."
Everyone nodded in agreement, staring down at the mess that was Calypso. It was true. Leo's freak out was legendary. He'd wandered into the woods by himself, supposedly chasing after some golden dog, and found himself trapped in a forgotten Capture the Flag net. No one knows exactly what happened, but the Latino was gone for days. The entire camp searched for him until one day he just walked into the dining pavilion complaining about how he found "the lack of tacos disturbing". A laughing fit had nothing on that.
As the giggles slowly subsided, Percy hauled her into his arms, "Okay gals, I think this one needs a little sleep before she goes completely CooCoo for CoCo Puffs." The girls grimaced and led him to their cabin.
Percy's scent, which for some reason always reminded her of the ocean, enveloped her. She tried to fight the blush crawling up her cheeks to no avail. She occasionally casted a glance at his ridiculously beautiful face. Seriously, how did someone look like that. The oblivious boy would just grin down at her, like he didn't know how adorable he was. Calypso sighed and let her head hit his shoulder, reveling in the warmth for as long as it was there.
As the delegated leader of the Romans, she would be sharing a cabin with Annabeth until she got adjusted to camp. Calypso noticeably winced at the news. Yay, Calypso thought, 'cause that won't be weird at all.
The exhaustion of the day finally took over as her head hit the pillow. Absently fingering the bracelet wrapped around her wrist, Calypso's last thought before drifting to sleep was how strangely nimble Leo's bandaged up fingers were.