Chapter Title: Hephaestus Helps Me Realize Something

First thing I knew when I woke up was that I was tasting sand.

Yes, sand in my mouth.

Disgusting.

I spat it out, then winced when I closed my mouth. Fuck. I am so going to kill Percy for this, since now I was dead, it seemed and Kayla would be forever depressed.

I opened my eyes, struggling to do so, which confused me. I should be dead - what the fuck?

First thing I saw a stone ceiling, as I was staring straight up at it. From the position of my body, it seemed that I was laying down on my back from the way I felt.

The ceiling was bright though, for some reason, and I could hear the sounds of the sea, and it did feel warm.

I blinked once, then twice, straining to do so. I turned my head to the left, and even that took effort. There, on a stone bed nearby, was Percy in a white t-shirt and a drawstring pair of gray trousers. He was still asleep, it seemed.

I heard footsteps approaching, so I turned my head back to the first position, once again straining as I did so. A woman entered my field of view, a gorgeous one at that. Lovely almond eyes, silky and gorgeous caramel-blonde hair, wearing a white dress with a headband around her head.

I immediately recognized who she was.

Calypso.

Imprisoned by the Olympians for her support of the Titans during the last Titan war, she was stuck on a phantom island, unable to leave it but others could. If I was on Calypso's island along with Percy, that meant.. despite all odds..

..both of us had survived the explosion.

That meant one thing. I wasn't dead after all, I was alive.

That thought led to another. Kayla.. I gotta get home to Camp Half Blood. They need me.

"I see you're awake.." Calypso spoke, snapping me from my train of thought. I could only nod in reply.

"Rest up for now.. you're both too weak.." she told me, and I once again nodded. "Safe to say.. never seen two heroes land on my island at once before."

I mean, the idiot next to me produced an explosion that got us into this mess in the first place, I thought to myself as she walked off for now.

I closed my eyes, because yeah.. I was very weak. Percy looked no better, so rest is what I did.

- — - — - — - — -

When I opened my eyes again, I was able to do so without straining as much as I did before. I could also move around a bit more easier, though it still took a bit of effort.

I turned towards where Percy was. He wasn't there. So I looked out towards where the light was coming from.

I could see the sea for a far distance extending outwards outside of the cave I was in, and a sandy beach rising upward from the shore for about maybe 50 to 55 yards before a grassy plain with some trees covered the rest of the short distance to the mouth of the cave.

I could see Percy out there on the beach with Calypso, evidently in conversation.

I looked down at my body. I wasn't wearing my stuff, though the necklace Typhon had given me was still hanging around my neck. I was, like Percy, in a white t-shirt and a drawstring pair of shorts, though mine were green. I definitely looked like I had taken quite the punishment in the explosion. Plenty of scars along my skin that I could see - arms, legs, feet. But despite that, I was still alive.

I looked to my right now. There, propped up against the wall, was me and Percy's gear, as well as our other clothes.

At least I know where my stuff is now, I thought to myself as I slowly but surely got out of the bed I was on and slowly walked out.

This place was what you could describe as paradise, if your idea of paradise is being imprisoned and stuck on an island you couldn't leave. Silk curtains, gems in the ceiling, fruits lining the walls.. like it was a very tropical kind of paradise, which was fitting since you know.. we are at Calypso's island which is gods knows where.

I must have been a bit too loud in walking, because Percy and Calypso turned around and saw me. "Colton.." Percy gasped. "..you're alive.."

I glared at him. "Jackson.." I hissed. "I swear to the gods that if we never make back to camp - and to Kayla and Annabeth, I will personally send your ass to Elysium."

Calypso looked concerned. "You mind explaining what you're mad at him about?" she asked.

I turned to her. "I think it's that he's the one who exploded in Hephaestus' forge that got us into this mess in the first place.." I said, shifting my focus back to Percy, who was just whistling.

"Don't fucking play this off like it's nothing, Jackson!" I shouted. "We're stuck on Ogygia now because of your shit. Like my gods, at least we lived.. because I was going to make your life in the underworld hell if you got us both killed, son of Poseidon."

Percy seemed confused as to what I was saying. "Wait.. we're on Ogygia?" he asked. I sighed in frustration. "Yes, you dumb fuck.." I said back.

"And mind telling who are you again, Mr. Trigger Happy?" Calypso asked me, looking a bit annoyed at how I was behaving. I felt ashamed, let my anger get the best of me like an idiot.

"Colton Reynolds, son of Ares. I apologize for my behavior, Ms. Calypso. Please forgive me.." I said softly.

"Apology accepted. Now mind telling me what the two of you were doing in Hephaestus' forge that resulted in Percy exploding, please?" she said, and I explained everything.

She looked away for a bit, pondering everything, before marching over to Percy and smacking him in the face. I chuckled.

"Ow!" Percy called out. "What was that for?"

"You put my father back underneath the sky?!" Calypso called out.

"I had to save Artemis and Annabeth! What was I supposed to do?!" he called back, and I couldn't help but chuckle more. I mean, my fatal flaw was caring too much for others, but personally.. watching Percy's fatal flaw get him into trouble was amusing to watch.

But, at the same time, I had to admit that she deserved freedom from this prison. After all, the fact that she hadn't lost her mind after being stuck here for so long was amazing honestly, but still.. the Gods kept her there for too long.

I decided to step in, parting the two from arguing. "Look.. I will admit, the gods are not perfect. That much is true. That being said, I'll let myself suffer the cruelest punishments if the Titans win.." I said, turning to Calypso. "..and also, I do think you deserve freedom too. Like, being kept on this island for so long and wondering when you'll ever be able to escape.. that is just cruel in my book."

Calypso nodded along, understanding at least it seemed a good bit of what I was saying.

"That being said.. as much as Percy probably would like to stay, being the dense headed doofus that he is.." I continued, causing Calypso to chuckle and Percy to holler out behind me, "HEY, I'm not dense!"

"..we are going to eventually have to leave. I'm sorry.." I said, because to be fair, if we could take her from this island, we could. But I had studied the myths and knew her story, so we couldn't. She nodded, a few tears in her eyes.

"Hopefully, me and Percy can convince the gods to free you from this island.." I said, and that brightened her day. She hugged me, and I was surprised for a bit, but deep down inside, I could feel a distant aura of jealousy from far off. Kayla.

It was confusing, and even as she let go and talked to Percy some more, having forgotten the anger she had at him a few moments ago, I was still deep in thought.

Why was Kayla jealous? Why could I sense her jealousy?

- — - — - — - — -

We stayed on Ogygia for gods knows how long. I lost track of it. I didn't have any way of knowing to be honest, but I did know it was definitely at least more than a few days.

Percy had become fast friends with Calypso, and the two were growing really close. I'm guessing it was because she wanted one of us to stay with her, though it teared me up inside because I knew that because of circumstances, she wouldn't get either of us. It was tragic, but then again, such was the life that she lived. It was almost as if the gods were toying with her.

Anyways, we were eating dinner one night, all chatting to each other - well Percy and Calypso were, I was off to the side thinking endlessly about Kayla and hoping that she was okay - when out of nowhere, a bright light appeared on the beach, forcing all three of us to look away temporarily. When we turned back, there standing in the sand was Hephaestus, who started limping over to us. Gods, it was painful to watch him walk. I felt bad for the guy.

"Well.. well.. if it isn't Calypso. As beautiful as ever" Hephaestus said. Calypso just nodded her head.

"Lord Hephaestus.." Calypso said in reply politely. "..what a surprise to see you here."

"Indeed.." the god replied. "However, I am here for these two." He pointed to both me and Percy.

"Been looking for us..? At least I can know how long we've been here finally.." I said.

"Colton, first of all.. yes.. I have been looking for both of you. And two, it's been nearly two weeks.." he said, and I was shocked. Two weeks, almost two weeks I've been away from Sherman.. from Clarisse.. from camp.. from Kayla. It hurt my heart.

I tuned out everything for a bit. I came back in on this below.

"Hephaestus, what's going on? Is Annabeth.." Percy started, only for Hephaestus to simply nod.

"Yeah.. she's okay" the god responded.

"Did you tell the others that we are okay?" Percy asked.

"Not my place, guys.." Hephaestus said to us. "Everyone thinks you two are both dead. Annabeth and that red-head girl.. Apollo's kid.. are both in hysterics.. the red head is also rambling about how she never got the chance to tell her hero that he stole her heart or something, dunno."

Hephaestus keeps talking, but I couldn't hear what he was even saying anymore. I couldn't hear Percy or Calypso either.

Everything is now quiet, and I can only hear myself. Just myself and my own thoughts.

Honestly, it absolutely hurt to hear that Kayla was in hysterics.. it hurt harder than I could ever believe it could. My heart broke at it. It really did.

But the last few words that Hephaestus said were confusing to me.

Stole her heart? What did he mean by "her hero stole her heart"? What exactly did he mean by that?

It took me a few moments before I realized what he meant. I stole her heart because Kayla fell for me. The girl had fallen in love with me.

A rush of memories came running back. Sleeping together with each other, the hug when we reunited at the Winter Solstice last year, the kiss on the cheek she gave after Chiron came back, how she held my hand.. how I blushed every time I mentioned her..

I still blushed just thinking of her now honestly. Nevertheless, I was still confused a little. Why? Why did I blush like that whenever I thought of her?

That's when it hits me.

You're in love, that's what it is.

I blushed so hard I felt like I was going to pass out, but I had realized it finally.

I had fallen for Kayla Knowles, but I just didn't realize it until now. I, Colton Reynolds, was in love with Apollo's daughter.

I am so fucking screwed, am I?

Then I did pass out, but one thing was certain. Come hell or high water, I was going to claw my way back to Camp Half Blood with Percy, and nothing was going to stop me from confessing how I really felt to the girl of my dreams.

No matter what, I was coming back to Camp Half Blood. My friends depended on it. Clarisse depended on it. Kayla depended on it.

Hang on, love of my life. Your hero is coming home.

(A/N: It took him a little while longer, but this oblivious yet smart dolt finally realized the truth. He's in love. Now, he's gotta get back to her. And to any monster that might come across his and Percy's path while doing so, they may want to avoid them altogether. Because Colton is now dead set on admitting to her his true feelings and he is not going to stop until he gets to.

Also another shout-out to Askinar-The-Dark, since a little bit of their version of this part is included in here too, mixed in with a small piece of the book version and mostly my own writing. I think it looks good honestly. But yeah.. he's finally realized. Now, he's gotta get home and hopefully not murder Percy before he gets back to Camp Half Blood. We'll see.)