The group had settled into camp just outside the Crystal Caverns. Exhaustion weighed heavily on everyone, but the glow of the secured artifact brought a quiet sense of accomplishment. While the others focused on resting or strategizing, Leo found himself restless, pacing around the perimeter with small flames dancing between his fingers.
Calypso sat nearby, sharpening a small blade. She watched him with quiet curiosity, her keen eyes noticing the tension in his shoulders and the way his flames flared and dimmed with his emotions.
"Can't sit still, can you?" she called out, her voice cutting through the quiet night.
Leo turned to her, smirking. "What can I say? I'm a man of action."
"You're a man avoiding something," Calypso countered, standing and approaching him. "So, what's really going on?"
Leo hesitated, his usual bravado faltering under her steady gaze. "Just thinking. About everything. The fights, the artifact... all of it."
"Try again," she said, crossing her arms.
He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "You're annoyingly good at this, you know?"
"It's a gift," she said with a small smile.
A Shared Spark
Leo gestured for her to follow him, and they walked a short distance away from the camp. The night was cool, the stars scattered across the sky like fragments of shattered glass.
"Do you ever feel like... you don't belong?" Leo asked suddenly, his voice softer than usual.
Calypso tilted her head, surprised by the vulnerability in his tone. "Sometimes," she admitted. "Why?"
He stopped walking, turning to face her. The flames in his hands flickered uncertainly. "I guess I've always felt like the odd one out. The loud one, the reckless one. It's like... if I'm not entertaining people, what's the point of me being here?"
Calypso's expression softened. "Leo, you're more than just the guy who makes us laugh. You're the one who keeps us together when things get hard. You're the one who reminds us why we're fighting."
Her words struck a chord in him, and for a moment, he was silent. Then, he chuckled softly. "You really do see right through me, don't you?"
"Someone has to," she said, her voice gentle.
A New Understanding
They sat down on a fallen log, the firelight casting warm shadows on their faces.
"Thanks," Leo said after a long pause. "For not letting me get away with my usual act."
Calypso smiled faintly. "It's what friends are for."
"Friends," he repeated, as if testing the word. There was something about the way she said it that made it feel... different.
For the rest of the night, they talked quietly, their laughter and shared silences weaving a bond stronger than either had anticipated.
