Fire and Ice (A Leo Valdez fanfic) [2017]

Chapter 1: Leo 🔥

LEO WAS GIDDY WITH HAPPINESS. He was on Festus, on the way home to Camp Half Blood, with Calypso. He could see the whole world from where he sat. The sunlight shone down from a cloudless sky and sparkled on the water. Ogygia was getting smaller and smaller behind them.

He glanced back at Calypso. She was beautiful, with her golden hair and her shining brown eyes. Her Greek-style dress was bright white and showed off her perfect figure. Then he noticed something strange-- she looked sad. Her eyes were downcast and she kept turning back to look at Ogygia. He thought that if he was freed from an island he'd been trapped on for thousands of years, he'd be pretty darn happy. But apparently Calypso didn't feel the same way.

"What's up, Sunshine? Something wrong?" Leo asked, flashing his trademark grin.

Calypso mumbled something, too quietly to hear.

"What?"

"I want to go back," she repeated. "I've stayed on Ogygia for three thousand years. The modern world isn't where I belong. I belong here."

Leo nearly choked. "What do you mean?" he asked. "Of course you belong!"

"Besides, what if Zeus finds out that you rescued me, and goes after you?" she added. "I can't let you get hurt. And how do you know I can leave? The magic could prevent me from leaving the island."

"I can't leave you here!" he protested.

"Would you want to leave a place that's been your home for thousands of years?" she asked him. "Ogygia is a beautiful place. I have everything I need."

Leo wanted to cry, but he knew Calypso was right. "Festus, turn around," he said, his voice cracking. "We're going back."

Festus turned his head. Are you sure?

"Yeah, I'm sure, buddy."

It was a lie. Calypso didn't want to go back? He couldn't leave her on the island again. He loved her. But if he took her back against her will, she would never forgive him and she'd always want to go back. He had no choice.

They landed (well, more like crashed) on the shore, and Calypso seemed relieved to be back on the ground. "Leo, you could stay, you know."

"Stay?" Leo turned around, looking at her in surprise. "Here? With you?"

"Of course. Forever. Just you and me, together." She hugged him and caressed his cheek with her hand. "I love you the way I've never loved anyone else. And I've been visited by a lot of boys. I've been here, and the only reason it felt like a prison was the fact that I was alone and no one could stay. You'd be able to be with me, forever, right here. It's beautiful, with plenty of resources for you and me to survive. We could be happy together. Please, Leo. Stay with me."

Leo was seriously tempted. Stay with Calypso, forever? But she was immortal and he wasn't. Someday he'd die and she'd be alone again, for another few thousand years.

Then he thought of Jason, and Piper, and Percy and Annabeth and Hazel. Could he stand not seeing them again? Did they think he was dead? How long had it been since he left? They needed to know. Besides, he'd miss them. Even Frank and Nico. He didn't get along with them very well, but they were good people. He wanted to see them again.

"Calypso, I can't."

She looked as if she'd been slapped. "Why not?"

"I have friends at Camp Half Blood and Camp Jupiter. I don't know how long it's been. They probably think I'm dead. I can't let them think that. I can't just never see them again. I have to go back."

Her face hardened. "Your friends are more important than your girlfriend? You want to be friends with Percy, who left me, and Annabeth, who made Percy return and abandon me? With Piper and Hazel and Reyna? You have another girlfriend, don't you? You left me for some other girl, just like the others. You betrayed me. I thought you cared about me!"

"I do care about you!" Leo protested. "And I don't have another girlfriend. You're the only girl who's ever loved me. But I'm sorry. I can't stay here. I have to see my friends again."

"Then this is goodbye. I can't believe you want this. I wish I'd never met you, Leo Valdez." She spat his name out, then turned and walked angrily back to the cave where she lived.

Leo stared after her with shock. Then he clenched his fists. He'd fallen in love with another beautiful girl whose beauty turned out to be only on the outside. Again. His eyes filled with tears, but he refused to let them fall. He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of knowing that she'd hurt him.

He blinked back his tears and turned to Festus. "Festus, go. We're going back to camp. And she isn't coming with us."

He climbed on and Festus took off. He stared straight ahead of him, refusing to show any emotions. The world was just as beautiful as it had been five minutes ago, but he couldn't see anything good about it now. I hate her, he told himself. I never want to see her again. I wish I'd never come. He tried to convince himself it was true. He stared at his reflection in Festus' neck, a dirty, sad, rejected almost-sixteen-year-old boy.

For once, he didn't look back.

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Please don't kill me. *dodges knives* Yes, I did. I broke up Caleo. I promise there is a reason. Please just give me a chance to redeem myself. Enjoy the book!