Leo walked into the slave dining room with his hands and face covered in ashes. His face was brimmed with sweat, and he couldn't wait to gobble down the cup of water they were given.
He sat in the middle of his friend and forge acquaintance, Jake Mason. Piper was right across from the two.
" 'Sup, Pipes." He said.
Piper scowled whole looking at his face. "Did even bother to clean up?"
He laughed. "Nope. It's not like there are any pretty girls here." He winked at her.
Piper just rolled her eyes and ate her food.
"Do I get no greeting?" Jake asked, pretending to be hurt.
"No, you don't, babe." He made various kissing noises in Jake's direction.
"Just eat, Leo." Jake said while laughing a bit.
Leo didn't have any problem obeying that order.
•••
Calypso looked around the room, trying to find a play to sit. Zoë was right beside her, waiting impatiently for her to sit.
She scanned the room, looking for familiar faces. It was a false hope, but she hoped she would find another of the friends she made as a slave before her father sold her and her sister off to King Hades. She was lucky she got to stay with Zoë.
Zoë's impatience got the best of her, and she dragged her sister to a table.
Calypso and Zoë weren't too far away from a trio of slaves laughing at something a elfish looking person said.
Calypso glanced over at the teller of the joke. He had ashes all over his face, just like the boy beside him. She guessed they worked at the forges. Across from them was Piper, Princess Annabeth's handmaiden.
Zoë must've noticed her staring. "Piper, isn't it?" She called to the other girl.
Piper looked over to them along with the other two boys.
"Yeah." She smiled. "Zoë? Calypso? King Hades's kid's slaves?"
They both nodded and she waved them over. She looked at each other, shrugged, and sat on either side of Piper.
•••
Leo Valdez was a bit annoying. The stupid jokes and the fire puns made Calypso want to punch him.
But at the same time, she wanted to see why he was so infuriating. She wouldn't complain if he wrapped his arms around her waist and told her to stay with him forever.
Leo stopped his go in the conversation to look at Calypso. Her caramel hair fit perfectly for her face and sat in the side with a braid. Her dark almond shaped eyes sparkled with amusement when she talked with a smile.
She reminded his of his late mother, determined, kind, beautiful, and fierce. The thought saddened him—thinking of his mom that died in a house fire— but he knew she wanted him to be happy.
For the rest of the meal, he silently ate and thought of a way to ask if Calypso wanted to walk around with him.
After dinner, he pulled her away to an abandoned hallway and asked her if she wanted to walk around before dinner the next day.
She pursed her lips, but when Leo was about to give up on hope, she smiled a bit.
"I'm sorry, Leo." She said sincerely.
Leo was defeated. No girls would ever like him, would they? He was just a slave that looked like an elf with no talent but making things.
"But I have been given direct orders by King Hades to stay in Princess Hazel's room while she isn't there." Sympathy shone in her eyes. "I would prefer not to die."
Leo laughed a bit, but not without bitter. Why were most royals obsessed with controlling others? Owning a person. Slaves didn't even get the satisfaction of being in control of their own body without fear of punishment.
"I really do want to go, though."
Leo stepped back, surprised a bit.
Calypso rolled her eyes at him.
Then next thing she did surprised Leo so much that he almost didn't kiss her back.
When she kissed him, his first thought was that her lips were soft and she smelled good. He grabbed her waist, and she ran her hand through his greasy hair.
He wanted the kids to last longer, to keep Calypso in his arms, but air was a thing humans needed, so they released each other, gasping for air.
They looked each other in the eye. "That didn't happen." Calypso said.
Leo nodded, still perplexed as he watched her run away.
He touched his lips, and he already missed her lips.
Calypso didn't regret anything that she just did. She didn't mind the greasy hair, ash painted face, or the cheesy jokes that she'll endure the next day.
His lips felt like home to hers, and she missed home, just like Leo.
"That didn't happen."
~~~
Ach.
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:{ On a side note, does that look like the thing had a mustache to anyone else?
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Not Your Choice
Fanfiction"But he, and everyone else, remained emotionless. So that was the purpose of this meeting? To show how much control their parents have over them? Percy was grateful that he and his future would get to choose, but he barely knew these people. He had...
