Calypso arose the next morning and started tending to her chores. It could very well be the last time she ever did them. She finished her second suitcase in under an hour, spurred on by reckless hope. She ordered her invisible servants to gather and pack her necessities. For breakfast, she had a picnic on the beach. It reminded her of the meals she and Leo had eaten together. When she was done, she stood on the beach and breathed in the sharp tang of the sea air. It made her feel sad, but a little hopeful too.
Some part of her reproached her incessantly. What if Leo failed to return? What if he forgot her? She would truly be destroyed then.
She told that part of herself to shut up.
A loud whoop split the air. Calypso's heart leaped.
"YEAH! WHO DIED? WHO CAME BACK? WHO'S YOUR FREAKIN' SUPERSIZED McSHIZZLE NOW, BABY?"
A very badly damaged metal dragon was careening down from a gap between the clouds. But what caught her attention was the rider. Leo held on for dear life, grinning like a maniac. He was covered in soot and his clothes were in tatters.
The dragon swooped down and landed on the beach. One of its legs buckled, sending Leo crashing into the sand.
Both times we met, he crashed on the beach. Calypso smirked as she watched him spit a piece of seaweed out of his mouth. The dragon made pained clacking noises as it dragged itself down the sand.
"You're late," she announced. She was sure she had a stupid grin on, but she didn't care.
"Sorry, Sunshine," Leo said, his mouth tugging into an impish smile. "Traffic was murder."
"You are covered with soot," she noted, looking him up and down. "And you managed to ruin the clothes I made for you, which were impossible to ruin."
'Well, you know.' Leo shrugged, but failed at nonchalance. 'I'm all about doing the impossible.'
She helped him up. His clothing was saturated with smoke and faintly with machine oil. Calypso wrinkled her nose. "You smell--"
"I know. Like I've been dead. Probably because I have been. Oath to keep with a final breath and all, but I'm better now--"
She leaned forward and kissed him, effectively shutting him up.
YOU ARE READING
Resilience
Fanfiction*MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE HOUSE OF HADES AND THE BLOOD OF OLYMPUS* What happened on Ogygia after Leo Valdez departed? How did the rise and fall of Gaea affect Calypso? This is a story of grief, resilience, and hope.
