PJO/HOO One-Shots

You Came Back To Me - Caleo

This following one-shot is my take on the Caleo reunion at the end of BoO. It has a few similarities in the dialogue and actions inspired by the actual scene in the book. 

Calypso angrily wiped a tear from the corner of her eye as she sat up, squinting in the darkness of the cave. She sighed, turning on the lamp next to her bed. Her heart ached as she thought of his teasing brown eyes, cocky smirk, and the darn tool belt that he carried everywhere. After he left her island, she couldn't bear to look at the table he had broken in his fall, so she had shoved it in the corner of her cave behind a wooden shelf lined with books. Even though she knew it would hurt, she couldn't help glancing over at the shelf, her eyes trained on a small piece of wood peeking out from behind it. "Dang it, Valdez," she muttered, standing up and pulling her long, auburn hair into a hasty ponytail. Her gaze landed on the curtain rod he had fixed above the entrance to the cave, her heart aching. She stared at it until a tear splashed onto her foot, pulling her out of her trance. Calypso began to walk to the table a few feet away when a loud crash startled her. She rolled her eyes at the familiarity of the sound. "Another hero, huh? Are you happy with yourself, Zeus?" she grumbled as she picked up a wicker basket by her feet, filled to the brim with first aid supplies and food. It was becoming a nuisance caring for these fallen heroes, knowing her heart would be shattered in the process. But as the thought crossed her mind, she realized that her heart was already too broken for her to fall for another. Leo Valdez, the most unlikely hero of them all, cured her of her ability to fall in love again. Although she hated to admit it, she knew her heart had left with his tiny little raft all those weeks ago. Calypso walked onto the beach, squinting in the harsh morning sunlight, searching for the sight of the crash. When she finally spotted the crater a few feet away, her heart stuttered. The table she had made to replace the old one was shattered into hundreds of pieces, almost in the same way as before. She shook her head, scolding herself. "Stop holding out hope for him. No man finds Ogygia twice." But she couldn't deny the similarity of the circumstance. As she stepped closer, her heart sped up, causing her to pause at the edge of the crater. "No," she whispered, trying to focus on the boy curled up in the sand. "It can't be." His curly black hair caught the sunlight, transforming into a chocolaty color that made Calypso's knees weak. His bomber jacket and leather pants were torn, defying the rules of Calypso's magic thread. Every inch of him was covered in grease and soot, but that only made his warm Latino skin more attractive. He rolled over, his eyes opening, recognition dawning in his features. Even in his state of disarray, a sarcastic, cocky, oh-so-handsome smile spread across his face. "You're late," was her only reply, even though there were a million-and-one things she wanted to say to him. "Sorry Sunshine," Leo replied. "Traffic was murder." That was the last straw for her. She dropped the basket at her feet, its contents spilling across the sand. But she didn't care. In that moment, the only thing she could focus on was her need to be in his arms. Her legs propelled her forward, all the way to the bottom of the crater. Leo opened his mouth to speak, but just as she had done weeks before, she grabbed his face and kissed him. He sunk into her embrace, wrapping his arms around her waist as he lifted her a few inches off the ground. A few blissful moments passed before she realized her need to breathe, and she pulled away, gazing into his warm brown eyes. "Leo Valdez," she whispered, taking in his cocky grin that she had come to love. He still infuriated her to no end, but she came to realize during her weeks away from him that she needed him. She needed him to feel whole. As much as she didn't want to admit it, he was the one. "Gods," she muttered, her head resting against his chest. Calypso knew the minute she pulled away, she would be covered in soot, but she didn't care. The only thing that mattered was that she was in his arms again. He had come back for her. Leo hooked a finger under her chin, lifting her head so he could look into her eyes. Her heart beat faster and faster as he held her gaze. "Your clothes," she whispered, reaching out to touch the tattered remains. "They can't be torn." His eyes glinted. "Breaking rules is my specialty," he replied, pulling off the jacket. Calypso leaned down, scooping up a shirt that had fallen out of the basket when she dropped it. "Here," she said, shoving it at him. "Change before you ruin my pristine beach." He smirked. "We wouldn't want that, huh, Sunshine?" She glared at him. "Even after all these weeks you're still the most irritating person I've ever met." Leo grinned, wrapping his arm around her waist before she could stomp away. "Really?" he asked, his eyes challenging her statement. "That kiss said otherwise." "Gah!" she yelled, trying to pry herself from his grasp. His strong arms didn't budge. "You're so self-absorbed," she said, stepping closer to him. "It's a wonder you were able to find me again without getting lost in your own eyes." Leo fake-gasped, pressing a hand to his chest. "Who do you take me for, Cal?" he said, his tone teasing. "An idiot," she replied as she turned to leave. But before she could take a step, Leo twirled her back into his arms, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I'm your idiot," he whispered before diving for her lips. She sighed with happiness as she allowed herself to kiss him back. When she finally pulled away, she realized that for the first time in three thousand years, she had a chance to be with someone for more than a week. As each hero left her island, leaving her heartbroken and lost, her hope of ever escaping her curse went along with them. When Leo had left the first time, her hope was gone entirely. But now, she had a chance to be who she wanted to, to be with someone she loved with all of her heart. Leo was her salvation. She smiled, turning around and climbing back up the side of the crater. She could hear him follow behind her. "So what now?" he asked, coming up beside her as they reached the top. Calypso glanced at Festus, who was now curled in a ball a few hundred yards from the crater, his golden eyes shimmering in the sunlight. She lifted both of her hands, and seconds later, two large suitcases sat in the sand next to her feet, each packed full with various belongings and keepsakes from her island. Leo grinned, causing Calypso's knees to weaken at the sight. "Packed for a long trip, Sunshine?" he asked, taking her hand. "I don't plan on coming back," she replied. Leo whistled, causing Festus to slowly limp over to the other side of the crater. "So," she said, eyeing the dragon's state of disrepair. "We're going to take off with no solid, neat, tidy plans, and a broken dragon?" Leo smirked. "That's how I fly, Sunshine. We're going to go get Festus fixed first, and then we'll find our way home. It's the start of our adventure, Cal." Her heart skipped at the mention of "home". A smile spread across her face at the thought of it. "May I take your bags?" Leo asked, leaning down. "Absolutely," she replied. Five minutes later, they sat on Festus's back, her arms wrapped around Leo's waist. Leo threw her another heart-stopping, cocky grin as Festus spread his wings and sailed into the unknown.

 ** 

 Calypso sighed, glancing out the shop's window for the fourth time in the past ten minutes. "Where is that boy," she muttered to herself as she stood up, rearranging the front desk to pass the time. She had just placed the pen holder in its new position when a truck rumbled to a stop in the parking lot outside. She flew to the window, a smile spreading across her face at the sight of the familiar truck. But because she had some dignity left, she returned to her position behind the desk, pretending to be interested in a new shipment log lying on the desk. She forced herself not to look up when she heard the door open, his footsteps echoing in the quiet of the shop. "Hey, Sunshine," he said, stepping up to the counter. She looked up and the file slid out of her fingers, the papers spilling across the counter's surface. After not seeing Leo's face for almost a month, she had forgotten how handsome he was. His curly dark hair looked like chocolate in the warmth of the shop's lights, highlighting his tan skin and muscular physique. She tucked a strand of amber hair behind her ear, resisting the urge to climb on top of the counter and into his arms. Even after six years, his cocky smile still made her heart race and her knees weak. "Miss me?" he asked, his teasing eyes glinting in the warm glow of the lamp on the counter. She smirked, rolling her eyes. "As if," she said, beginning to pick up the papers she had dropped. "Don't flatter yourself, Mr. Valdez." She was about to slide the papers back into the file folder when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist from behind, his familiar scent of a slow-burning fire assaulting her senses. "I'm only speaking the truth, Mrs. Valdez," he whispered into her ear, twirling her around to face him. She giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You're still as infuriating as the day we met," she whispered, watching the grin spread across his face. "I still can't believe I put up with you." He smirked, pulling her left hand off of his shoulder and holding it up in front of them. The diamond mixed with crystal from her cave in Ogygia glittered in the overhead lights, casting a few speckled beams of light on Leo's face. "I think I sealed the deal for good," he said, returning her hand to his shoulder before pulling her against him and kissing her. Even though she would never admit it aloud, this moment was what she had dreamed of each night he was gone on the quest with Jason and Percy. As she sank into her husband's embrace, the sun set in the background, revealing the glittering lights of the sign in the front of the parking lot. "Leo and Calypso's Garage" declared the manifestation of her secret dream since the moment he mentioned it jokingly on her island all those years ago. For the first time in her long life, Calypso knew she was right where she needed to be. Although she was no longer immortal, she still had her magic, and she had her Prince Charming.  And that was all she needed.