orenda [leo valdez]

lxiv. Leo's a Jerk and Everyone Hates Him

❝you feel like home

and everywhere i haven't been

all at once.❞

⤷ butterflies rising

△△△

She couldn't even remember how happy she had been. It had been greater then when she had told him she loved him, greater then when she laid in his arms above Tartarus, above any feeling she had ever known. After all the pain she had suffered, it all seemed worth it when she recognized the familiar dragon in the sky.

She tore across the camp, tears spilling down her cheeks. Her stomach did flips.

Leo had barely made it off the bronze dragon when she leapt into his arms, as if he would disappear if she didn't hold him tight enough. He stood frozen for a moment of shock, before he registered who she was.

Tears stained his shirt. His arm wrapped tightly around her waist, the other entangled in her hair.

The feeling was such complete bliss, so much that she didn't even register the other woman with him on the dragon for a few moments.

She let go of him after what felt like hours. It didn't matter, she had gotten her love back. Against all odds, she had gotten Leo back.

"This is her?" The woman asked in a defensive voice. Her hair was long caramel brown. Her almond-shaped eyes were dark and intelligent. She wore jeans, a white blouse, and a shocking-pink ski jacket. Leo looked up to her with an annoyed expression.

"Watch it, Calypso." He said. Calypso didn't look happy.

Kira turned to Leo. "Calypso? The one on the island?" She was suddenly very defensive, looking back and forth between the two.

Leo held up his arms. "Kira." He spoke softly. "It's you. It's always been you. I just gave her a ride here."

Calypso huffed. "She doesn't seem worth it. I'm an immortal goddess, and you chose some daughter of Ares with anger issues."

Leo looked angry now. "You're just jealous. Go up to camp and bother someone else."

Calypso surprisingly listened to him. She climbed off the dragon, giving Kira one more last resentful look before climbing up the hill.

Kira turned to Leo nervously. "You..you didn't, right?"

Leo's eyes widened. "Gods, no, Kira!" He pulled her closer to him. "I love you to ends of the world and back."

Kira just nodded, dread filling in her stomach.

"Hey," Leo lifted her chin with his thumb. "If I chose the island girl, would I keep this?" He pulled out a certain teddy bear. Kira's glossed over again. How in the world did Leo still have that stupid little bear from the aquarium?