Things are going smoothly, all things considered. The wedding dress is coming along nicely and on schedule, which is a very good thing according to my boss, Larissa. The pictures that she had taken of the progress and sent to the clients came back with positive comments: "They are very happy with how the dress is coming along!" She told me last week, after a meeting she had with the client. As of the moment, only the veil is missing from the dress, which I am told is going to be provided by the bride's family.
Something like the veil being passed down to the women of that family. I was somewhat disappointed at not being able to make the veil, but I let it go. It was the client's decision after all. And so, for the past month up until now, I have done my best to bring to life the design I saw when I was first shown this wedding dress. I have spent much of my time just painstakingly working on making sure I did my best and put in my best effort into making this the best wedding dress I could make. Not just for the bride and for the reputation of our shop. But also for me, as someone who has been making dresses for thousands of years. I wouldn't be able to accept it unless I make sure what I make right now is the best there is.
And so, it is with that mindset that I am walking into the shop this morning. Ready for another day of doing my best for me and for everybody around me.
"Oh good! You're here!" As soon as I entered the shop, I heard my boss calling to me from the table where she stays most days. She had a smile on her face, indicating that there was no problem and everything was going well. "Good morning, boss!" I greeted, returning her smile with one of my own. She waved me over to her, and I came over, curious as to what she needed.
"I talked with the client yesterday, and they are very happy with the way things are going," she started, her words almost the same as the last time she relayed the client's response to our progress. "I told them that we are on schedule, and they suggested that it might be the right time for us to meet with the jeweler who will be working with us to finish the dress," she added to my mild surprise.
I remembered my reaction to the designs I was shown of the dress. The gems, stones, and jewels that will be sewn onto it and the way it will be once it is finished. I smiled at the excitement I felt at seeing how it would look, at how it would shine and sparkle under the light. How the bride would look like a goddess while she walks down the aisle to her waiting groom. I couldn't help but imagine myself as the one wearing that dress, only I didn't have a groom waiting for me.
"So, I was told that the jeweler will be coming by tomorrow to check the dress, and then by next week, we will be working on finishing the dress altogether!" I was shaken from my thoughts by her words, and I smiled in acceptance. "They're coming here then?" I asked, more to be polite since I knew we were working with the clients and what they wanted happened. "Yes, I was told that the client will be paying for their hotel stay while working on the dress." I nodded, expecting that.
This client is very rich and has been very loose when it comes to spending money on this wedding. Just this dress alone cost about as much as my rent for a year. And it wasn't even the full cost since a part of it is going to the jewelers. And they cost much more than what we are getting. "I can't wait to meet them!" I said, feeling excited to be working with materials I have never tried before. "Me too!" Larissa smiled, and I went to the back where the workshop is, leaving her to her work.
The day went just as it had for the past week; I worked on the wedding dress and gossiped with the others. I went home after a day of fulfilling work and spent the night dreaming of what my life had been and how it is now going. I dreamed of people I met and of those I wished to meet. But most of all, I wished and prayed to the Fates for a brighter life ahead.
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It has been 2 days since we were informed that the clients will be bringing in the jeweler to check the dress, and just yesterday, I was called by Larissa, and she told me that the jeweler will be arriving that day and will be dropping by the next day.
So here I am, standing by the wedding dress, worn over a mannequin in the center of the shop, which has been closed to customers for the day. It just goes to show how important this meeting is for Larissa and the shop. She has never closed the shop aside from the weekends. Larissa had just stepped out to meet the client, the bride's father, and the jeweler from the parking lot. She told me to wait by the wedding dress, as I was the one who was responsible for it while the others were standing by the door to the workshop. "A united front," she said when she told us how she wanted us to be seen by the coming guest.
I smiled at her nervous antics but accepted them as necessary.
I heard her voice as well as the voice of a man, and I stood by the mannequin, back straight with a smile on my face. Ready to welcome the clients and show them a confident and well-put woman, someone who is worth all they have invested in. The door opened, and the first one through was, of course, Larissa. She had on her professional smile as she led an older man in after her. 'The father,' I presumed, was tall and imposing with a head of graying hair and wearing a well-fitting black suit that exuded the feeling of a man in control.
Larissa was busy conversing with the older man as they stepped through the door. She was gesturing around the shop, showing off all we had to offer, when another man followed after them. Seeing that man shot a bolt of lightning through me, shocking me into a stupor. The man was wearing a light blue, tight-fitting shirt over his muscled upper body. He wore dark pants that did nothing to hide his lean and powerful legs from view; rather, all it did was make all that saw him drool as they imagined what lay beneath them.
Hair as black as the ocean at night, unruly too, as if he had just woken up. But what really got me was his eyes, the same eyes I fell for, the same eyes I dreamed of seeing since I left my island. Sea green, like the domain he commands.
The shock of seeing him again made me take a step back, my legs hitting the corner of a table where some of the designs were placed. The noise made everyone turn to me, and I saw recognition in his eyes the moment he saw me. I saw them tighten in concentration, like he did all those years ago when he helped me in my garden. And I watched as they widened in disbelief at finally recognizing me. I had wanted to meet him again ever since I left my island, but I never thought that I would actually get my wish.
I wanted to call out to him, but I held back, not really knowing why I did. I placed a hand over my mouth to stop any outburst from coming out, not wanting to make a spectacle out of our long-awaited reunion. And I also didn't want to make a fool of myself in front of the others. I'm sure to the others, I looked like a person who has seen someone who they have been hiding from for a long time, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. Because right now, the person in front of me is the one person I wanted to meet the most.
"Calypso?" Percy said, calling my name with one hand outstretched as if to touch me. Hearing my name on his lips causes all sorts of reactions from me. My ears celebrated as my eyes teared up. My spine shivered while my legs grew weak. My heart thundered in my chest as it called out to him, while my very being longed to be held by him.
"Percy," I was going to call out his name when all of a sudden, I was pulled into the embrace of the man I once longed for. Strong arms wrapped around me as the scent of the sea surrounded me. One moment he was across the room, and the next he was pulling me against his chest, and I was powerless to resist. Not that I wanted to resist, with the way my arms went around his waist and the way my hands clung to the back of his shirt, unwilling to let go.
I buried my face in his chest as I heaved from the sobs that wouldn't come out. I was vaguely aware of the voices of Larissa, the man that came in with them, and the other workers, my friends, wondering what was happening, but I ignored them all. All that mattered to me was this man that was holding me at the moment. This time I had in my grasp the man I wanted to be with from 10 years ago. He who wished for my release, and he whom I wished to meet and thank since being freed from my prison.
The man who saved the world more times than I care to count and had his heart broken by love.
Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon, now in my arms.
I wanted to stay like this, wrapped in his arms, but then I felt him start to release me, and I reluctantly followed suit. I leaned back from him as he held me by my arms, holding me at arm's length. I stared at him as he studied me from head to toe, and I did the same. He was taller now, his body looking more like his father's. I could feel the power of the sea from him like I did all those years ago, only now it was more powerful. He had a lot more scars now, a testament to all that he had gone through. His eyes had more depth within them now, reflecting just how much he had seen.
With all the changes I noticed, some things remained the same. He was still the handsome, charming man I knew. The ghost of a smile that formed on his lips was still the same one that he had all those years ago. His eyes still beamed with a mischievous light, one that promised happy times. His very being still screamed of an overabundance of love and loyalty for those he considers as his. And I so very much wanted to be one claimed by him.
My sudden thoughts made my face burn with embarrassment. Here I am, meeting him after 10 years, and the first thing I think about is being with him. I shook myself mentally, trying to drive away such selfish thoughts. I failed. His lips began to move, and my eyes were drawn to them, and I imagined just how soft they would feel against mine. Once again, I chastised myself for the direction my thoughts were going in. I pushed myself away from that line of thinking and again found myself failing.
"How are you here?" I heard him ask, and I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing; it took me a few minutes to get myself together. I stopped laughing and looked up at him to see him looking down on me with amused curiosity. "I should be the one asking you that," I started. "I arrived at camp, and I learned that you have been missing for a few months already!" I told him, my hands moving to clutch at his shirt once more, needing that bit of reassurance that he was really here in front of me and not just a figment of my imagination.
I saw him smile, though it was one that was tinged with sadness, and I immediately wanted to take my words back. Remembering the reason for him leaving in the first place. He spoke before I could do so. "I couldn't stay there, not after what happened," he said, and I just nodded, knowing I would have done the same as him. I wanted to comfort him, but once again, he beat me to the punch. "It's been almost 10 years since I last saw you, Calypso. I have to say you have only grown more beautiful!" He said with a warm smile on his face, and I knew he meant every word.
I felt myself blush as his words washed over me. I returned his smile, feeling great about his compliment and basking in how his words made me feel, like I was the most beautiful. "And you have grown better with that tongue of yours!" I said, remembering how he tried to comfort me when we were on my island. "That's not all I could do with my tongue!" My eyes widened at the meaning behind those words of his. Once again, I am reminded that the man in front of me is no longer the young boy that washed ashore on my island. The one that, despite his charm, remained innocent in almost all things between man and woman.
In front of me now stands a man in all his glory. A hero who conquered all that stood in his way. A male that got what he wanted when he wanted it. And based on how I am reacting to him, I would have given him all he wanted, in any way he wanted it. And all he needed to do was ask, and he shall receive.
Before I could make a fool of myself and start offering myself to him. I was saved by Larissa stepping up and speaking for the first time since they came in. "Well, that was a surprise! Callie, how do you two know each other?" She asked pointedly as the older man looked on with barely disguised amusement on his face. "Percy and I met when he—" I started to explain when I was cut off by Percy taking my left hand and bringing it to his lips, kissing my knuckles first before doing the same to the inside of my wrist. Goosebumps raised along my arms, and heat flooded my body, and I just knew my face was red from what he had just done. The area between my legs tingled for the first time since I left Leo, and I wanted above all else to drag the demigod in front of me to my apartment and have him deal with what he started.
"Callie and I knew each other from way back!" he said after kissing my hand, only he didn't let go and instead held on as his fingers caressed mine in a delectable way. The way I wished Leo had done when we were together. He stared into my eyes as he finished his explanation, his words making my heart beat wildly within my chest and making me wish to the Fates for a future that I thought was impossible for me. "Callie was the one that got away," he said in a tone that begged no confusion. All that heard him knew instantly as to the nature of our past relation.
I didn't know what came over me, but I found myself reaching for his face and cupping his cheek. He nuzzled against my palm as I replied to his statement. "You needed to leave back then," I said, telling him that it wasn't his fault that he had to leave me. That I understood now, despite feeling guilty for the curse that I unknowingly set loose upon him and Annabeth. "I know," he replied. "And you have been the biggest what-if of my life ever since!" he ended. His words, the affection and truth within them, almost made me do something I would have regretted, or maybe I wouldn't have. But I almost grabbed his face and pulled him for a kiss, a proper one this time.
Unfortunately or fortunately, Larissa cleared her throat, getting my attention. I very reluctantly turned away from Percy and looked at Larissa and the man they came in with to find them both staring at us. Larissa was blushing, while the man was grinning widely. "While I am very happy for the two of you, I would like to get on with business for now," Larissa forced out, clearly uncomfortable about what just happened.
"Well, I don't mind one bit!" The man beside her declared boisterously. I nodded as I pulled my hand from Percy's, and immediately I felt a pang of longing for the contact with him.
"No, no! Miss Larissa is right! We came here for business after all. I'll get to the pleasure later!" Percy supported my boss with a nod, though he did turn to me, wiggling his brows when he said the last part, making me blush again at his teasing remark. Or was that a promise? I don't know anymore.
"Thank you! For now, I'd like to introduce our client, or rather the father of the client, Mister Bruce!" Larissa began gesturing to the older gentleman standing beside her, who just smiled warmly at all of us. "Just call me Bruce!" Was his response, putting me at ease. "And she is Callie, the one responsible for the creation of your daughter's wedding gown!" Larissa went on, pointing to me with one hand as Bruce stepped forward and stood in front of me. He grabbed my hand and shook it with a firm yet friendly grip. The smile on his face was the reflection of happiness, and I was very glad to be the reason for it. "I am very glad you're the one who Larissa has chosen to make that dress!" He said as he let go of my hand. He turned to the wedding gown on display beside us with nothing but awe on his face. "My daughter couldn't stop gushing about this whenever an update came in!" He said as he came before it and studied it closely. "This is really good!" He muttered as he went closer, inspecting some of the finer details on the gown.
After a while, Larissa introduced Percy to the others who had been watching in shocked silence somewhere behind me. "Everyone! I'd like you all to welcome the one who will be working with us to finish this project!" She started, standing beside Percy, who remained by my side, bathing me with his ever-familiar scent of the ocean. "This is Percy Jackson, the owner of the luxury brand Celestial Creations," she added with her usual professional smile. I heard the gasp from my coworkers just as my eyes widened from hearing that fact.
I have seen and heard much about "Celestial Creations," both from seeing it in magazines and advertisements and from the others at work. Especially Oliver and Megan; both of them have, on multiple occasions, told me how they wanted one of their pieces. Megan has told me she is saving up for a necklace from their winter collection. I have seen some of their products, and I agreed with them that they were rather exquisite and well made.
To hear that Percy, that sweet yet gangly teen I first met almost a decade ago, was now the owner of one of the most famous luxury brands of jewelry in the world. Well, that was a shock to my mind. What made me doubt my ears was Larissa telling me that Percy is the one who would be helping me finish this gown. That he had become a craftsman with enough skill to be able to work with me. I turned to him and saw a look of pride in his eyes, and I knew right then that Percy would blow my mind away with his skills. Some other thoughts infiltrated my mind; scenes of Percy showing me his skill in a more personal fashion flooded my mind, and I felt my face blush from the wanton thoughts my mind came up with.
Seeing me stare at him, Percy gave me that familiar mischievous smile I had missed so much, and at that moment, I wanted to wipe that smug smile off his face. Whether with my lips or another part of my body, I couldn't decide, so I just turned away and looked at Larissa, waiting for her to continue. Unfortunately, Percy was determined to make me flustered even more than I already am, grabbing my hand and making me look at him again. This time I saw the sincerity in his eyes, and once again I was captivated by his sea-green gaze. "I look forward to spending time with you, Calypso!"
And just like that, I knew I was going to be with him again. With those simple words, he has captured my heart in a way no other man ever had. To the point that if he asked it of me, I would uproot my life once again and follow him to wherever he wanted to go. In whatever capacity he would want me to be.
What followed after that was a discussion on how we are going to be moving forward with the job. Together with Bruce, we discussed and debated what types of stones and gems his daughter wanted to be on the gown. We also hashed out the details and the schedule of completion for the dress. It took us the better part of the morning, working through lunch before stopping around in the afternoon.
"I have to say, Calypso, you've really outdone yourself with this gown," Percy said as we sat at the table relaxing after all the discussion we just had. I smiled at him, happy for the compliment. "Thank you! I gave it my best! I just found myself imagining that I was the one wearing that, and I poured my best effort into making it!" I shared truthfully. I was rewarded by the most tender smile I have seen on his face yet. The view of it took my breath away. 'How could a man be this beautiful? ' I asked myself. Were it not for his obvious ties to Poseidon, I would have thought him a son of Aphrodite with how attractive he is. Then again, his father has been the god with the most lovers out of all the gods and goddesses. And Percy inherited so much from his father, so it stands to reason that he would be just as attractive.
"You know, I was really surprised to see you earlier! I thought the Fates were playing a trick on me!" Percy suddenly said, a tender look on his face. He looked so lovely I had to stop myself from going to him and kissing him. Just to assure him that this was no trick of the Fates. At least I hope it wasn't. "I was surprised as well! When I arrived at camp and heard what happened to you, I thought I would never see you again!" I told him, the truth spilling from my mouth. "I wanted to thank you for making the gods promise to release me, even though they didn't live up to their promise," I said, looking down. Knowing that my next words would be either accepted or denied by him. "And I also wanted to apologize for the trouble I caused you when you fell, you know, down there with her," I started before I paused to look at him. I saw that there was no judgment in his eyes, and he was showing none of the anger or resentment I thought I would see.
"I am sorry for the curse I unleashed on you and her. I didn't think it would end up like that!" I finally forced myself to say. My breath got caught in my throat. "When I heard what happened with the two of you, I wanted to find you just so I could apologize!" I told him, but my voice was a whisper at this point. I felt my hands being grabbed, and I saw him pulling them to him, and that broke the heavy feeling in my chest. In that instant, I knew I was forgiven. "If the Fates let us meet today just for this reason, then I will accept it and be happy!" I confessed, and happiness exploded in my chest when Percy once again kissed the back of my hand with nothing but tenderness in his eyes.
"I forgive you, Calypso. I admit I was angry with you for a time." His words were like a balm for my heart. healing and calming me down. easing the worries that had festered within me for a long time now. "But if I can forgive Annabeth for what she had done, then I can forgive you too," he added, and I felt all the heavy load I was carrying lighten. It didn't disappear completely. I knew that I would always be a little bit guilty for my part in the suffering he endured down in the Pit. But now, knowing that he has forgiven me, makes bearing that guilt a lot easier.
And soon, that weight would be gone from me; I just need more time. Time, I wish, would be spent with him. We were quiet for a while, just enjoying each other's company, when I finally mustered the courage to ask something that I had been wanting to know since seeing him earlier. "Percy, what happened to you after you left? Where did you go? And how did you become a jewelry maker?" Once I asked, my question flowed out naturally. The curiosity and wonder I always had for this man coming out. I wanted to know about him, and I hoped she would give me the answers.
I watched as Percy got that far-away look in his eyes, and then he turned to me with a small smile. It wasn't sad, but it wasn't a happy smile either. It worried me. "I'd like to tell all about how my life has been and how it turned out to be like this," he started, and I got sad thinking that he wouldn't be sharing the details with me. "But that would take days, and I have to go back home to prepare for our work," he added with a smile, making me hopeful once more. "So, I'll tell you all about it when I get back," he finished, and I felt excited at the thought of spending more time with him, just the two of us.
"I hold you to that promise, Percy!" I said with a smile that turned wider as he kissed my hand again. The feeling of his lips on my skin was quickly becoming a favorite of mine, though I wish he were kissing me somewhere else. I blushed at the direction my thoughts had taken, and I pushed those thoughts deep within my mind. To be studied further later in my lonesome. "I give you my word," Percy swore, and I felt myself relax, knowing that he was the kind of man that kept his word to the letter.
Soon Percy, Bruce, and Larissa were saying their farewells to us. They needed to go back to their respective homes, and in Percy's case, prepare to return here and continue the work on the gown. Something I am looking forward to the most. "I'll be back in a few days, Calypso," he said as he took me aside from the others. I held his hands and looked up at him. I just nodded, not knowing what to say in response. He shocked me by leaning down and planting a short but sweet kiss on my left cheek. "Something to tide you over while I am away!" he said teasingly. I felt my face burn from embarrassment as I heard my friends and co-workers murmur with each other.
"Go! Before I keep you here with me forever!" I told him, reminding him of the time we first met. He just smiled and, not to be outdone, replied with a quip of his own. "Don't threaten me with a good time!" I gawked at him as he stepped away from me, joining the others by the door of the shop. With one last wave, they left, and I suddenly found myself surrounded by three people, each with a question of their own.
"Spill!""Who was he?""What the hell was that?"
Three different questions bombarded me the moment we were alone in the shop. I smiled at their antics and pushed through them, wanting to get back to my chair and relax for a bit. I knew they wouldn't stop hounding me, so I wanted to be comfortable as I answered them. "I've told you guys about him before!" I started, reminding them of the stories I shared with them. "Which one of them was he?" Megan asked, tilting her head, trying to recall my stories. "Is he the one who washed ashore on your island?" asked Kathy.
"I think both of those men washed into her island like that?" Oliver thought over loudly. I decided to just tell them rather than let them try to guess. "Percy was the first to wash ashore; he came before Leo did, and he was the one I really fell for," I told them, and I saw the realization dawn in their eyes. "What a coincidence! Meeting him here, after all this time apart!" Megan gushed, and I couldn't help but agree. It seems the Fates were working the threads of my life, and somehow, it is connected with Percy's.
"Coincidence? I don't think so," Oliver argued. "I think it's fate or some shit like that." He did have a point, and I hoped that was the case as well. "Fate or not, what I do know is that I would never forgive myself if I let him go again," I said, declaring my intent to get with Percy in front of everyone. "I lost him once already. I'll be damned if I do so again!" I saw all of them nod at my words, and all of them offered their support. I, once again, felt incredibly lucky to have met these people, these friends who have accepted me for who I am and cared and loved me freely.
The day ended, and we all left for our homes. And as I lay down on my bed, my mind wandered back to the time I spent with Percy on my island. The way he made me feel during the brief time we were together. His words and his warmth. The care I felt from him for me even though he learned who my family was. This meeting happened, and the revelation was that the two of us would be working closely together.
Not for the first time today, I found myself wishing and praying to the Fates for a better future for me. A future with Percy. And if I have to sacrifice all I had to ensure it.
Then so be it.