𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐓! [pjo]

XXI; hungry, hungry hippos

━━━hungry, hungry hippos

.・゜゜・───・゜゜・

Percy's heart did a little tap dance when he got onto the roof. Gods, Callahan looked unreal, standing there with the sun shining down on her. Soft olive skin accentuated by her black shirt, her posture coiled and poised, regal. Her eyes shining, lips parted and warm-looking. His heart jumped again when she saw him, a grin spreading across her face.

    "Goodmorning, Seaweed." She said, walking toward him. Her hand was soft against his face, warm. He breathed in the jasmine and rose clinging to her skin.

    "Hi..." He replied, smiling. "Slept well?"

    She shrugged, pulling him closer. "I remembered something. Or well...I saw something."

    Percy could tell by the way she chewed on her lip that whatever it was, it wasn't good.

    "What did you see?"

    She cleared her throat and looked out at the woods around them, "my dad....I saw my dad." She whispered. "and he was....he wasn't good. He was crying, and--and Annie was there, and--"

    Percy stepped closer, "Oh, Cal...."

She shrugged, " can we finish this later? The hungry, hungry hippos down there are getting antsy and I can't--I can't think about it right now. I'm-"

Percy pulled her into his chest and kissed her forehead before pulling away. "Of course doll, but we'll have to talk soon...."

"Hell of a morning, isn't it?" Cal asked, stepping away from Percy and standing on the edge of the roof. "Not really how I wanted to spend mine."

Hazel snorted behind her, "you can say that again."

The two of them were pacing the roof, watching the ogres below, who were leering and hollering up at them. They heard a creak, and Frank was standing there, staring out.

"Good morning," Percy said, "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

Then, he summoned a blast from the hose to dose a cannonball sailing toward them. Cal let out a low whistle.

Hazel gripped her sword. When she glanced at Frank, her eyes flashed with concern. "Are you okay?" she asked. "Why are you smiling?"

"Oh, uh, nothing," he managed. "Thanks for breakfast. And clothes. And...not hating me."

Hazel looked baffled. "Why would I hate you?"

Frank's face turned ruby red.

"It's just...last night," he stammered. "When I summoned the skeleton. I thought...I thought that you thought...I was repulsive ... or something."

Hazel raised her eyebrows. She shook her head in dismay. "Frank, maybe I was surprised. Maybe I was scared of that thing. But repulsed? The way you commanded it, so confident and everything—like, Oh, by the way, guys, I have this all-powerful spartus we can use. I couldn't believe it. I wasn't repulsed, Frank. I was impressed."

Frank stuttered, "You were...impressed ... by me?"

Percy laughed. "Dude, it was pretty amazing."

Cal hummed in agreement.

"Honest?" Frank asked.

"Honest," Hazel promised. "But right now, we have other problems to worry about. Okay?" She gestured at the army of ogres, who were getting increasingly bold, shuffling closer and closer to the house.