Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Nobody knew how many soulmarks someone could have, though many argued that you could continue to receive them until you ran out of skin space. Even though nobody had gotten close to figuring it out, most only had five or six outside of their family. Percy certainly wasn't. 

The boy only had two marks, though he had tried numerous times to rub one off (he knew you couldn't get rid of soulmarks, they represented those that would greatly impact your life, even if you wanted the mark gone ). 

The one from his mother was a light blue pencil, the mark hidden on the side of his left middle finger. He would rub it whenever he got nervous or scared, upset or angry. It would remind him to behave, to make his mom proud and prevent her from worrying. It rarely worked, but it reminded him nonetheless. 

The other mark was on his stomach, an ugly turquoise can, crumpled and smushed. The skin was slashed, marks from knives, fingernails, cigarettes, anything Percy could get his hands on. When the mark had appeared, Percy hated it, but had left it alone. When he turned seven though, after Gabe had ra- , was when he began trying to get rid of it. Nothing ever worked, just scarring over, the green-blue shape morphing as the skin gained marks to keep the image. 

Gabe left other marks too. Purple and red. Marring his sides and arms. Littering his neck and thighs—

While Percy was fine with his soulmark( s ), the other kids didn't seem to like the fact. Every new school he went to, everyone found out within the week. He would have to sprint through the halls to avoid people's hands flying out to touch him, each teasing him by saying they were just trying to 'help him find his soulmate'. It was a lie, of course, they just wanted to hit him without punishment. Nothing ever happened when they did touch him, only the sharp sting that came with skin hitting skin. 

He grumbled as he walked through the halls of Yancy Academy, dreading the start of third grade. Once classes started, he would be forced out of his room and by gym everyone would see his markless arms and legs. (He never let anyone see his torso)

Releasing a resigned sigh, Percy pushed the door to his new dorm open. This place had roommates unlike the other schools, but at least he would be going three days with only one person hitting him, so he guessed it wasn't so bad. (Gabe was only one person and he-)

The boy sitting on the bed against the right wall was startled when he walked in, almost falling off the bed. Percy froze in the doorway, hand still holding the knob. 

"Uhh, hey?" He stepped in, hurrying to the other bed to drop his bag on the blankets. He tried to avoid looking at the other boy, but his soulmarks were practically glowing as they danced up his arms and neck, standing out like neon against his dark skin. 

Different flowers and plants weaved across his skin, the petals ranging from an electric blue to a creamy orange. The only mark that wasn't a plant of some sort was the golden snake circling his left calf.

Percy caught himself staring, eyes darting up to the other boy. He was staring at him, a small smile on his tilted head. "What are yours?"

He stiffened. "Oh, uh a pencil. From my mom." He held his hand out, dropping his pointer finger to show off the mark. He didn't mention his other one, he had decided long ago that one didn't count. (He never stopped trying to get it off)

The kids brows furrowed but didn't comment on it. He just smiled an action that caught Percy off guard and stood, holding his hand out. Percy couldn't repress the flinch. The boy's lips pressed together but again remained silent. "I'm Grover. Nice to meet you."

Percy hastily grabbed the hand, trying and failing to recover from his mistake. "Percy, you-"

He yanked his hand back, holding his wrist to his chest like Grover had burned him. He realised he was being dramatic, the numbing tingling so alien to him that he mistook it for one of those prank buzzers people so often used.

His eyes widened as he watched Grovers wrist erupt in colour, teals and blues braiding together to form a bracelet of flowers. He had never seen a mark form before, much less a mark from him. It was magical.

Grover watched as well, though much less mystified. He smiled up at him, green-brown eyes bright as the marks on his skin. "We're soulmates! Awesome!"

Percy just stared at him, face cosplaying a fish to perfection. It was like his brain had short-circuited, scrambling to reconnect the wires.

He numbly glanced down at his own wrist. The one connected to the same hand his mom's mark was. The mark looked just like Grovers, though now he could see it in much better detail.

Leaves and petals covered his left wrist, about two inches thick. He stared at the mark, breath freezing in his lungs. He had a soulmate . A soulmate outside of his mom.

(Gabe flashed through his mind, what he said and did, where his hands went-)

Percy realised Grover was rambling, "We're soulmates! How cool is that ? What are the chances ?"

"I-uh really-really co-cool."

Percy knew he should be excited, and he was, really. But Soulbonds weren't always good . They just showed that the person would impact your life. The impact being good wasn't guaranteed. Percy had learned that the hard way.

Looking at Grover, the boy didn't seem bad or mean, but his mom had always said to never judge a book by its cover. 

Chapter Text

The saying doesn't apply to everyone, Percy soon learned. Grover in fact didn't have a cover. The dude was one of the most open-book people he had ever met. You could always tell just how the boy was feeling, even when he was trying to hide it.

His face lit up when excited. Lips were pressed together when nervous. Fingers were twisted when bored. His words were hesitant when he lied.

He only figured that last one out when Grover had said he knew about the Greek Gods from an obsession in first grade. Percy didn't know why he lied about that, but he didn't say anything about it. If Grover wanted to hide that, it was fine with him.

The new mark did wonders in the not-getting-hit field. Now, only Nancy Bobofett and her ugly goons went after him, the other kids not really caring and assuming his familial marks were hidden. However, most didn't care if he had only two marks, only one of them from a parent. Most of them didn't have any marks from their parents, nannies and friends, taking up a majority of their marks. The occasional teacher showed up.

Percy honestly found it a little sad, but just minded his own business. As long as they stayed out of his, he would stay out of theirs.

Surprisingly, the year went by fast. Usually, school felt like it never ended, just endless classes and sprints down hallways. But Grover made it bearable, made classes entertaining and helped him with tricks for studying. He even helped him sneak food into their dorms, something which is very against the rules.

He surprised himself when he admitted he was enjoying school while on a call with his mom, and he meant it. It wasn't just another white lie he told her to keep her happy. He was really and truly enjoying the year this time.

Another saying his mom often said when things started going good popped up about halfway through the year, just after winter break (His mom didn't sign him out for it, saying he should stay to focus on keeping up. He tried not to be bitter). He had forgotten it, and he sorely regretted it after it slapped him in the face.

'All good things come to an end'

It started when everyone came back from break.

First, with the new Math teacher, Ms. Dodds. She was evil, Percy was sure of it. Even Grover told him he was right when he mentioned how she wasn't even human. The seriousness on his face surprised him; he was just making an offhanded complaint while they were doing homework, but he appreciated that for once, someone listened and took him seriously. He loved his mom really, but every time he tried to bring up Gabe, she would tell him the guy was getting better, to be more respectful or careful around him. He hated to admit it, but every time something happened with his stepdad, he wanted to scream at her.

He tried to tell her what Gabe would do, how scared he was of him and how much he hurt every day, but she wouldn't listen. She would say that he would understand when he was older, but he didn't understand how any of what Gabe did could be justified. He may only be nine, but he knew right from wrong and what was unforgivable, and what Gabe was doing? He couldn't think of a single worse thing.

His new teacher reminded him somewhat of Gabe. Another figure that made him dread waking up in the morning, just in a different way. It wasn't the same kind of fear, but the way she looked at him made him want to run back to New York and hide in Central Park. It wasn't hungry, more violent than that somehow. It was like she was counting the seconds till he slipped in some way and she could pounce, tearing him limb from limb and devouring his soul like a bowl of those pomegranates she was always chewing on.

The second thing was announcing the upcoming field trip to the Met.

Now Percy loved field trips, who wouldn't? But something always went wrong, and he was always blamed. There was a noticeable pattern in when exactly he was kicked out of school. About the end of the school year, right after a field trip where anything was possible.

The entirety of the two weeks leading up to the trip was torture, a combination of boring classes, aggravating teachers and students, and his mom skipping their nightly calls because he should 'focus on school' because he 'finally was doing good' and he's 'on the track to not getting expelled'.

He was also told to stop complaining about Ms. Dodds, that she was only stern with him when he was disrespectful, and to just do what he was told when she told him something.

The promise of escape, even if only for a few hours, was the only thing keeping him going.

He was practically vibrating in his seat as the bus bumped along the road, the noise of the city surrounding him and the stench of gasoline and the sewer making his nose scrunch. Everything was a mix of grime and glitter, with widows reflecting the sun right next to peeling paint and stains from Gods know where.

His head was against the window, the glass cold and slightly frosty from the morning dew that had yet to evaporate. It made everything outside all fuzzy, just colourful blobs going about their blobby day without a care in the world.

He was brought out of his little haze when something hit the seat in front of him. It fell to the floor in a mushy heap, the jam from what he saw was a poorly made PB&J dripping down the leather seat like a blood stain.

He turned his head, blinking as he saw Grover hunched over some book. His eyes squinted at his hair when he realised his curls were matted. Pieces of a sandwich were stuck to his hair and dripping down the sides of his face. He seemed completely unbothered, continuing with his book even as another chunk found its way onto his head.

Percy didn't have to turn around to know who was behind the idiocy. Only Nancy Bobofett would do something so unoriginal.

He leaned over, bringing his face close to his friends to whisper in his ear, "Why didn't you tell me you were in an involuntary food fight? You know I can take care of her-"

"I do know." Grovers' eyes never left his book, but his words were silent knives, sharp but quiet, "But you're on your last strike before getting expelled, and I know how important it is to you to stay here. Getting expelled over a weaponsized sandwich is stupid and pathetic. Get expelled for your candy smuggling. Spice it up."

Percy sucked his lips between his teeth, biting down to stop from smiling. This was serious, and Grover had no right to make it funny.

"Still, let me do something-"

Another chunk came flying, this time hitting Grovers' neck and sliding into his shirt.

Percy jerked around, venom on his tongue, before Grover grabbed his arm and pulled him down.

"Grover-"

"Candy smuggling, remember?"

Air rushed through Percy's nose, a huff on his lips as he slumped back against the seat. Oh he'd smuggle candy alright.

There were few things Grover didn't know, and one of them? Oh, one of them was the exact location of Nancy Bobefett's entire stash.

It was her fault really.

Who left sweets laying in the common room vents?