Sign {A Pernico Story AU} ✔

Nico - The Hoodie and The Hunger Games

I must've been dreaming when Percy leaned in close enough to kiss me.

I guess I woke up when he turned away.

I just pretended not to notice how close he gotten to me. 

I looked back up at the TV. David was back in his motel room and his parents were singing to him and Alexis. It's funny how everything worked out so perfectly in that show. David got his business started with Patrick. They kiss. They date. They fight. They get married. Everything is perfect for them. 

Why couldn't it be that way for me?

I pulled on the strings of my hoodie. Percy tapped my shoulder just as the credits were rolling. "Your uh, phone went off." his lips read.

"Thank you."

Jesus, this was so awkward. 

I checked my phone as the next episode started.

Dad: Presto sarò a casa, coinvolto in un mucchio di riunioni. Ti voglio bene.

I smiled a bit. My dad always texted in Italian. It was his way of making an effort to keep me 'connected to my roots'

Me: Lo farò sapere a Hazel. Puoi prendere McDonald's mentre torni a casa? Anch'io ti amo.

I looked over to see Percy staring at my phone, and then at me. "What language is that?"

I smiled a little more. "Italian. My dad's pronunciation is horrible, so we text on Italian instead."

His mouth opened wide. "Is your pronunciation horrible too?"

I looked him right in the eye. "Cosa ne pensi?" Truthfully, I wasn't all that sure if I could really speak Italian anymore. It was hard to know if I was saying the words correctly when I couldn't even hear them. But Percy looked impressed. His face was a undeniable shade of red, for whatever reason. 

He cleared his throat. "That was uh... nice. I mean... I-I don't know what you said but it uh... sounded nice."

I laughed. "Thanks. But it's getting kinda late. Don't you have to get home?"

He glanced at the clock on his phone and actually looked kind of disappointed. "Yeah. I guess so."

I walked him to the door after giving him his freshly dry hoodie back. Ms. O'Leary brought her paw to his knee, which was our sign for goodbye. The rain had thankfully stopped. Percy waved goodbye and did something I wan't expecting.

He hugged me. 

For at least 10 whole seconds.

When he let go, he looked me right in the eyes while I focused on his lips. 

"Thanks for forgiving me. And your hoodie is really nice."

...

Man, I had it bad. Percy gave me one hug and one compliment and now I'm back where I started. Completely in love. I still wondered what he meant about my hoodie. Was this his way of hinting he liked guys? Was he just an ally? Or did he just think it was a nice sweater?

I rolled over in my bed, Ms. O'Leary curled up at my feet. I picked up my book and did what I always did when I was thinking about something. I read. The book on my bedside table happened to be the first Hunger Game book. I loved it. Not only for it's great story plot, but for the romantic relationships. I always dreamed that I was Katniss Everdeen, a fearless person who had not one but two guys fighting for her affection. 

Ms. O'Leary raised a paw and patted my leg. I looked up from my book to see my father standing in the doorway. When my mother was still alive, she always said how much I took after him. Now, I could see it. We both had long, black, hair (though his was much neater than mine could ever be) and pale skin. My dad worked at some big company corporation with his mother-in-law, aka, my aunt Demeter. I never really understood what exactly they did there, but it paid well. Dad always said how he wanted to give Hazel and I the life we couldn't have. Even if that meant working with Demeter. They never got along.

Sorry, he signed. I didn't mean to disrupt your reading.

"It's okay. I was done anyway. How was work?"

My dad rubbed his temples at the thought. "Frustrating. Without your step-mother to reel her in your aunt has been extra unbearable lately."

I smiled a bit. A few years after I moved in with my dad and Hazel, he married a women named Persephone. She was really sweet, but her mother was overbearing. She was always making up excuses that required Persephone to come and stay with her for a while. Dad missed her more and more every time. 

"Persephone gets back in a few more days, right? I'm sure it'll get better."

Dad smiled at me and kissed my forehead. "Don't stay up too late, caro. Night."

"Night, dad."

My father left the room, closing the door behind him. I curled up under the covers with the Hunger Games again. Peeta was telling Katniss how he first fell in love with her. I loved this part, mostly because of Peeta. For a second, it was like he forgot this was meant to be an act. He spoke about his love for Katniss from the heart, like this wasn't a battle to the death.

I sighed and put the book down.

All I could think of as I fell asleep was what'd it be like to have someone love me the way Peeta loves Katniss.

...

Forget Romeo and Juliet, I want what these people have 😩

-Todoroni 🍝🧀