Shelter Me From Myself (Percico AU)

Chapter 6

Nico didn't particularly enjoy sitting next to strangers on a plane for 6 hours, but he would rather sit with strangers than go back to the hell hole that he was forced to call home.

He had scored the window seat, but he wished that the man next to him would have picked it so that he could shove him out the window for snoring so loud. There were babies crying, children laughing, and old men snoring, but Nico only focused on the one thing on his mind. Percy.

Nico began to think about his step father. He began to think about all of the times that he had wished death upon Nico, all of the times that he would yell at Nico just for breathing. But he never, not once, touched him. He never dared to lay a finger on the boy. Nico thought about what he had done to piss his step dad off. He had only said no. That was all it took for him to finally snap. Nico placed a finger lightly on his jaw, it still hurt.

His mom was probably going to worry about him. She might be smart enough to get the idea, but Nico wasn't too worried about that. He didn't really care what his mom did. Nico thought about calling her once the plane landed, but he decided to wait and see if she had tried to call him or text him.

~Time Skip~

When he got off the plane, he got his bag and called a taxi. After he gave the driver the address, he checked his phone. Percy had sent him 5 text messages and called once, his mom had sent him one text.

Nico decided to call her.

"Nico?"

"Hi mom. Ugh listen-"

"Where are you? It's 5 in the morning Nico."

"California. And I know."

"Do you have money? Clothes? A toothbrush?"

"Yes, yes, and yes. Don't call the police or anything, I'm fine-"

"Your father isn't happy."

"He's never happy." The phone was silent for a minute.

"When are you coming back?"

"I don't know."

"Do you have a place to stay?"

"I think so." His mom sighed, Nico could tell that she was trying not to cry.

"J-Just be safe. Okay?"

"Yeah." His mom said goodbye and he hung up the phone. He began tapping his fingers against the seat, his knee was shaking. Nico suddenly remembered that he hadn't packed any of his antidepressants. Not exactly the best thing to forget...but he could figure out something.

The cab driver was listening to the radio, but he turned it down and began talking to Nico.