Sea Green (Merman Percico)

Chapter Six

Percy's POV

Percy's back and neck ached when he woke up. The mattress was comfortable, but it took some getting used to. At the end of the day, it was way better than that damn tub.

Nico was still asleep on the floor, his dark hair parted to the side after rolling over, his arm draped off to the carpet. Percy's gaze studied Nico's face, the curve of his nose, the dark eyelashes resting on his cheeks, the soft pink of his lips. The fluttering feeling came back up to his throat and he had to look away.

Instead, Percy looked out the window to the Pacific. He thought of his mom and dad, Grover, Annabeth, Tyson. Homesickness stuck him hard, for a moment he yearned to go back. Then he looked down at Nico and the feeling was gone. He could always go back home, but Nico was here. Now that he had legs, he wasn't going anywhere for a while if he can help it.

A soft sigh broke through the quiet room. Nico stretched his arms out over his head and opened his eyes. Percy smiled at him, "finally."

Nico sat up and stretched again, "sorry," he yawned. Percy couldn't help but smile a little at Nico's messy hair. "I'm hungry."

"We'll get something, but I'll have to eat with my family this morning." Nico looked at him before continuing, "it'll avoid suspicion, but I'll feed you right after, I swear."

Percy laughed, "you say that as if you had a choice." He felt a bolt of triumph as the corners of Nico's mouth rose. He opened his mouth, no doubt to make a snappy comeback, when a buzz rang against the wood of the dresser. They both looked over to see Nico's phone where it rested to charge overnight.

"Hand me that, please," Nico reached out his hand for his phone. Percy thought the little device was strange, like it came from space. He grabbed it and handed it over and Nico read the message on the screen. "Will wants to meet later. Do you like smoothies?"

"Umm, yes?" Percy wasn't sure what a 'smoothie' was, but at this point, he was used to being confused by the human world. Nico raised an eyebrow and nodded once, a sign that he also knew Percy didn't know what a smoothie was. He typed a message on the screen and put the phone down beside him. "Go ahead and get ready while I'm downstairs. It won't take me long."

Percy watched Nico run his fingers through his hair and walk out the bedroom door. He stared at the knob for a while after it shut, lost for what he's supposed to do without his host there to guide him. Nico wasn't the cleanest, although the room was often cleaner than Percy's room at home. He had a pile of clothes in the corner and random shoes tossed on the floor. The clump of blankets covered a large floor space, and objects littered the dresser and desk.

It was strangely endearing to see that Nico was as messy as he was. Although, at the same time, it made his room harder to navigate. He went to the closet first, digging around to find clothes that fit him and that didn't make him look like an outsider. A white and red tee shirt that said "Sunset With Pickles" satisfied the job requirements in Percy's eyes.

Wearing clothes was a weird sensation. He owned some, but never wore any. His friends also owned a couple just in case they go up out of water, and his father had a favorite hawaiian shirt. He claims it goes good with his trident, but Percy just thinks it makes him look like a big goof.

After getting dressed, Percy tried to contact his mom. The connection picked right away, like a string deep in him being pulled from the other end. "Percy are you okay?"

Percy's heart leaped at the sound of his mother's voice. "yeah I'm fine. I just wanted to check in. How is everyone?"

"We're good. Tyson's been working hard with your dad. When are you coming home?" Her question echoed nicely in his head. "I don't know. I like it here, I would like to explore for a little while longer before coming back."