Black Ink | Percico One Shot

Black Ink

Nico sat in his cabin and stared at the little drawing of black ink on his left wrist. It wasn't finished yet and Nico knew that; he knew that the drawing would be finished when he turned sixteen. He could remember his tenth birthday, when the mark first appeared. He was really scared until Bianca explained that the mark wasn't anything bad, but an unique symbol only his soul mate had, too. Since then he was fascinated of the symbol that looked like a circle with flames in it. When he grew older, another circle was added, but it was still empty; just a normal circle. So he was even more exited for his sixteenth birthday, because he would finally find out who his soul mate was.

Although every symbol was unique, he couldn't see a big difference. Jason and Piper, who were soul mates (that fit perfectly fine), had two circles, one with a beautiful flower in it and the other one with two hands holding each other. Almost every couple had symbols like this, he's only seen other symbols once or twice, like Bianca. She had some kind of flower with strange symbols in every petal. Nico thought it looked more than beautiful, a little work of art.

There were only three days left till Nico's birthday, so he was really exited. He looked around the camp to find someone with a similar symbol on their wrist, but he only noticed there were quiet a few with flames in a circle. Clarisse for example had one, beneath it another circle with some kind of leaf in it. Some Aphrodite kids had one and Will as well, and so had Annabeth.

On the day before his birthday, he gave up. There were way too many people with a similar symbol on their wrist, and when he went to his cabin in the evening, he eventually collapsed on his bed and fell asleep right away, too tires to care that there was his birthday the next day.

So when he woke up, he noticed that the second circle was finally filled with waves. He quickly stood up from bed and changed into his clothes for the day, brushed his teeth and walked out his cabin.

Outside the cabin, he was greeted by Leo, Will, Piper and Jason, Annabeth, Percy, and even Hazel and Frank where there. They had a party, but Nico couldn't remember most of it, because he was focused on finding his soul mate, but he failed. He went to bed late, sad that he didn't find his soul mate yet, but it was only the first day.

But after two month he gave up on finding his soul mate, he was sick of everybody having a different symbol. So he decided his soul mate wasn't a camper, or just didn't exist. Nico wanted to leave Camp Half-Blood. He wasn't really sure where to go, but that didn't matter. He just didn't want to stay. His friends noticed that something was wrong with Nico, they just didn't know what.

"What's up Nico?", Percy asked when Nico was on his way to his cabin. "I'm leaving.", Nico mumbled, looking to the ground. Yes, he had a crush on Percy, but he was sure that Percy had a different symbol on his wrist, like Annabeth. A circle with flames in it and another one with a bird.

"Why?", Percy asked shocked, looking a bit sad. "Because I can't find my soul mate.", the shorter boy explained, biting his lip. Sure, nobody had seen his symbol, but they didn't because he saw theirs.

"I uh... I'm sorry.", Percy said quietly. "It's not your fault.", Nico mumbled, "Good bye, I guess?" Percy nodded his head and Nico waved. But then Percy's eyes widened in surprise.

"Can I see your wrist?", he asked in excitement and Nico said a quiet "Yes." The taller boy grabbed his wrist and looked at it, then looked up to Nico with wide eyes and then back to his wrist. Nico was really confused and didn't know what to do. "Uh... Do you know someone with a similar symbol?", he asked. "Kind of.", Percy told him and showed him his own wrist. Two circles, flames in one circle and waves in the other one.

Nico gasped in surprise, staring at his friend's wrist. "You... You are my soul mate?", his cheeks flushed red and he laughed nervously, "This isn't possible." "I guess it is.", Percy smiled. "You know what? I had the biggest crush on you since I first met you, and now you're my soul mate. I couldn't be happier." And then Nico as well, hugging his now soul mate tightly. "Me neither."