PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO || Nicercy || Scarred By Words || Nicercy || PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO

Title: Scarred By Words – How Soulmarks Mess It All Up

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan for he created the awesomeness that is Nico di Angelo. And everything else related to Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus. Aside from the Gods, they belong to the old Greeks. This fanfiction and its OCs on the other hand are entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Warnings: m/m, soulmate AU – first words, hurt/comfort, angst, fluff

Main Pairing: Nico/Percy

Percy Jackson Characters: Perseus Jackson, Nico di Angelo, Annabeth Chase, Jason Grace

Summary: In a world where everyone bears the first words their soulmate would ever speak to them on their body, both Nico and Percy grow up burdened by the words they carry.

Scarred By Words

How Soulmarks Mess It All Up

Soulmates.

Two people who were destined to be together, destined to make each other the happiest possible.

To identify your soulmate, everyone bore words on their skin. The first words your soulmate would ever speak to you, written on your body in their handwriting. Everyone was born with those words on their skin and everyone grew up with certain expectations about their soulmates.

Percy Jackson was one of those people with expectations, though his expectations weren't good.

You're not my type.

The words were written in a scrawny scrawl. Horrible handwriting, but the message was clear.

The greatest happiness waiting for Percy in the world was... with someone who didn't even like the way Percy looked? That was the height of happiness waiting for Percy...?

And for a boy, growing up with an abusive stepfather, the fact that this was the kind of happiness waiting for him, it chipped away on him. Not even his soulmate would love him fully.

So Percy Jackson set himself up for heartbreak. For a bleak future. Not even his soulmate would truly want him, love him unconditionally. Very well. Percy Jackson was going to live life to the fullest, soulmate be damned. He was going to enjoy everything he could get.

With that attitude, he got a bit of a reputation. He went through strings of flings and relationships – Calypso, Rachel, Annabeth, Luke, Thalia, Reyna. He was just looking for... for something. For validation, in a way. Technically, for love. The only person who had ever truly loved him was his mother, unconditionally and with all of his flaws. He knew not even his soulmate would.

"Are you wallowing in self-pity again, Jackson?", asked Annabeth with a glare.

Somehow, Percy had managed to stay friends with all his past relationships, but Annabeth had turned into his best friend. He looked up to glower at her, sticking his tongue out at the blonde.

"I'm not... Sorry, not everyone can have such beautiful soul-words", huffed Percy.

How are you this pretty AND this smart? were the words glaring up at Percy from Annabeth's wrist. Blushing, Annabeth turned her arm and averted her eyes. Annabeth was one of the lucky ones. She had found her soulmate and Piper McLean adored Annabeth, start to finish. Half the time, Percy was envious of that – the other half, Percy was incredibly happy for his best friend.

"You know the rule. When you go all bitter on my ass, you buy the next round", stated Annabeth.

Sighing in a mixture of frustration and amusement, Percy got up from his seat and walked over to the bar. After placing his order, Percy scanned the crowd to see if there was anyone who'd be nice to take home with him today. There was this one cute guy – dark curls, olive skin, deep, dark eyes, sharp cheekbones, nice biceps, wearing all black. Grinning and licking his lips, Percy walked over to the stranger, appreciation shining brightly in his sea-green eyes as he leaned against the bar right next to the cute guy. Percy barely opened his mouth to speak to him when the cutie grunted and lifted one hand, stopping Percy before he could even start. Then, the guy turned away from his blonde companion fully to very slowly run his eyes over Percy, not looking impressed.

"You're not my type", stated the guy calmly and uninterested.

Percy's heart sank when the words on his wrist started tingling. This was it. This was his soulmate. Looking at him like Percy was just another dumb, annoying jock or something. Gritting his teeth, Percy could feel the tears prickling in the corners of his eyes as a lifetime of expecting this rejection finally hit him like a train. It hurt more than he ever even expected.

"Well, fuck you – who even needs a soulmate", spat Percy angrily, furrowing his eyebrows.

The guy – his soulmate – looked like he had been slapped, eyes widening. But before he could say something to Percy, Percy stormed out of the bar, feeling the tears on his cheek as he left, the drinks forgotten on the bar and Annabeth left behind at their table.

/break\

Every person had a soulmate and normal people were looking forward to meeting their soulmates.

Nico di Angelo was not one of those people. He had always loved the fairy tale idea of soulmates, but he knew from a very young age that he was not meant to be happy, never meant to find his Prince Charming and live his happily ever after. That just wasn't meant for him.

Well fuck you – who even needs a soulmate.

His soulmate didn't want him. His soulmate didn't want a soulmate at all, but most certainly not him, because the sentence literally started with 'fuck you'. It took years for that to properly sink in with Nico and sometimes, it still felt like it didn't. But it did one thing.

It made Nico di Angelo a bitter young man who didn't believe in love. All his life, he tried to hide from others, tried to shut others out. Some didn't allow to be shut out and became friends, but Nico swore to himself that he would never love – not when his own soulmate wouldn't love him.

"Nico di Angelo, you need another drink", declared Nico's best friend.

Jason Grace was one of those annoying stubborn people who refused to be shut out. Nico was incredibly lucky and happy to have him in his life; not that he'd ever voice that aloud. Snorting, Nico allowed Jason to order another drink. His eyes all the while were drawn to a guy approaching the bar. He was ridiculously gorgeous. Bit of a bad boy vibe while simultaneously looking like some kind of soldier (honestly, Nico could not be bothered to distinguish between all the various types there). Well-trained, with some kind of army-tattoo on his nice upper arm. Slightly longish, unkempt black hair that looked wind-blown and soft. Full pink lips pulled into a grin as he ordered drinks. That guy screamed trouble a mile away. The kind of guy who would be the protagonist in a rom-com movie – so handsome and on the right side of bad boy to make everyone fall for him. That was exactly the kind of guy Nico was avoiding, really. So when the pretty boy turned toward Nico, grin widening as though he was thinking about a pick-up-line, Nico just lifted one hand to stop him in his tracks. Nico avoided being picked up. Occasionally, he would indulge in flirting or even in one-night-stands, but not with guys who screamed heartthrob and trouble like that.

"You're not my type", stated Nico, keeping his voice calm and uninterested to bring his point across.

Best to save them both the time and nerve. Instead of pushing and still trying some overused pick-up line, the guy looked at Nico like Nico had just killed his puppy with his bare hands or something. Frowning confused, Nico waited for the other man to either say something or leave.

"Well, fuck you – who even needs a soulmate."

He sounded angry and upset and his eyes were shining with tears as he spat those words before whirling around and storming off. Nico barely got to see the door slam shut behind him and the only thing the stranger left behind were his drinks – and the tingling on Nico's arm. Those were his words. That had been his soulmate. For a solid minute or two, Nico just stared at the door.

"...What just happened?", asked Jason confused.

"I think... I think I might be an idiot", whispered Nico softly.

"Nothing new on that front, but... how did you figure that out?", wanted Jason to know.

"I spoke first", whispered Nico dazed, rubbing his wrist. "I spoke first, Jason."

"I have no idea what that means, but go on", nodded Jason.

"It's a reaction", muttered Nico, furrowing his brow. "It was a reaction all along. A reaction to my words. To my words that... he had on his skin all his life."

"Once again: What are you talking about?", asked Jason patiently.

"That was my soulmate, Grace. Try to keep up", growled Nico irritated. "He said my words. He said my words, but... but they were a reaction to what I said."

"What in the world did you say to the guy?", wanted Jason to know.

"You're not my type", muttered Nico and rubbed his face. "I thought he was just another troublemaker bad boy and I just wanted to cut the annoying flirting short."

"So your soulmate's been carrying the words You're not my type on his body all his life", grunted Jason, eyebrows raised. "A—and in reaction to that... he said the shit on your wrist."

"He...", started Nico very carefully, unsure to even voice it. "He must have... must have expected rejection all his life too. Just like me. And... I went ahead and ruined it by being the first to speak."

"Really sucks to be you, di Angelo", sighed Jason sympathetically, patting his back.

Nico grunted and emptied his drink with a long gulp.

/break\

Percy was sitting at home, curled together and with a quite frustrated look on his face. So, now he had the confirmation. His soulmate didn't want him. Nothing new there. But actually facing it hurt even more than every version he had made up in his head. He looked up startled when someone sat down next to him and he was even more surprised to see it was his soulmate.

"The bossy blonde told me where I could find you, after she spent twenty solid minutes chastising me when I told her what happened", stated the other. "I... My name's... Nico di Angelo. And I lived all my life with these words." He held out his wrist, showing the words Percy had spoken in anger and haste earlier. "So... I never... thought love was real or that soulmates would be... worth the trouble. I'm... guessing you've probably felt the same way, because of your words? Which I spoke to avoid having another pretty boy flirt with me for nothing. You... are my type."

"I'm so sorry", blurted Percy out as soon as Nico was done, eyebrows furrowed. "I didn't... I wasn't thinking when I spoke. I was just... years of... of anger a—and expecting rejection... But what I said... I can't... I can't imagine h—how those words must have... I'm awful..."

"No", interrupted Nico, because he hated that miserable look on Percy's face. "I... We both suffered from our words, in our own rights. Maybe... Maybe we could... get to know each other...?"

"I'd like that", nodded Percy hopefully. "I'm Percy. Percy Jackson. It's... nice to meet you."

Nico offered a half-smile at that and shook Percy's hand. All his life Nico had dreaded to meet his soulmate, but never had he expected his soulmate to dread it just as much. How had their soulmarks made them both so bitter about their soulmate...? But looking at Percy, into his beautiful eyes, still so hopeful but also fearful, Nico felt like maybe the two of them could work this out, together. Nico tentatively reached out to take Percy's hand. All they needed was a chance, both of them.

~*~ The End ~*~

Author's note: And yet another soulmate AU. This one was a birthday request over at tumblr (come talk to me at takaraphoenix). It was interesting to work with the picked words. Well, I hope it turned out great and that you have a wonderful birthday, realrandomposts! ^o^