PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO || Nicercy || Your Heart's Name || Nicercy || PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO

Title: Your Heart's Name – Figuring Out Fate

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, fluff, pining, hurt/comfort, f/f

Main Pairing: Nico/Percy

Side Pairing: Reyna/Annabeth

Percy Jackson Characters: Perseus Jackson, Nico di Angelo, Grover Underwood, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Annabeth Chase, Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano

Summary: All the nicknames given to you by your soulmates – romantic and platonic alone – are written somewhere on your skin. The size indicates the importance. Percy and Annabeth assume that Seaweed Brain and Wise Girl mean they are meant to be... until they meet Annabeth's romantic soulmate and Percy is left to wonder who calls him gattino...?

Your Heart's Name

Figuring Out Fate

This whole soulmate thing could be easier.

It was a thought Percy had had ever since he was small. Barely able to read – well, not really, thanks to the dyslexia. But he had his mom read them all to him. The names of his heart.

The fates stitched them onto everybody's skin to make them find who meant the world to them. Nicknames, given by the ones who cared the most. The things was: It could be way, way easier.

Percy would, for example, appreciate their names. And addresses, would also be helpful.

Perce.

Seaweed Brain.

Sweetie.

And those were the more... normal ones. There were so many that Percy didn't even understand. Like, literally did not understand because they were in a whole different language that Percy didn't even speak. What language was it? What did they mean? He sure didn't know.

Gattino.

Bello.

Amore.

Amato marito.

Angioletto.

It took Percy a while to figure out it was Italian. He had assumed it to be Spanish for a while when he had heard their neighbor yell vaguely similar sounding words? But apparently, that hadn't been it. Now, tiny small Percy had been really confused when he realized there was at least one very important person to him who was speaking Italian. Who were they? How did the two meet? What kind of role was this person supposed to play in Percy's life – aside from giving him way too many nicknames. Or were they more than one? Was Percy going to move to Italy?!

Sally laughed at that last one and then she sat him down and explained to him that he should not overthink it. That the people meant to make his life better would come into his life, all naturally.

"Don't overthink your soulmates, sweetie", smiled Sally, caressing his hair.

Ten year old Percy wiggled his nose at that. It was hard not to overthink it though. He didn't much like where his life was right now. He was already ten and he hadn't met a single soulmate of his. He didn't even have non-soulmate friends. And him and his mom were living with an awful man.

Maybe, if Percy would finally find a soulmate or two, his life would get easier.

/break\

His life did not get easier after he found two of his soulmates. Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase. Two of his Seaweed Brains were written in their handwriting. Two of the largest of his nicknames. Two of his most important people. And while he quickly came to love them, it definitely hadn't made his life easier – because with them came the gods and the monsters and the quests.

But he found more friends, with them. So while it wasn't all good – because life-threatening and dangerous – it was also kind of truly good, because he suddenly had friends.

First, there were only Grover and Annabeth, then others like Silena, Thalia, Rachel, Tyson and Clarisse. Well, Tyson was his brother but still also his friend. Nico—well. Nico could have been a friend but then Bianca died and Percy was to be blamed for it and Nico ran away.

There were still many nicknames that confused Percy, but slowly they seemed to start making sense. Two of his largest nicknames were the Seaweed Brain from Grover and Annabeth. The largest of those that made sense to him at that point, at least.

And then he started to think that maybe, Annabeth was his romantic soulmate?

/break\

"You really think it's Annabeth, huh", muttered Rachel softly.

They were sitting together on Percy's balcony. She had become his friend. She had proven to be one of Percy's soulmates too. Shrugging, Percy leaned back to look at the silver flower he had brought with him from the Sea of Monsters. Calypso's flower. The Sea of Monsters had been a roller-coaster ride, but then again, this entire whole year had been a roller-coaster ride.

They had saved Thalia's tree and suddenly, Thalia was back alive.

But that was only how the chaos really started. Because only a few months later – and Percy meant a few, because it was literally the same year, like one life-threatening quest a year wasn't enough, seriously! - they found the two children of Hades. Bianca and Nico di Angelo.

Well, not like they knew those two were children of Hades back then. First Bianca died, then Thalia joined the hunters and Nico just... disappeared. Only later did they learn who their father was.

Only in the following summer, this summer, had things been put into perspective. Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, the Ghost King... Nico had come to save Percy, save them all. Then Rachel had gotten herself dragged into it all, also Pan died and they found Grover again, oh and Percy met Calypso. He had kind of a crush on her? And then he had to leave her.

Ever since he had left Calypso behind, he had been really focused on finding his romantic soulmate. It never had priority for him, until he realized what romantic feelings felt like. And... he wanted that, but with a happy ending. So he wondered, whose name on him belonged to the one he was meant to be in love with...? He didn't know who to talk to about this.

He had tried Grover, but Grover was not exactly an expert on romance – he had found his Juniper, his romantic soulmate, already. He didn't quite know how to talk to his mom about it. And talking to Annabeth about it seemed kind of weird, considering it was about her.

"She makes the most sense, right Rach?", asked Percy thoughtfully.

Rachel grinned at him amused, tracing the Rach that was written in Percy's scrawny scribble on her lower arm. "Sense, huh? So... love's about sense then?"

"I mean...", started Percy unsure before he shrugged. "Hers is one of my three largest marks. One of the others is Grover, who is like super happy with Juniper. And I still haven't met the third. So... I mean, I guess it would make sense, wouldn't it? Grover, Annabeth and me, we've been through a lot already. And while they're both my best friends..."

Rachel raised her eyebrows at him. "That's something you gotta figure out for yourself, Perce."

Percy made a displeased sound at that and buried his face in his hands.

/break\

Percy's life was basically a bad joke, really. Like the Titan War wasn't hard enough, he had to get thrown right into the next war essentially the second the Titan War ended. He barely had time to kiss Annabeth and get together with her – the Golden Couple of Camp Half-Blood, everyone cheered for them like they had known the two were meant to be so that must mean Percy had made the right decision, right? And then, only shortly after, Percy got stolen.

He lost his memories, arrived at a strange camp with Romans, went on a quest to free Death, made new friends, got thrown into the middle of the Giant War. It was really exhausting. Percy would like a vacation. About two to three decades would do, really.

And like the war itself wasn't enough, Percy's girlfriend found her romantic soulmate.

"I don't know... how it happened", whispered Annabeth softly, looking guilty.

The two of them stood aside from the grand celebration in New Rome. Everyone was dancing and laughing and drinking (courtesy of the children of Hermes and Mercury), while Annabeth and Percy watched with rather sober expressions. Percy was mainly just stomped.

"Reyna, huh", grunted Percy softly. "Didn't see that coming."

"Neither did I", laughed Annabeth. "I didn't... I never... Impossible Girl. I didn't expect it to be... well... When you said that our names on each other might mean that we are meant to be, I wanted that to be true, you know. You and I, we are a great team and great friends. But..."

"But we were an awful couple", offered Percy with a crooked grin. "Kissing you never really..."

"Yes. That", sighed Annabeth and ran her fingers through her hair. "It never felt right. It felt more like everyone and society pressured us into this because it was expected. You and me, who fight so well together, best friends... a boy and a girl. Of course did we have to get together!"

"A boy and a girl", echoed Percy and wiggled his nose. "Huh."

"Mh?", grunted Annabeth curiously.

"It's just... yeah. When I thought about my soulmate, I always figured it would be a girl. Because it always is, isn't it? The hero gets the girl", frowned Percy. "I never thought about... that it could be... a boy. For me, I mean. A girl for you. So... you're... into girls?"

"I'm into Reyna", offered Annabeth before pausing. "I mean, I might have developed a light crush on Piper in the past months. I always admired Clarisse, but I never really read it as a crush until recent events put things into perspective. I... guess I'm a lesbian."

"Mh. So I was...", drawled Percy before shaking his head and smiling. "Doesn't matter. I'm glad you found your soulmate, Annabeth. I'm not... mad. I'm happy for you."

Annabeth smiled at him softly before they hugged. They were interrupted by Reyna approaching them with Nico, the two of them talking to each other. Percy paused and stared at Nico for a brief moment. It was scary crazy how much he had grown up, from that angry kid in the Labyrinth. When he had first met him again, in New Rome, in the robes and looking all Roman...

"Percy", greeted Reyna with a smile. "I was wondering if..."

"If you could steal Annabeth from me? I thought you already had", supplied Percy before grinning lightly at Reyna. "It's fine. It really is. Go dance, have fun. It's time to celebrate, right?"

Reyna looked doubtful for a moment, but then she nodded, seemingly relieved. The two were, well, friends Percy guessed. So she was probably feeling guilty to discovering that his girlfriend was her soulmate. But then Reyna turned to look at Annabeth – and... Percy knew they deserved each other. Annabeth deserved to be looked at like that. This was what having a soulmate meant. He wished he had someone looking at him the way Reyna looked at Annabeth.

"You two coming with us?", asked Annabeth as she took Reyna's hand.

"No. I... think I want to be alone for a little while", replied Percy, shaking his head.

"You know me. I prefer to be alone too", drawled Nico dryly.

"Well then", sighed Reyna, sounding a bit amused and a bit tired. "Be alone together at least."

Percy frowned curiously at that and then turned toward Nico. He guessed she was right. Percy had fought so hard to bring Nico back to camp, but after the Titan War, he had kind of been so busy with himself – with having a girlfriend, with school, with dealing with the impact the war had made on him. Grinning a little at Nico, he wrapped one arm around his shoulders.

"She's right. Come on, let's get food and then you can tell me all about the quests. I heard you really kicked butt", declared Percy. "First with Jason...? Meeting like... some god? And then with Reyna."

Nico looked alarmed and a little uncomfortable, but he obliged and followed.

/break\

"You know, for how much you were agonizing over finding your romantic soulmate, you seem to have let it go recently", observed Grover curiously, munching on an apple.

The two of them were sitting at the lake, watching the sunset. It was the first summer after the Giant War. Things had calmed down, finally. They had rebuilt what had been broken, Percy went back to school, the gods finally stopped causing trouble. It was so nice. Annabeth was spending most her time in New Rome, with Reyna, studying Roman culture and overall being a huge lesbian (her words, not Percy's. Though he was glad she had grown this comfortable about her sexuality and had found so much happiness with Reyna). And Percy, well, aside from school and spending time with his mom, he had actually grown closer to Nico. After all these years, he finally got the son of Hades to open up more to him, to spend more time with him. He had even bribed Nico into teaching him Mythomagic – and it was actually kind of fun.

"I realized that I was trying to force something that was going to come to me naturally anyway", replied Percy. "I mean, you and Annabeth came into my life all on your own too, after all. So, whoever is meant to be the love of my life, they'll find me when they're ready."

"They, huh?", echoed Grover and raised his eyebrows.

Percy shrugged and tilted his head. "Ye—eah. Annabeth telling me she's a lesbian made me... think about things. And I realize that yes, I like girls. But I actually like boys too. And honestly, I just generally don't really care, I guess? As long as they're awesome. So, I think I'm pansexual."

"Good on you for figuring yourself out, Perce", grinned Grover and patted his back.

The grin on Percy's lips mirrored his. Though the two were interrupted by someone clearing their throat behind them. When Percy turned, his grin morphed into a happy smile. Curious. It somehow made him really happy just seeing Nico lately. But Nico standing next to Mrs. O'Leary, with the hell-hound slobbering him happily, well that was cute so of course did it make Percy happy!

"Didn't mean to interrupt. But you said you wanted to play Mythomagic tonight, so..."

"Ye—es!", exclaimed Percy and jumped up. "G-man, don't forget your date with Juniper."

A horrified expression found its way onto Grover's face before he dashed off, cursing under his breath. Percy and Nico shared a look and laughed at it as they made their way toward Nico's cabin.

"Why do you keep staring at me?", asked Percy curiously after a few steps.

"You two looked serious, before I approached you, and... if you don't mind, what were you talking about?", asked Nico, his voice soft and nearly careful as he asked.

"Soulmates", offered Percy with a shrug, tilting his head. "I have three big ones, you know? And Grover and Annabeth were two of them. For a long time, I kind of obsessed over finding out who my romantic soulmate was, you know? I thought it was Annabeth. But... it wasn't. So I guess it's my big unknown. And Grover was wondering about that. I mean, about me not obsessing over it anymore? But... I figured they'll come to me, when the time is right, you know?"

"Your big unknown?", echoed Nico, looking at him curiously.

"Well", drawled Percy before laughing softly. "Whoever they are, they have a knack for nicknames. Most the names on me are Perce or Seaweed Brain, you know?" He showed his arms as proof of it. "But it's... so many. And none that I ever heard before. So I figured, I can wait."

Nico frowned, looking at Percy as though he was trying to x-ray through Percy's shirt. The son of Poseidon grinned amused when they entered his cabin and, humoring Nico, he grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. Though the next moment he found himself regretting it, because suddenly he felt very awkward. The way Nico stared at him. Not necessarily that it made him uncomfortable but more so because it made him feel self-conscious.

"Gattino", read Nico, voice cracking just slightly. "Bello. Amore. Angioletto. ...A... Amato marito."

Percy blinked surprised. It sounded different than when Percy said it. It rolled off Nico's tongue naturally, really. It sounded nice. It... sounded... right. Percy's brows ceased.

"Wait. You... speak... Italian. Because you're Italian", muttered Percy, feeling a bit silly.

Nico tilted his head and stared at Percy's chest. "I never... said any of that aloud before."

"Aloud. Come again?", asked Percy slowly, rubbing over his heart where gattino was written.

"I have... been in love with you since I first met you. And... and I never... I had problems with my... feelings. So they were always just in my head and in my head, I'd think of you, but...", replied Nico, stringing together words in only a semi-coherent way. "And when you started calling me Neeks, I thought the size simply meant that now, we might finally become... friends, at least. Best friends. And I thought that might be enough, that would be enough. Anything would be enough."

"Wait. So... all of those are from you? Like, literally the whole damn dozen of Italian nicknames?", asked Percy stunned. "You have... that many for me? You... but... You love me...?"

"Have, for years", admitted Nico and nodded slowly, swallowing hard. "I... didn't think I'd ever tell you, but this one – amato marito – it means beloved husband. I never called you that in my head before. That means I'll... call you that... for real. Some day. Husband. That... That means I'm meant to tell you, right?"

"You're cute when you babble", interrupted Percy with a soft look, reaching out for Nico's hand.

He pulled the other boy closer – so close that they could finally kiss. And it was perfect. It was different from any kiss Percy had ever shared or pictured. It was like everything clicked into place. And suddenly, so many things made sense to Percy. Like thinking Nico was cute way too often lately. Or how he had started spending more and more time with Nico lately.

"Neeks", whispered Percy with a grin.

"I hate it", grunted Nico with a deadpan. "...But it's okay when you say it."

"I literally never expected you, of all people, to be super sappy and super into cheesy nicknames", laughed Percy softly and wrapped his arms around Nico's neck. "I mean, kitten? Really?"

"You purr when you're laying in the sun", accused Nico as he squinted at Percy. "You actually make purring sounds! That is a fact!"

"Lies and slander, big bad Ghost King", huffed Percy and leaned forward to rest his forehead against Nico's. "You're a cheesy, sappy dork and I have proof written all over me."

Nico grumbled and rolled his eyes, though he tilted his head to kiss Percy again – all too tentatively. Like this was too good and might be taken away from him again. Percy smiled into their kiss and pulled Nico closer, assuring him that no one was going to take it away from him again.

~*~ The End ~*~

Author's note: Someone on tumblr (come visit me at takaraphoenix) asked me to write soulmate AU again and when I asked for a good, interesting soulmate AU that I haven't done yet - well, this was pitched to me and I liked the idea of the nicknames and of the confusion as to who your true love would be. x3