Out of My Mind (Percico/Pernico)

Chapter Twelve

"Well, the security of the hospital, and the doctors I assume, are probably looking for me," Percy told him. "They would suspect that I've gone back home or went to your house."

"So where do we go?"

"Maybe a hotel?" Percy asked. Nico looked at him with an unsure look. "Just for tonight! I'll find somewhere else to stay until they've stopped looking for me."

"Okay," Nico said. "I've got my dad's credit card, so we can pay for it."

"You stole your dad's credit card?" Percy asked with a smug grin on his face. "Wow, I didn't know I was dating someone so rebellious."

"You're telling me," Nico muttered, eyeing a cheap motel at the side of the road. "How about there?"

"Sure," Percy shrugged.

The car slowed and turned into the near-empty parking lot.

The Corral was a dingy place; Nico could tell that from its appearance, and he felt hesitant about staying there, but he didn't want Percy to go back to the hospital he so greatly despised. He heard the sound of Percy's door closing and saw his boyfriend approach the hotel.

Percy noticed Nico wasn't following him. He turned around to face the younger boy. "Well? You coming?"

"Yeah," said Nico hesitantly as he began to follow Percy.

Percy waited for him to catch up and grabbed onto his boyfriend's hand as they walked into the motel. Nico felt even more uneasy as he saw the man behind the desk. He was a pudgy middle-aged man with a receding hairline, who wore an awful-looking yellow, palm-tree-patterned button-up shirt. He had a little stubble on his round chin.

"How can I help you?" he asked.

"Hi, can we get a room?" Nico asked him.

"Do you got the money for it?" asked the man.

"Yes," Nico told him. "How much?"

"Fifty for a night," the man answered. "But we only got one bed in each room. You boys alright with that?"

"Yes," Percy answered.

"Okay." The pudgy man held out his hand.

Nico reached into the wallet and pulled out a fifty dollar bill; he didn't have to use his dad's credit card after all. The man took it with no reluctance and put it in his cash register. He then grabbed a key from the rack and handed it to Percy.

"Can I get a name?" he asked.

"Percy Jackson," Percy told him.

"Peter Johnson?"

"No, Percy Jackson," Percy repeated.

"Tha' was what I said," said the grubby man. "Peter Johnson. Your room is 3B."

"Let's go, Percy." Nico rolled his eyes and grabbed onto Percy's hand and led him up the stairs.

Once they got into the room, Percy put the 'do not disturb' sign on the doorknob with a mischievous smirk on his face before locking the door behind him.