Project Demigod (a Percico fanfic)

Chapter 35: Baby, It's Cold Outside

Percy wandered into the tiny world with just a stolen winter coat, another lodger's backpack, and his case for his contact lenses. He wasn't sure why he wanted to travel all the way up there except for one thing – to hide, and pray that the international police wouldn't brave the cold to find him.

He had only planned on staying a night before moving again since he felt very nomadic. But then one of the goat herders insisted that he be a guest in his family's house, and Percy was grateful. He'd never had anyone offer him refuge and he was exhausted... plus, he'd been dying for a family and the wife and their two sons (who didn't speak English though) were very sweet.

But then a week in, one of the villagers who always travelled down to the capital city of Kullu to sell/buy from the market overhead gossip about a man all over India who was wanted for the killing of a few police and for bartering with a terrorist. Afterwards, it wasn't hard for anyone to guess that Percy was probably the one responsible.

So the father of the family stormed on him.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" The question was so abrupt that Percy jumped out of his skin.

"WHAT?!"

When he turned, he saw the mountains through the window, but he couldn't appreciate it for long.

"You were wanted!" the father said and threw down a paper written in Hindi that Percy couldn't understand – but it was police report with his name and description. He just needed someone to explain.

"You endanger this family! This village! Get out!"

"Wait, but you don't– But I–"

"GET OUT!"

Percy was then almost ganged up on by several of the village men, trying to take him away. They dragged him out of the house using arms, everyday items, and force. He fought them off easily and tried to dash back into the house to grab his things.

But he skidded to a halt just before he made it to the front door.

The farmer and his wife were standing in the front of the doorway, holding knives at their sides, holding their sons' tiny hands to try to make a point – Percy couldn't come back in and he'd be a disgrace to show violence in front of two young children.

So Percy backed away and left the village with only the clothes on his back. They never saw him again after that, thinking maybe he might've died from the cold on his journey back down the mountain (as immoral but necessary as it sounded). But Percy's body had an affinity to extreme temperatures thanks to his Fatal Flaw Gene, and he made it out only tired, not really hungry, and alone.

After that day, every time he fell asleep, if he wasn't dreaming about Annabeth, Percy ended up having nightmares, replaying that image of the family in his mind.

...

Percy fell silent with good reason afterwards. Nico leaned out slightly to catch his face but it had grown dark again.

So Nico frowned and poked another scar.

"And this one?"

He was almost afraid to touch the faint, long gash line near the front of his torso – the same one he noticed each time Percy took off his shirt. His body was painted with scars, telling Nico stories of a life he didn't know or fully understand... To think one person could ever endure it all. In comparison to anyone he'd ever met, Percy's skin made him foreign, almost alien to him but Nico didn't want to shy away.

Not for him.

When his fingertips brushed it, Percy exhaled to ignore the goosebumps rising up his skin.