House: Ravenclaw

Word Count: 2224

Category: Themed

Prompt(s): [Speech] "I have half a mind to puke on you right now."

Modern AU, Soulmates AU, Muggle AU

To Percy Weasley soulmates weren't a mystery because his mother had explained it to him when he was three. She had told him that his soulmate would be the same age as him. That they would have an extraordinary connection. Any drawings, doodles or writings, basically anything with pencil, pen, markers, that his soulmate drew on their body would appear on his own in the same exact spot. He didn't believe her at first. He had to admit, it seemed like something a mother would make up. When he turned five, however, he got his first drawing.

It showed up right above his ankle, and he absolutely adored it. It was nothing fancy, just a simple soccer ball. Percy assumed that this meant his soulmate liked sports. He supposed that whoever his soulmate was didn't know how it all worked. Maybe if they had, they wouldn't have painted neon red horns right above their eyebrows when they were six, or practiced spelling on their arms. Percy had always thought himself the opposite of this person, because at least he was careful with what he drew on himself. Usually jotting down little messages to brighten his soulmates day.

He saw himself as a bit of a perfectionist; from a young age, he wanted everything to be perfect and precise; this included his handwriting. His mother had told him once that his handwriting was delicate, dainty and not at all like his other siblings' ghastly handwriting. This of course meant that he was prone to teasing from his older brothers, not that he really minded, he always knew their teasing was playful. It made him feel warm inside, even if it was sometimes annoying.

It was nothing at all like the teasing he'd received from his classmates. They called him girly, called him names and pushed him to fit into societal norms. For some reason the fact that he didn't have calluses, scrapes, or bruises decorating his hands, apparently detracted from his masculinity.

Eventually it died down as he got into highschool, his peers finally finding other things to focus on; like homework or making it onto the football team, the latter of which Percy didn't find himself interested in at all.

For him it was more of a search to see who could possibly be his soulmate. The one thing he found odd about searching for his soulmate was that he never looked at girls as possible lovers. It had never crossed his mind that a girl would be his soulmate. He'd just always looked at guys in his search.

One day he'd come across a shocking thought, what if his soulmate didn't go to the same school as he did?

That had sent his mind into a frenzy. He'd started crushing on a member of the football team, and was absolutely smitten, but was that betraying his soulmate? What was classified as cheating on your significant other, and would it even matter because Percy and his soulmate weren't a couple and hadn't met? What if he never met his soulmate his soulmate most likely didn't live near him. No matter what Percy didn't want to betray his soulmate, not in any way shape or form, the only thing that was bugging him was what counted as betrayal?

"Could I get a cup of Earl Grey?" A voice spoke, effectively bringing Percy out of his thoughts. His head snapped up towards the owner of the voice. He was immediately caught in a pair of warm brown eyes and a dazzling smile. Percy's own eyes widened a fraction as he realized who stood before him. Oliver Wood, a star member on the football team, the most popular boy in school. Who also happened to be the boy Percy had a gigantic crush on.

"Uhm, also, I had a question." Oliver added before Percy even had a chance to ask about the name for the order. Not that he needed to give him one, he knew all about Oliver, they even shared a few classes. Then again, he didn't want to seem like a creep and besides, asking for a name on an order was protocol. "Who wrote the list of specials outside?" It was an odd question, he'd give Oliver that, nevertheless, it was a harmless one so he might as well answer it.

"I did," Percy smiled as he answered, something that had become habitual in the months he'd spent at this summer job. Oliver's eyes lit up at his answer, and, for a reason completely unbeknownst to Percy, a smile appeared on the brunette's face.

"Nice handwriting…" Oliver paused to look at Percy's name tag, "Percy. You must have delicate hands."

Percy let out a sigh, the teasing would surely be back in full force now. Oliver was popular, so surely he and his clique would start gossip, which everyone knew spread like wildfire. But he couldn't help but hope that this boy was different. That perhaps he wasn't the product of societal norms and beliefs and was instead someone who saw things in a different light. Someone who liked to prove the world wrong. Then Percy remembered, Oliver was the stereotypical popular football player, so it was very likely that the world had already gotten to him.

Percy went and made the tea; pouring it into a cup and scrawling the name Oliver onto it. He let out a sigh before walking back to the cash register and handing the other boy his drink. Percy was shocked as Oliver smiled at him, handed him the money, and left the store. He smiled to himself, maybe this boy wasn't as bad as society wanted him to be.

That night he laid in his bed, writing in his notebook, when he felt a tingling on his wrist. His gaze traveled to the note scrawled on his wrist in shock. His soulmate had written something, a big difference from the doodles that he usually drew.

Percy?

How did his soulmate know his name? Where had he met them, and why didn't they say anything up until now? His mind was a mess, he was confused, happy, and slightly anxious as well as he mulled over the past few hours of his day.

It hit him like a brick, the coffee shop! That was the reason Oliver had asked him about the handwriting and smiled after he'd given an answer. It was almost too good to be true, and yet, in his moment of excitement, Percy did something that was probably the most daring thing he'd done in his life so far.

Oliver?

He got another note only seconds later.

Who else?

He smiled and jotted down his phone number, writing that it would be better to text each other then cover themselves in ink and pray that no one would notice. He smiled when his phone buzzed on his bedside table.

Hey.

It was a short message, generic, yet Percy still found himself smiling. The two of them talked for a while, Oliver eventually saying goodbye as both were extremely tired and the brunette had football practise the next morning.

They talked more at school, which led to the confusion of other students. Rumors were sure to start, but it didn't faze Percy because Oliver was there by his side. They were soulmates, their love for each other was strong, and that was all that mattered. Molly, of course, wanted to meet Oliver, and she did.

Percy and Oliver were young and lucky, most didn't find their soulmates until they were at least twenty, and even then they had, they had to get to know each other before genuine feelings grew. They were lucky that they met so young, and had a long time to get to know each other before being thrown out into the world. They didn't have to search for each other, they could grow up together, and that made their love rare.

The years flew by, scenes blurring together, days and weeks passing as if they were merely seconds. The stunning reds and oranges of the autumn leaves blending into the stark white of winter, and morphing into the pale pinks and purples of spring, and finally the warm summer sun being lost within the depths of cool fall breezes.

Then the scene turned to white, and Percy was standing at the altar, his weeping mother and the rest of his family sitting in seats on the right side of the aisle. His lover standing right in front of him, holding his hands in a delicate grasp, the callouses from years of playing football still not fully gone. Oliver was saying his vows with tears in the corners of his eyes, and a smile on his face. Bringing up how they were so different, even down to their hands; his being calloused rough hands, and Percy's having the most delicate hands most had ever seen.

Percy was next, having hardly any vows prepared he'd just winged it, he was a normally a very organized person, but nerves had gotten to him and he'd completely forgot. It turned out almost a trainwreck, causing chuckles from the rest of those in attendance. The reception afterwards was grand and amazing, the bright lights nearly blinding, and the two newlyweds were drunk on their love and satisfaction. That amazing emotion was dragging them on a journey, the both of them connected by an invisible red string of love. Fate had chosen for them to meet and to be bound together in marriage.

He would never forget the faces of his family and friends walking up and offering their congratulations. But he couldn't keep his eyes off of his lover, his husband, the man he'd spend the rest of his life with. In that moment Percy realized he would always be happy as long as he was with Oliver, nothing else would ever matter to him.

Again the memories blurred together, but not as calm as the earlier times in his life, this time it was fast, panicky. Filled with guilt ridden nights, months of keeping secrets. The whites of secret hospital visits, or browns of Oliver's concerned eyes as Percy repeated the phrase 'I'm okay' over and over. The reds of his family all gathered around him as he'd fainted one July, blurring into the red that was constantly taking over his vision.

Then the scene fades to black, and Percy can barely make out Oliver talking to him. His vision clears and he notices he's in a hospital bed, his husband crying over him and holding onto his hands delicately. Holding them carefully, as if holding too tight will cause them to break.

"You have cancer?" Percy let out a shaky sigh and nodded his head, the doctor must have told him. He didn't want anyone to know until he got better, but he supposed it was now or never because he certainly wasn't getting better. The treatments weren't working like they were supposed to, he was dying, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. The worst part was the fact that no one knew how long Percy had left to live.

Oliver's sobs sounded far away, and it was then Percy knew he was fading, he would die sooner rather than later.

"How long have you known?" Oliver had asked with a shaky voice, but they both knew he already knew the answer. Percy knew that his lover could see the light in his eyes growing dimmer and dimmer. And for once, he decided to try and crack a joke.

"Remember when I was really sick and I was throwing up like crazy?" Oliver nodded, how could they forget. It was a funny moment, despite the severity of what it had meant.

'I have half a mind to puke on you right now.' Was what Percy had said after a particularly awful bout of vomiting. Oliver had let out a nervous chuckle all those months ago, blissfully unaware as to what it all meant.

"Why didn't you tell me?" His voice was hoarse, he was trying to stop the tears from falling down his face.

"I didn't want you to worry." Percy gave a weak smile, Oliver leaning down and pressing a soft kiss onto his husband's mouth. Tears falling down both of their cheeks as they heard the faintest sounds of shouting in the hall. All too soon a group of redheads burst into the room, Percy's only sister Ginny was sobbing, tears running down her face as she stood with her soulmate.

The moment was fading, the voices in the room growing fainter and fainter, black spots were dancing across his vision as he gave a weak smile at Oliver.

"I love you." Oliver realized what those words meant, Percy knew that the tone he'd used was an indicator that he wasn't long for this world.

"I...love you too." Percy watched as Oliver said those words, the rest of the sounds fading out after that. He closed his eyes, thinking on how he'd been so scared of death as a child. Even as an adult, it terrified him. His last thought was ironic, the last thought he had as he slipped peacefully into a void of black:

At least death means I'll never be scared about dying again.