Chapter One:

"What we find in a soulmate is not something wild to tame, but something wild to run with."

-Robert Brault

"She is going to hate you forever, you know that, right?" Nico says, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall.

Percy narrows his eyes at Nico. "It's not for her." He says, "it's for my mom."

Jason loudly sinks his teeth into his apple and Percy looks over at him. "Percy," the blond one says with too much apple in his mouth and frankly, Percy feels offended. "We already know that. But, you still haven't told us what you're getting."

Percy cringes at his cousin. "Jason, chew, swallow, then talk. Please."

Nico turns to Percy, an eyebrow raised. "What are you getting, Percy? Because I have a lot of other places I could be, other people to meet-"

Jason snorts. "Nico, you have no other friends."

Nico uncrosses then re-crosses his legs to show his gradually increasing irritation.

Percy looks down at his bare arm, knowing it won't look like that in less than an hour. Maybe, though, if the tattoo guy could just hurry up. Percy already has enough nerves as it is. "I'm getting it on my arm."

Jason rolls his eyes and kindly swallows his apple portion. "We kinda guessed that when you asked us to help you shave your arm yesterday."

"I'm a swimmer, Jason, shaving my entire body is apart of the gig."

Nico scoffs. "It saves you, what?, milliseconds in a race? And it leaves you looking like a Ken doll."

"Remember, Nico," Percy says, "milliseconds is what got me my job. And if I have to shave my entire body and look like a Ken doll and keep my job, I'll shave my entire body. Hell, I might even wax."

Jason throws his apple core into the trash, barely making it in. He says, "Stop changing the subject, Michael Phelps, what are you getting permanently inked on your skin?"

Percy's eyes widen. "Well, when you put it that way, it sounds terrifying."

Nico glares at him and that's when the tattoo guy decides it is a good time to walk into the room.
The tattoo parlour itself is very … contrasting… to say the least. The front wall is all windows, but long, floor to ceiling, velvety red curtains drape over them, making the entire room dark and eerie. This is the place you go to get murdered, not to get a tattoo. But every inch of the black painted walls is covered in sample tattoos, from butterflies to lions that go from your waist to your forehead. It's set up like a hair salon, where the chairs are near the back, except there are no mirrors and no nice ladies here to chat about the latest gossip on the street.

There is Garth, though. Garth is the tattoo guy. He also does piercings, just in case you were interested. Thankfully, he doesn't watch the summer Olympics because he didn't recognize Percy at all. Garth must think he's just another nineteen year old dweeb coming to ruin any chance of getting a job by getting a tattoo.

Well, jokes on him. Percy's twenty.

Garth is a big guy. He has inked sleeves running up and down each arm, filled with pictures of manly things like wrenches or cupcakes. Percy doesn't really understand the latter. Garth has this really big beard and wears sunglasses inside (?); he has a leather jacket and basically looks like your average biker-slash-tattoo guy.

Percy especially found it interesting when Garth wouldn't stop going on about how his cabbages were doing when he walked into the parlour.

Garth grunts, bringing Percy back to reality. "So, kid, whaddya want?"

Percy glances at his friends and smiles. "The letter 'S' on the inside of my left wrist, please." Nico and Jason smile at him sadly while Garth simply grunts (he seems to do that a lot).

Not that sympathy or whatever isn't a good thing, but Percy hates the pity. His mother, and the most wonderful woman on the planet, was diagnosed with cancer when she was thirty-seven, which was three years ago, she is now forty and it's terminal. She has months.

The doctor said she wouldn't make it to her next birthday.

When Percy came home from school three years ago, on October twenty-ninth, and found his mom lying on the floor, passed out cold and barely breathing, he was just a senior. Only seventeen and she was just thirty-seven. Both too young for something like that.

This was the time where Percy drowned himself in other activities, trying to distract his mind from such things like hospital checkups he couldn't afford and the fact that his mom was dying and he couldn't do anything about it. He started swimming. Well, he had always swam, he was on the school's team, but it was like every waking moment he wasn't sleeping, or eating, or in class, he was in the water.

He pretty much became, like, the bestest swimmer ever.

At least, that was what his fans said.

When Percy was at his last swim meet of the year, an olympic scouter showed up and watched as Percy creamed the other guys. He was pretty much set from there.

Being an Olympic swimmer had its perks. All Percy had to do was swim and make sure he won, so he could bring money home for his dying mother. Though, no matter how many meets Percy came in first place, or how many interviews he did, no matter how much money Percy made, his mother couldn't be cured.

Of course, Sally, Percy's mom, never shows her fear about having cancer; she never lets Percy know she' scared. She never shows him her vulnerable side.

Percy's always thankful for that. He thinks that seeing his mom cry would break him in ways he never thought possible.

But, in a way, he wants her to sit him down and cry with him. He wants her to break down into tears as they make cookies together, telling him through choked sobs that this might be the last time they do so; he wants her to make it real. He wants her to show that she is afraid because that is normal.

Percy just wants as much normal as he can get. He wants her to prove that he isn't crazy, that waking up in a cold sweat with a nightmare flashing over his eyelids isn't overreacting, that frequent panic attacks is not blowing things out of proportion.

But, still, seeing his mother on the floor, eyes wide and blank, her chest rising and falling so subtly, is something Percy will never forget. He thinks that red eyed, tear stained cheeks, and loud sobbing coming from his mother is another thing he would never forget and never wants to see.

So, that's why he's getting his tattoo. (The letter 'S' for Sally on his wrist so he'll always be able to see it.)

For his mom and only for her.

Not to get attention from his soulmate who seems a little too stuck up anyway.

hello there how are you

wooooOw it's been a while hasn't it?

today is my one year anniversary of being in this fandom how exciting!

so yes, my friends, this is a multi chapter fic. I have been working on this since January and wow. I haven't even finished it yet, but who cares, i'm feeling impulsive and uploading it anyway.

I know this is short, but in the fashion of Real BooksTM I decided to have some chapters be incredibly short due to Dramatic Cliff Hangers. how great.

yes! this is a soulmate fic thanks for asking!11! and yes!1!1 it is percabeth, no worries, we meet beautiful bethy next chapter.

I hope you all have your backpacks filled with supplies because this will be one bumpy emotional ride.

I'm so glad to be back! I've missed uploading so this is EXCITING!

I'll be uploading every Friday, save for one (1) exception because i'll be out of town with no internet, but I'll warn you when that gets near.

anyway

please review! i've been so excited about uploading this story and i know this is short but feedback would be greatly appreciated!

I'll see you all next friday! byyyyyyyyeee

- leigh