Work Text:
"You must be Percy?", the girl smiled, all white teeth and deep, brown skin,"I'm Moyra. I'll be one of your roommates."
"...Great", Percy swallowed, glancing behind the girl into fhe hallway beyond. Penelope had assured him that the people who lived there were completely safe to be around, and it was unlikely that he would be murdered in his sleep.
The girl seemed nice enough, he knew Penny really liked her. As in, far to much. He new he'd been told Moyras middle name, birthday, and favourite colour, but the memories of listening to Penny were so frightening, that he'd blocked them from his mind. Permanently.
It was the boy he was worried about. He knew Oliver Wood was somewhere in the house, and the threat of meeting him was shaking him to his core. Penny said he was nice. That Oliver wasn't the rugby lad Percy had convinced himself of.
Percy didn't believe a word Penny said. She was an unhinged, demented, pathetic little-
"PERCY!" Right. She also screamed.
Penelope hurtled down the stairs and Percy took a deep breath.
"Hi, Pen"
"Oh my god! Sorry, I was in the shower"
"I can see that", Percy smiled, taking in the towel on her head and the bra and shorts she wore.
"Come in! Where's your stuff?"
"My mums bringing it up from the burrow tomorrow"
Penelope nodded sagely, before bursting into another grin. Percy had to admit it was good to see her.
***
"Why are there two beds in my room?", Percy whined, shoulders tense.
Penelope, who had recently found a shirt to wear, shrugged uslessly and lent against the doorframe,"It's a three room flat?"
"...You didn't"
"It made the most sense at the time!", Penny cried, throwing her arms up in exasperation,"Yes, your rooming with Oliver, but he's adorable, calm down."
"I don't care if he's adorable", Percy seethed,"I don't give a damn-"
"Percy!", Penelope snapped,"I have known you for eight and a half verry boring years, and I'm not trying to start drama-"
"Penelope!"
"Percival!" Penny sighed through her nose and scowled at the bed on the left side of the room,"Oliver agreed it would be best for the boys to share a room"
"And why's that?"
"Well", Penelope snapped,"He knows Moyra and I have more things so it makes more sence for the two of you too share, somce you have less stuff between the two of you-"
Percy clenched his eyes shut and grot his teeth. "Of course we had less stuff! I wasn't here! Oh my god. Is this you trying to set me up, cause it won't-"
"You must be Percy"
Percy opened his eyes, and- woah. Maybe he should apologise to Penelope and thank her. If she was trying to set Percy up, it was working.
"Oh- I", Percy felt his cheeks heat, his staring seemed to embarrass Oliver, too, at least. "Sorry, yes. That's me."
"Cool"
Pennys scowl seemed to emit a cool shadow across the room,"See you in the morning, Percival"
"Penny! Wait", Percy realised Oliver must think him terribly rude, barging past him the way he had, but in the moment it hardly seemed to matter what that strange, beautiful boy thought of him.
"Look- Perce, I get your upset-"
"I'm sorry", Percy sighed and rubbed his eyes,"I haven't... y'know, been around real people all that much."
"...I know. I though top surgery would get rid of your toddler attitude, but apparently not"
"It's the, er. It's the T that does that"
"Right", Penny shook her head,"Look, I'll be fine in the morning, I'll even help you sort your stuff out. But for now I think it's for the besy if I just... stay in my room and don't look at you until I go to sleep"
"Yeah, I know." Percy sighed,"Thanks for sorting this all out for me."
"Whatever"
"Good night, Penny. Love you loads"
She rolled her eyes,"Love you too, dolt"
***
By the end of his first week in the flat, Percys original fears of being completely neglected had disappeared. His room stayed neat, or, his side did, at least. (He was entirely incapable of bringing it up lest Oliver never speek to him again.) Every morning, he was met with full cupboards, three types of cereal, skimmed and oat milk, four types of bread, and plenty of jams.
Unfortunately, without a signed note, he was not allowed to skip the shopping.
Moyra had decide that straws were to be draw on who went each week. And that week it was Oliver and himself.
He was dreading it as much as he looked forward to it.
In his head he'd drawn a list, Oliver had pros, and cons, like most people. Unfortunately most on the notated information Percy had collected was bad.
Pros:
- He was dashing.
- He had loudly called his friends out for being homophobic. (On phone)
- Kept all his shit on hos side of the room.
- Took approximately fove minutes in the bathroom, but smelt nice.
- Fit. Runs in mornings.
Cons:
- He's one of those marmalade freaks.
- He plays rugby. (Rugby lad)
- His friends are Jerks. (TM)
- He's a jerk. (Expect he's not)
- He keeps all his sweaty uniform on the floor (that he shares)
- He pours milk before his wheetabix.
- I like him.
Yeah. That was the worst thing of all, Percy liked him. Perfect, pristine, untouchable Percy had a crush. And he couldn't shake it. Granted, it had only been a week, but he'd convinced himself out of crushes in less time.
But this was Oliver. And everyone loved Oliver. Percy didn't have a bloody chance.
***
"So... everyone chips in twenty five quid each week, for meals, and all the shopping stuff we need goes on the list", Oliver waved a sheet of paper in Percys face,"Obviously theres close to a hundred quid from each of us every month for rent, but this means that-"
"I know"
Olivers cheeks turned darker, almost like he was... blushing? "Sorry! Sorry... I know Penny will have shown you the ropes, since she's your... y'know."
Percy frowned.
"Not that I'm, like- prude, or- I dunno, It's cool that you're, together, like... uh. I should stop... Talking"
Percy snorted,"You think Penny and I are dating?"
"Uh, yes? That's common knowledge?"
"It's fake news, Oliver."
Percy watched his face twist, like he was holding back a grin as best he could,"Oh. Cool"
Percy pulled a trolley from the racks, and pushed it towards the shops,"Besides, Pen's hella gay, and I'm sorta in the same boat"
"How can you be only sort of gay?"
Percy could only laugh.
***
It didn't take long for the four of them to fall into routine, Oliver would wake up first, often waking Percy up, at six in the morning. By seven, Percy and Moyra would be in th kitchen, eating certand scowling. Usually not at each other. By seven thirty, Moyra (Who Percy suspected liked Penelope a little bit too much) would stalk down the hall and gently rouse her from her slumber.
By quater to eight, all four of them would bein the flat, Penny nursing a cup of tea, Moyra fiddling onnher phone, Oliver in the shower and Percy back in his room, either reading or finishing off his latest essay.
Top surgery had put Percy back a whole tearm, but most pf the work for his extensive creative writing course had been sent to him over the course of his recovery, so he had verry little work left to catch up on.
Through all his life, worss had been there for him when people had failed, so it seemed forting that his crush on Oliver would end up inside his notebook, hidden from the world, bursting with life.
And then, whenever he wrote, it was always Oliver, spilling across the page, grining his flustered smile, or laughing his heavy laugh.
If it was anyone else's voice, ringing in his ears every time he stumbled over a peice of dialogue, he might've been annoyed, but Olivers thick scottish accent made his throat burn and his heart squeeze.
***
On an old receipt Percy yanked out of his pocket, written in green pencil, was his favourite (and most fantical) poem about Oliver.
with a grin on your face
and a secret in your smile
you lean towards me.
with laughter on your breath
and a hand on my waist,
your lips meet my lips.
you fall
towards me, closer and closer
stuttering feet, stumbling around
in the dark
this is what they mean,
when they say
'love is blind'.
I wake up, to a shadowed room.
light flirting with the blinds
as your body slips from the bed
and my dizzy mind, foggy with sleep
groans a humm past my lips-
a plea for you to
come back to bed.
***
"So", Oliver said, slamming a pamphlet down on the table,"Who's coming to Marcus Flints birthday party?"
What ensued was a bluster of noise.
"I thought you hated Flint" (Moyra)
"I hate parties" (Penelope)
"I doubt that anyone would want to go to the party of a two-bit cheating son of a bitch" (Percy)
Everyone's eyes turned to the redhead, whos face quickly turned as red as his hair,"What?"
"So you hate Flint too, huh?", Said Oliver- shit eating grin on his face.
"Uh, yes? Doesn't everyone, though?"
"Well, most people, yes. Except the gits on the football team, they love him. He's just an arsehole who happens to be good at one sport"
Percy laughed,"He's also sexist.
"And Rasist", Moyra said,"Not that he knows what those words even mean."
Penelope sighed,"So why would we go to his party if we all hate him?"
"Too fuck shit up?", Moyra asked,"Theres this great thing you can do where you replace all the photographs in peoples houses with empty frames"
"We could shit on his bed", Oliver cackled.
"Steal his booze"
"Slash his tires"
"Illegal", Penelope noted,"But the rest? Fair game."
Percy shrugged,"I would also quite like to shit on his bed"
"If we're going to pull this off", Penelope groaned,"We're going to need a plan"
***
On the thirteenth of november (the twelfth, Flints actual birthday, had been spent with his family) Percy climbed out of Moyras car and looked up at the house,"Sp what are we doing?"
"Penelopes on drink duty, she's brought a giant handbag which i'm pretty sure belongs to Quinn-"
"Oh my god! Do you think Quinn will be here tonight?", Oliver called, jumping out of the car with his usual grin.
"Oh my god- maybe! I haven't seen her in ages-"
"Focus", Penelope snapped. She was on her last thread before she left the house. Percy was surprised she'd come with them at all.
"Okay, Pennys on alchahol, I'm gonna hide all the cutlery, put it all in random places- shampoo bottles, toilets, try get some in his parents pillows, that'll be hilarious. Percy and Oliver, you're on photo duty, it'll be easier woth two people, I think. Fuck all the shit up, guys."
Penelope sighed,"Moyra and I will drive home as soon as possible, if you guys need picking up, call me, but if you can, walk back. Okay?"
"And get out before the police arive", Moyra added, already headed towards the front doors.
"Wait- wait! Police?", Penelope coughed,"How do you know the police will show up?"
"Seriously?", Moyra raced back down the steps and grabbed Penny by the hand,"This is the Flint residence, the police are called to every party for noise at the least, and-"
"Don't say the wost", Penny groaned,"Just leave it with noise." She let Moyra lead her by the hands into the house.
***
Percy slid the photo out of another frame and shoved it into his back pocket, glancing at Oliver, who was part way through the same motion. Even committing a litteral crime he looked gorgeous.
"What should we do with the pictures?"
"Burn them", Oliver growled, before laughing,"Put em in a shoebox for his Ma and Pa to find. Ask him what the hells going on"
Percy laughed,"Theres an idea"
Oliver, of cousre, was completely serious.
***
Percy giggled as Oliver slid the photos under the matress,"This is like- a spy moovie"
"Is it?", Oliver sounded oddly breathless.
"Yeah, it's-", Percy paused,"Wait, shit, someone's coming"
"What?"
"Fucking assholes, told yall not to go in my parents room"
"Shit", Percy muttered," shit, shit, shit"
"Take your shirt of", Oliver called,Stuffing another set of pictures under the bed.
It said everything that Percy complied without thought.
Oliver stalked towards him, shoved him against the wall, and pushed his face into the crook of Percys neck,"Put your hands on my arse"
"What?"
"...Please"
Percys fingers rested on Olivers waist,"Okay?"
"Okay", Oliver huffed, before kissing Percys throat.
The door banging open seemed to mask Percys groan somewhat, but the loud swearing that came from both Oliver and Marcus. "Oh my god! What are you doing in here?"
"Uh... nothing?"
Flint swore again,"Oh my god- Morgana?"
Percy flinched,"Fuck off."
"Oh my god, it's you", he laughed,"You looked so much better with long hair, y'know. Pretty. You look like a boy, now"
"That's cause I am a boy, you asshole"
Marcus shook his head,"It's just like... you're lying, y'know? Like your gonna regret... your chest..."
Percy shyed away, arms coming up to cover his scars, still pink and fresh.
"You- oh my fucl, you did it? I told you not too"
"Shut the fuck up", Oliver snarled,"I don't give a fuck, and Percy doesn't give a fuck about what your saying, if you don't shut up right now I'm going to beat the shit outa you"
Flint laughed,"I can hold my ground against someone like you"
Oliver scoffed,"What? Somone whos black? Somone whos gay? Somone who kisses-"
"Your gay? Damn, She's got you fooled"
Percy flinched again. University was supposed to be better. No one was supposed to know, Oliver wasn't ment to know. Flint wasn't- but Flint knew Percy before. Fooled him into a mirage of love.
Percy tugged his jumper back over his head and shoved past the both of them. He was done. Revenge had been served, now it was time to go.
"Percy- Fuck- Wait!", Oliver was with him in an instant, Flint left behind them, confused and alone in an instant. "Wait"
"I just want to get out", Percy pleaded,"I never want to look at him again"
"You didn't- you didn't say you were trans"
"Was I ment to?", Percy snarled, coldly.
"No! Just- I just thought... I guess I thought we were, like, close?"
"We are close, that doesn't mean I have to tell you!"
Percy shoved through the crush of bodies downstairs, had a short fight with the front door, and gasped as the cold evening air hit him in the face. Time to go home.
***
Percy avoided everyone by staying in his room over the weekend, which wasn't hugely effective, as Oliver shared the space with him, and though Percy had concidered it, it seemed crule to lock him out.
Oliver spent hours at a time sat on his bed, watching Percy read. He always looked on the verge of saying something. He never did.
When he left, Percy would stare at the ceiling, ideas and lines of poetry dancing through his head, all of which he refused to write down.
***
Oliver sat across from him, and groaned,"Percy."
"What?"
"Why won't you talk to me?"
"I'm talking to you now"
Oliver huffed and stalked towards him, leaning over the bed where he lay,"Your not, bot realy. Your not really saying anything. Are you? I mean, neither am I, but even so, at least I'm trying-"
"I don't really care"
"Percy"
"Oliver"
"Percy"
"I don't really want to talk to you"
"Why! What did I do. Tell me, please. Tell me what I did, and I'll leave you alone. Cause I get you being mad at Flint. I get you being pissed as hell, I get you being upset that he outed you to me, and that should've been something you got to do, but is any of that my fault?"
"... No"
"So what did I do!"
"I... nothing. I just... I dunno, I'm mad"
"I get that, but why are yoh mad at me?"
"I guess... I'm... not. Mad at you."
"Then talk to me"
Percy was quiet for a long time, until Oliver slumped down on the bed next to him,"Perce"
Percy covered his eyes,"I was sixteen when I was with him, I'd just come out to my family, and he was just... I dunno, there. He was real. And I'm fairly sure he hated my fucking guts, but it didn't matter, cause he kissed me like he cared. Even though he didn't. He told me I wasn't a boy, y'know. Said I was a girl. Just a dumb girl who wanted but wouldn't ever be.. a boy. But I am. And I broke up with him after... a year, I think. He fucked me up, though. Made me question everything. I wanted to get top surgery as soon as I turned eighteen, but... I kept thinking about him, so I put it off, just in case, y'know. And now I'm twenty and broke cause my mum and dad have paid for a surgery that stops me from wanting to kill myself- Fuck, Sorry."
Oliver smiled softly,"Percy?"
"...Yeah?"
"I think your a wonderful boy. I think your beautiful, and handsome. I think I would like- um, to kiss you- I mean, not right now, if you don't want, but one day, and-"
Percy pressed there lips together. Oliver was a terrible kisser, but it didn't seem to matter, because Olivers lips were against his, and it ment everything.
***
On the back cover of his notebook, at four in the morning, with the grey stub of a pencil, Percy wrote another poem about Oliver.
We're talking, but only sort of
and we're arguing, sort of
and then we're kind of kissing.
And isn't that funny?
That our mouths are made to be pressed
against each other?
That our lips fit perfectly together?
That my hand on your waist fits so well,
and the shade of your eyes
keeps me awake at night.
I used to like blue
it was my favourite colour.
But now All I can see, is the brown of your skin
and the brown of your lips
and the brown of your beautiful eyes.
It wasn't Percys favourite poem about Oliver, but at least it was real. For the first time, Percy could be completely honest, and still get to kiss who he wanted.
It was brilliant. It was everything.
Oliver was everything.