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Percy grits his teeth when a tremble passes through him and he squeezes his arms tight where they curl around his legs. His form resembles a ball made larger by the layers of throws and blankets curled around him, a shell to hide him from the world. A simple dark army green t-shirt lays thrown across his knees and he burrows his face in it when another shake rakes his body.
Percy inhales in the scent wafting from the shirt, crackling firewood, a breath cinnamon the winter wind. His eyes fall close and he exhales. Another tremble weaker now and he falls to the side his body still curled every piece of him pushing the shirt, the life line towards him.
Exhale again and his eyes open slowly, and he pulls the shirt back and examines it. He traces the thread single line of thread the hue a dark enough green that from afar you wouldn’t notice it was there. But Percy could see the familiar path the thread takes latching on to the memory of his hands carefully pricking the fabric and pulling the needle through the fabric and watching as he stitches the sleeve back to the expanse of the shirt. The smooth barely perceptible feel of the thread is grounding and tentatively he reviews the last few hours before he created the shell to hide away from the panic and overload.
Class is normal and achingly boring and Percy sits in the back tapping his pencil against the table letting the tape recorder turn and turn where he’s propped it up against his backpack thrown across the long table where he sits alone. A normal day a boring class before the scent hit him.
Percy grimaced at the memory, the phantom pheromones cloying at his nostrils and he buried his nose back in the shirt. He breathed in over and over letting the scent of mint overtake him. His eyes grew heavy, the pheromones clinging to the fabric lulling him to sleep.
Abruptly there was a knock on the door and Percy surged up, fighting his way out of the nest he’d built and stumbling over the fallen quilts and sheets that curled around his legs where they’d settled. There was another knock when Percy reached to door and he yanked the door open tumbling in to Luke’s arms.
Luke stumbled back some steps at the unexpected weight as Percy settled in to his tucking his nose in to the crook of Luke’s neck. Luke laughed quietly and Percy smiled, the rumble of the sound making him shiver and pull closer towards Luke.
“Hey” Luke whispered pulling back from Percy’s hold to plant a kiss on his forehead. Percy smiled at his hand hovering above the site of affection.
“Hey” he said returning the gesture by planting his own kiss on Luke’s cheek. “I’m glad you’re here” he said weariness weighing down his tone and pulling Luke back in to his embrace finding his home once again in the space that sits between his neck and shoulder.
Luke frowned at the sound. “What’s wrong” he asked. He felt Percy’s shrug and his breath tickling his skin while he mumbled something unintelligible.
A breath of laughter escaped Luke and he slowly pulled Percy’s arms from around him gently. Percy whined and then rolled his eyes when he heard Luke chuckle. Luke turned him around directing them both to the bed and gently coaxed him down on the mattress. He tugged the fallen blankets back up covering them both and pulled Percy close, his back against his chest.
Percy sighed, sinking further in to the warmth of Luke’s hold and Luke hummed content. They lay together in silence Luke’s nose buried in Percy’s hair and Percy’s fingers, ever busy, tracing different sized hearts across the expanse of the arms encircling him.
Finally, Percy whispered “I had a meltdown.” Luke said nothing but Percy felt his arms tighten around his midriff. Percy hesitated a beat before continuing “I knew my sense of smell was going to get stronger, the doctor warned me about that but I didn’t think it would be-.” He stopped a wave of shame surging over him and he was unsure what else to say. He didn’t think it would be what exactly, so much, so strong, so overwhelming, so easy for him to fall apart, to shatter his ability to cope and leave him rushing out of his classroom like a scared child.
“How long did it take you to make it home” Luke asked and Percy smiled bitterly at his obvious worry.
“It wasn’t as bad as last time, like when I had my heat so only an hour.” He bit his lip his face warming with embarrassment. “I may have raided your closet too” he said nervously.
“Oh” Luke said his voice shaking with amusement.
Percy winced “only a little bit” he insisted and scowled looking over his shoulder when he felt Luke begin to shake with laughter. He glared when he started laughing harder and buried his face in Percy’s shoulder.
“Is that why” he said looking up at Percy’s glare still shaking with laughter, “my underwear is all across your floor.”
Percy sputtered his face heating. “I was trying to find a shirt your room is just a mess.”
“Sure you were” Luke said smiling and kissing shifting their positions so Percy was facing him so he could kiss him.
“I was” Percy argued weakly.
Luke hummed, still smiling, and giving Percy another peck on the lips. “Well” he said his tone playful “if you are ever looking for my underwear feel free to ask.”
“Shut up” Percy mumbled burying his face in Luke’s shoulder his cheeks feeling like they’re on fire. His chest shook with laughter and Percy nipped at the crook of his neck in annoyance.
“Ouch” Luke mocked drawing out the end of the word in mock hurt.
“You deserved that” Percy muttered.
Luke laughed again this time kissing Percy on the shell of his ear. “Sorry” whispered and Percy shivered.
“S’its fine” Percy assured and they fell back in to a comfortable silence. Percy closed his eyes and breathed in then sighed happily.
“I love the way you smell” Percy said.
“Better than those other pheromones” Luke asked curiously.
“Much better” Percy said trying to pull himself closer to him and burying his face deeper in to the crook of his neck.
“I’m glad” Luke said squeezing Percy for a moment and then relaxing.
“I’m sorry you’ve had a shit day” he said after another moment of silence. “I wish I could have helped before your meltdown.”
Percy smiled softly. “It’s okay” he said “you being here now is enough.”
Percy shifted to look up at him. “Hey Luke” he said.
“Yes Percy” Luke said.
Percy tilted his head raising a hand to brush against his cheek and pulled him towards him. He kissed him softly then pulled away. He settled his head back in to the curve of his neck and whispered, “I’m glad I fell in love with you.”
Percy felt the smile spread across his face. “I’m glad I fell in love with you too.”