The Choosing (Percabeth AU)

40. Heat

It had been almost three days. Annabeth was exhausted. The only thing that kept her and Percy alive was the hope of finding that dumbwaiter. And the company of each other.

Luckily, Annabeth somehow found her backpack in the corner of her room. It had some chocolate and a water bottle that was only half full.

For three days, they searched relentlessly. They had no food, no water. Nothing. Their hopes had almost died.

"Annabeth?" Percy called.

He'd been searching the kitchen again, and Annabeth the store room.

"There's nothing here. Annabeth what if we're just looking for something that isn't even there?" he asked vulnerably.

Annabeth could see in his eyes that he'd lost hope.

"We shouldn't give up Seaweed Brain. This dumbwaiter, it's our only hope," she sighed.

"I don't know.....I'm exhausted."

That's when Annabeth felt it. The heat. She was sweating from it.

Her eyes widened as she smelt smoke in the air. She looked at Percy to see his eyes wide as drachmas.

The building was on fire.

And they were stuck inside.

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"Wise Girl...." Percy started.

"No Percy. I refuse to let us die here today. No. Just no. A fire is not how I wanna go." Saying so, Annabeth continued her search for the dumbwaiter, simultaneously looking for a way to put out the fire.

Percy called after her as she made her way to the second floor, the dining area.

The place was ablaze.

Everything was on fire.

Annabeth coughed and leaped out of the way as a chandelier fell from the ceiling, effectively separating her from Percy.

She got away just in time, but landed oddly on the left foot. She groaned and crawled as far as she could from the fire, which also meant away from Percy.

Annabeth needed to get to other side of room, where the other set of stairs were. She pushed herself up and immediately hissed in pain.

She wanted to curl into a ball and just let the heat consume her. Her entire body yelled at her to just stop and rest, but her mind told her she had to stay strong, had to try. If not for her, then for Percy. She had to keep going.

Annabeth stumbled across the room. She dogded the flaming pillars that fell. Her ankle throbbed, but she ignored it, and focused solely on the stairs across the hall.

"Annabeth!!!!!!" she heard Percy call.

She gasped and ran towards the stairs, his voice. She burnt herself here and there, but before she knew it, she was stumbling into his open arms.

They didn't have time to pause and rejoice their reunion though.

Smoke filled their lungs and tears their eyes, burning them.

Annabeth wiped her tears and hugged Percy, just for a moment.

That's when she saw it.

A tear in the wallpaper. And the metal of a gate behind it.

"Percy..." she whispered. "I think I found it."

He coughed and opened his eyes, "Hey Annabeth?"

"Yeah?"

Instead of a reply, he placed his lips on hers gently, and pulled her closer. Annabeth felt the whole world go numb. The pain. The heat. It all just disappeared.

All her mind could focus on was Percy's lips on hers and his hands tangled in her hair.

They pulled apart, gasping for the limited amount of oxygen in the room.

"Help me get there," she said.

They both held onto each other and stumbled over to the wall. Annabeth scratched at it with her nails, but it didn't budge.

"Percy," she said, terrified of what it meant. It was their only escape. She whipped her head around, he wasn't there.

"Wise Girl," he croaked, holding a piece of wood that was half burnt. He handed it to her and fell on his knees, coughing profusely.

"Hold on,Seaweed brain, we'll get out of this," Annabeth tried to encourage him.

She used the wood and stabbed it into the wall, half hazardously tearing at the wallpaper. She then proceeded to rip it with her hands.

And there it was........dumbwaiter.

"Come on Percy," she crawled towards him and helped him reach the dumbwaiter.

"You first," he coughed, tears stinging his eyes.

"No but-"

Percy cut her off with a kiss. "Please Annabeth. For me?" he begged.

She sighed. "You'll get in too right?"

He didn't reply.

Stay tuned !!
----------------------S&D