Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

Percy watched as the flames roared up in front of them, blocking their path with a solid wall of fire.

"The other way." He said, turning and tugging Annabeth along behind him by her hand. They ran through the maze of columns and ruins, trying to reach an exit before something else could happen.

When they were only yards away from the doorway, more flames spread in front of them, hungrily consuming everything in sight.

Percy whirled around, looking for a way, any way, out of the building, only to be greeted by his worst nightmare come true.

Flames are everywhere, surrounding them, blocking them in without any hope of escape. Even the ceiling is covered by orange and red, burning its way across the plants that had twined around the columns and across the roof over the years. Smoke clouded the air, although it wasn't yet bad enough to hurt them, which was surprising, given the flames all around them.

Percy thought frantically for a plan, trying to come up with something to get them out of there-but there's nothing. His mind came up blank.

He turned to Annabeth, who was staring at the flames while silent tears streamed down her face. Her cheek was smudged with soot, and her clothes were torn and singed, but to Percy, she'd never looked more beautiful. And he couldn't stand the look of hopelessness in her eyes.

"Hey," He said, "It's okay." He stroked her cheek with his free hand, holding tighter to her hand with the other.

"Percy," Annabeth replied, and her voice broke. She started sobbing.

It broke Percy's heart to see her like that-partially because it meant that she knew, without a doubt, that there was no hope of escape for them. Otherwise, she would've stayed strong until the end-until they'd gotten out. She wouldn't be crying unless this really was the end.

Percy already knew that. Their friends couldn't save them this time, and the flames were to thick to try to run through. He might've survived, with his father's blood, but there was no way Annabeth would have. But he couldn't let himself break down-he had to stay strong. For Annabeth.

She raised her hand to wipe at her eyes, and he caught it in his own and held it to his chest. "Wise Girl." He said, his voice husky. "It's okay."

She started to cry harder, and he cradled her to his chest, soothing her, trying to ignore the tears pricking his own eyes. "Shhh, Wise Girl, it's okay. It's okay."

She sobbed into his chest, her shoulders shaking. Percy stroked her hair reassuringly and rubbed her back in small circles, trying to calm her down. To stop her tears.

He pulled back and looked into her eyes. "Annabeth, do you remember that night on the Argo II? The night where we danced and the stars sang for us?"

She nodded, and another tear traced its way down her cheek, but Percy wiped it away gently with his thumb before it could fall.

"Let's dance, okay? Just for a little while." He whispered to her gently, and she looked at him with more tears brimming in her eyes. But she nodded.

They started to slow dance as the flames crept closer, and Percy whispered to her to close her eyes and remember the song. She did, and he rested his forehead against hers and did the same. He could almost swear he could hear it, over the sound of the roaring flames-the sound of the stars and the sea singing for them.

They opened their eyes at the same time, and just looked at each other, green to gray, drinking each other in, pouring their love for each other into their gaze.

"I love you, Annabeth." Percy whispered.

"I love you too, Percy." Annabeth whispered back. They kissed each other, just once, tasting the salt of tears

Then they closed their eyes again and held each other, still slow dancing in that burning room. Even when they felt the heat burning their skin just inches away, they didn't look. They hugged each other tight and kept dancing, both of them crying silent tears that mingled together and evaporated into the air. Their heartbeats were synchronized, each beat seeming to defy their situation, and they focused on the sound of their hearts until it was the only thing they heard.

When the flames finally swept over them, neither screamed. Percy curled his body protectively around Annabeth's-if there was any chance he could save her, he had to take it. But they kept dancing, kept holding each other, until they fell, together.

When the fire died down, their friends found them there, lying in the ashes. Percy's body was covering Annabeth's, shielding her. He was badly burned, but not like he should have been after what the flames had been. Annabeth was barely burned at all, her body cradled underneath his, her blonde hair only just singed. They were holding onto each other so hard, so tightly, that they might as well have been one person.

The rest of the Seven tried everything to revive them-but there was nothing. The two-time saviors of Olympus were gone, vanquished by the fire. They had already shared their last heartbeat, as it stopped and left them in silence. Their last breaths had mingled and been carried away by eddies of heated air.

Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel, and Leo all fell to their knees beside their friends, their leaders, and every one of them sobbed, letting their tears drip onto the black ashes that covered the ground, the only remaining evidence of the enemy that had finally defeated the two undefeatable heroes. The gods themselves even came to pay their respects. Athena wept for her daughter, and Poseidon stood beside her mourning the loss of his favorite son. The others grieved the heroes they had watched grow up from age twelve.

Percy and Annabeth were gone. And this time, they weren't coming back.