Hi guys! It's me again! Yes, I'm back with another chappie and I'm so excited for this one! I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while, but I've been EXTREMELY busy.
Annabeth
My steps dragged as we walked into the hotel. It's bright green walls were torture against my sleep-deprived eyes and the smell of cleaning supplies made my head ache. The light that hung above us was bright, which didn't help my vision, and reflected off of the white tile floor.
Altogether, it wasn't the most spiffy place in the world, but it was suitable. There weren't many people up this late at night, but seconds after we walked in a babbling group of girls entered after us, clearly drunk.
The man behind the counter didn't seem to care as the girls stumbled and giggling on the way to their room, checking out Percy and Leo in the process, and disappeared into the echoing hallway.
"Welcome to Nights Inn, how may I be of service?" The man's bored voice said. Leo and I stepped up to the desk at the same time, and I shoved him to the side with my hip. Percy laughed.
"We need a room for the night." I said, tapping my fingers on the counter that came up to my chest. The man looked up, scanning me with a bored expression then glancing at the two boys behind me.
"Just one night?" I could hear suspicion in his voice. I bit my lip.
"Yes." I said. For some reason, under this man's intense gaze, I felt ashamed. But, of course, I had no reason to be.
His fingers flew as he typed on the sticking keys of the old keyboard. His boxy computer whirred with effort.
"Two beds?" He asked. I paused, wondering for a moment of Percy was going to stay the night or if he'd ignore my warning not to drive so late at night and head on home. Luckily, Leo butter in for me.
"Yup," He said with an elvish grin.
Percy shifted awkwardly from side to side as he glanced around the area. His hands were jammed in his pockets and he kept rolling his neck and shoulders like he was sore. A tiny spark fluttered in my chest and I silently wished the man would hurry up and find us a room. The tension between the black haired boy and I was apparent in the air, and I wondered what had changed since we had sat in the car minutes before.
"We don't have any rooms with two beds." He said without a hint of being apologetic.
I bit my lip. "That's fine." I said, "Just hurry." I added the last part as the man stretched his arms behind his head and scratched his stomach. He gave me a nasty look but I ignored him.
"Room 9." He said, handing me a little card. I muttered a thank you and waved him off as he lazily asked whether we needed a luggage cart.
As the three of us walked down the hallway, I caught a glimpse of him placing his grimy shoes on the counter with a grunt and leaning back in his chair.
Our room was small, barely enough room between the walls and the sides of the bed to walk between, but we had a small fridge which Leo immediately opened and threw the remaining half of his hamburger in.
"You two can take the bed." Percy offered when the three of us just stood there awkwardly.
"Nah, man." Leo shook his head, "You need sleep. I'm staying up a while, maybe going to check out the pool."
"The pool is closed, Leo." I raised my eyebrows.
"The pool is closed, Leo!" Leo mocked, "When has that ever stopped me?" He made his way to the door.
Percy shifted on his feet while Leo made a show of taking the key card from where I had placed it on a small table in the corner and wiggled his eyebrows at us.
"No funny business guys, we don't want any little baby Percys running around. Yet-"
"Leo!" I yelled, flushing, as the boy ducked out the door with a delighted laugh. I kept my back to Percy after the boy left, a sickening feeling of embarrassment in my stomach.
"Um..." Percy shifted on his feet, "You take the bed, Annabeth. I'm fine on the floor--"
"Don't be an idiot, Percy." I rolled my eyes, "You're the one that drove all the way to pick us up."
Percy shook his head, "No, I'm fine. You need sleep." He said.
I cursed his chivalry, it made a shrivel of annoyance bloom in my chest but also a stupid warmth spread deep in my stomach and through my whole body. No one had ever acted like this for me before.
"Fine," I huffed, refusing to give in, "I'm going to go for a walk. I'm not tired." I lied easily.
"You don't have a keycard." Percy said.
"I'll get one. Get some sleep, I'll probably find Leo and he can sleep on the other side of the bed." I turned, not letting him object. I refused to feel like a damsel.
I went through a glass door to the outside, noticing at the last moment that it required a keycard to get back in. I shrugged it off, figuring I'd head back with Leo.
The fresh night air felt good against my skin as I passed by the pool, looking for Leo. He wasn't there.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I made my way around the side of the building and towards the street. I figured Leo would be trying to scale the side or something.
What I didn't expect was to see a glint of metal on the ground. A square object half buried from a clear scuffle in the gravel.
Leo's lighter stared up at me and I felt my heart clench just before my senses expanded and I heard the muffled sounds of yelling and crashing. I heard my name being yelled and immediately sprinted across the street, towards a small park. In the shadows of the trees, I could hear footsteps and Leo cursing in Spanish.
Just as I took two more steps into the darkness, my mind only caring about whether my best friend was being murdered or not, I heard footsteps behind me.
Before I could even react, a familiar pair of arms wrapped around me.
"Move, and he burns alive."
YOU ARE READING
Hold Me Close
Fanfiction(Percabeth Fanfiction) PERCY was finally an adult. He was responsible for himself, and himself only, and could do whatever he wanted. With his new life going in a straight line, he could choose whatever he wanted to do. That was, of course, before...
