A Loophole (Percabeth Selection)

36- "Promise"

Enjoy! :)

The next, I think, four days went along the lines of:

Wake up, have minimal breakfast, deny Kronos the crown, endure endless torture, eat two stale slices of bread for dinner and then sleep.

Bob had tried to visit us as much as possible without it looking suspicious that he was helping us, and he told us that it would be harder than he thought to escape.

"I don't know friends," He had said yesterday. "Unless everything goes perfectly right down to the second, we won't be getting out."

Percy had been so strong. I knew how much it pained him to see me in pain and he knew how to stop it, but I always reassured him that it was more important that the crown stayed with him, and only him.

I felt a finger brush against my cheekbone, and I stirred slightly, snuggling closer to the life form that was producing heat. My stomach growled loudly, and I clutched it in pain. I was so hungry, I could not describe how I felt.

Percy let out a low chuckle, and kissed me lightly on the forehead. "Wakey wakey, eggs and bacey."

"Unless," I grumbled rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "There is actually bacon, please do not say that."

Percy pulled my hands away from my face, I opened my eyes involuntarily and was greeted with swirling sea-green orbs. "No bacon, unfortunately," The corners of his mouth twitched upwards. "But I do have a surprise."

"We're not in a prison cell?" I asked hopefully, knowing full well we were still in one.

"Not quite," He closed his eyes and leant forward, resting his forehead on mine. He paused for a moment then opened his eyes again. He was so close I could see the tiny flecks of blue and darker green that made up his unique eye colour. "But it is a very special day."

"Oh come on," I groaned. "Just tell me!"

"You really don't know?" He placed a delicate kiss on my lips.

I leaned in for another one but he pulled back quickly. "Happy Birthday, Wise Girl."

I didn't even get to respond before his lips came crashing down on mine. The kiss Percy gave me was slow and patient, but passionate and told me everything I needed to know. He was there for me, we would make it out alive, and of course, happy birthday.

"It's my birthday?" I asked a bit dizzy afterwards.

"It is indeed. I had a birthday party planned for you and I had the perfect present." Percy shrugged. "But you'll just have to live with me for now."

I pulled him into a hug, resting my cheek on his grimy shoulder. "I wouldn't want anyone else here with me."

Percy slipped an arm around my waist, and we sat there for a few minutes, our limbs tangled in our disgustingly dirty clothes, listening to the sound of our tired breaths and hungry stomachs.

"Aw," Ethan's voice drawled out from the shadows. "Look at the love birds."

"Yeah," Percy scoffed as we heard the creak of the cell door. "The love birds stuck in a cage."

I hid my smile behind Percy's shoulder, loving that he didn't deny the word 'love'. Whilst in this horrible place, I had come so close to saying 'I love you' in a romantic way to Percy, but I couldn't just get it out. I did have thoughts that I didn't feel that way, that that was the reason I couldn't say it.

But yesterday, when Percy left with Ethan, I felt broken. I felt like the life was being sucked out of me, not because my body was exhausted, but because he was leaving. Because he was going to go endure so much pain that I could easily stop. And when he came hobbling back into the cell, silent tears streaming down his face, his sea-green eyes that I love shattered, I felt like a mess that was so relived to see my best friend alive. Broken, but alive. And that was all that I could ask for. The relief that washed over me whenever I hear his heartbeat, or sound of his breaths is hard to describe. It fills my bones, pumps my blood and moves my muscles. I'm only surviving this because of him, and I think I may love him. Not just for that, but for everything that he's done for me.