A hand gripped her ankle, wrapping tightly around the bandage sending a shot of stunning pain through her like pressing against a deep bruise. She gave a strangled cry, yanking away on instinct but it only drew her sister closer up onto the bed.

Both girls scrambled with the blanket trapping them, frantically trying to get loose. Annie's trembling fingers pulled it away, stumbling from the bed with it and Terra kicked out wildly with her leg now that it was free

"Go get Finnick!" She cried, shoving her palm against her sister's face weakly to keep her away. A flash of red flying from the room was the only sign she had that Annie had heard her.

Lenna grabbed a fistful of her hair, yanking sharply and Terra lifted her leg kneeing her in the side. It was like she was young again, wrestling with her sister's for one foolish reason or another, scrapping like wild animals, but it was much more real this time, more more serious as Lenna tried to truly hurt her and Terra was still unable to defend herself properly.

Had she been as she was before the Capitol, in the heart of the Games, she knew people would have been hesitant to approach her for a close combat fight like this. Terra knew that her skills at causing violence with deceptively weak hands was superior to anything her sister could have managed. But now she was weak, practically helpless as she struggled with shaking arms that burned from the exertion, breathing heavy from having rot away in a cell.

"Stop! Lenna, stop!" Marium shrieks, and her sister is pulled off of her for a brief moment before her fist come down hitting her in the temple.

No one had told her that it would be so hard to flee the bloodbath, no one had told her that the goodies scattered at the mouth of the Cornucopia would be so alluring.

Because she came up from the tube to a blinding sun and air that was thick, almost hard to breath, and it took her the full minute for her lungs to accommodate as she looked at her at the wide, barren expanse of nothing, only sand and ruins, and a hypnotizing haze that waversd from the heat.

Terra wiped a hand across her brow, clearing the perspiration as she squinted through the glare.

The gong sounded and it her body moved on it's own, rushing forward on wobbling legs as she aimed for any of the bags that were placed around strategically, aimed to draw the tributes in for a fight, and as she spotted the boy from 4 coming up at her side, a Career confidence in each step, Terra pressed herself low, gliding around the bag as she gripped it tightly, gasping as the sand burned her hand as it pressed into the ground, supporting her as she launched herself up and away again.

4 swung at her and she shot back, landing onto the sand and scrambling to get away. He was big, kucb bigger than she was, but Terra was used to dealing with animals three times her size and she kicked his ankle hard, letting herself find pleasure in the way he faltered for a moment before she kicked out at the inside of his knee. He crumbled, dropping a knee and she rolled, shooting up and away from the Cornucopia doing her best to ignore the sound of the cannon and the screams that continued to echo behind her.

She wasn't a coward. Terra just wasn't going to die for foolishly.

Gasping, she blinked through her teary eyes at the blurred figure above her and bucked her hips, turning her head painfully against the hand in her hair, she bit down on the inside of Lenna's arm hard.

She shrieked jerking away and Terra let go, pushing her back sending her toppling off the bed.

Panting heavily, she raised her hads to her chest, gripping tightly at the fabric there, and it was bare beneath, her mind snapping to where she had last left her necklace. Her head spun, reeling as she tries to pretend she hadn't just fought her sister and worries about the blood staining her hands, willing it to go away.

"Terra?"

Her head shot up, mind clearing of all thoughts and she jumped from the bed, slamming by her sister as she was struggling to throw Marium off.

"Finnick!"

He caught her deftly, tucking her under his chin and pulling her so her legs wrapped around his waist, protected with his arms firmly around her.

"My heart, my heart, are you alright? What happened?" He tangled a hand in her hair, holding her face close to his and she sighed, pulling comfort from the surety that he was there, that he was really there. There was no blood here.

"She - I, I don't understand, Finnick. What did I do wrong? Why does she hate me so much?" She blubbers, blinking rapidly to clear the tears from her eyes.

"Nothing. You've done nothing," he reassures her, kissing her temple. "Get her out of here. I don't want them anywhere near my fiancee."

She ducks her head, releasing a shuddery breath and he carriws her through to the small bathroom, closing them in as someone deals with the scene that had taken over their room.

He sets her down on the toilet and she's reluctant to let him go even knowing he won't be far. He sits between her knees, massaging her thighs. It's only now that she lets herself begin to relax that a wariness sets through her bones, a numbing ache that makes the muscles twitch and everything stiff to move.

"I ruin everything, don't I?" She hiccups a laugh, wiping her eyes harshly.

"No, no, Terra, you make everything so wonderful," he corrects gently. "I would honestly be lost without you."

"Trouble follows me everywhere. We've been engaged for barely an hour and look at what's already happened."

"You aren't to blame for this. She attacked you, Terra, that's on her. Your family has never understood you before."

"We should've been celebrating right now."

"We will. As soon as they leave, you're all mine, Land Pearl," Finnick announced, a teasing grin in his voice and she glanced up to face his dimpled cheeks.

"I've always been yours, haven't I?" She teases with a sniffle, laughing wetly as he pokes at her sides.

"Cheeky," Finnick grins, but then, more serious and genuine, "You've aleays been mine just as I've always been yours. Soon, it'll be you and me for the rest of forever."

"Soon?"

"I had the chance to mention it to President Coin before Annie showed up," he tells her and she feels suddenly tense, dreading his next words. "I know you hate those propos, Terra, but you wouldn't to actually see any of it. It'll be the wedding you want, any way you want since it'll be broadcasted. There won't be any one to prevent you from having what you want."

She breathes deeply, swallowing around the lump in her throat. "All I want is you, Finnick. I don't need fancy things to prove share my love. We . . . is it really necessary to display everything to the world?"

"It's the best way to do it, my heart."

"You mean it's the only way we'll be allowed to do it?" She replies bitterly, swiping her tongue over her teeth when he glances away.

"Terra . . ."

"It's fine, it's okay, really. At least I'll be able to marry you sooner than I imagined." It had to be fine because she knew that there were little she could do on the matter. At least now she could have a say to how she wanted it all to look, it would be the only way Coin would let someone take control away from her - if she was still somehow in control.

But it killed her on some level to know that even now she was being used as a means to further some sort of message, thatvher life was always going to be open for public scrutiny. She wondered if that bothered Finnick as much as it did herself, but didn't dare ask. It was a conversation she wasn't will to entertain at the moment.

What they wanted this time around wouldn't be so difficult to comply with anyways. It would be wonderful, a moment that would be forever documented of their love, and Terra decided it was more than worth the little cost. Because something like this would be used to promote hope or motivation, or something along those lines.

"If you want we can wait. I wouldn't mind."

"Do you think they're all gone yet?"

"Terra . . ."

"Finnick, it's alright. I understand, and though it might be a little inconvenieng it's worth it in the end," she whispers, staring into his gleamimg eyes. "I'll get to be with you. Always with you."

He crashes into her, consuming her like the waves rush over the sand, kissing her with a force that ran deep with love and admiration, a passion that set her skin alight with tingles that shivers beneath the surface.

"They better be," he mumbles, pressing the words into her mouth with each kiss, and he's grabbing her, lifting her over his shoulder and leaving into the main room.

It was thankfully empty when they entered and he dropped her down onto the bed, letting her bounce on the surface as he moved to lock the door.

"No more interruptions," he declares, coming back and tugging her to him by her leg.

Terra squeals, laughing as his fingers dance their way up her legs, squeezing every so often as they went playfully.

"Tell me again."

"What?" Her breath hitches as he brushes the skin of her stomach with a feathery touch.

"That you're already mine." The words are traced onto her skin, mouthed gently with small grazes of teeth. "That I'm all you need. That you love me."

Terra hums, turning away as she pretends to think it over, poking her tongue between grinning lips.

He nips at her hip, and she jerks at the motion, a giggle bursting from her as a goose bumps peddled with a shiver down her spine.

"I love you, Finnick," Terra tells him, threading her fingers through his hair. "You're all I'm ever going to need, all I'm ever going to want."

He slides his lips over hers in a heart-stopping kiss, and she feels like she's falling into his, peeling apart to expose her deepest depths only held together by his arms around her. He comes to rest between her legs and she draws him in closer, pushing him in closer with her heels against his thighs, enjoying the feeling of his weight blanketed over her.

"I've never seen you at -" she gasps, tilting her head as he works along her jaw- "a loss for words before."

There's a breathy exhale against her throat and his body shakes with laughter. "You've never been this . . . vocal before."

"Maybe I can't stand the sudden silence."

"Oh, don't worry, it won't be quiet for long."

She can feel that smile against her skin, that glorious smile with those dimpled cheeks that sent her heart racing with unrestrained joy, and Terra couldnt help herself from grabbing his closer, pulling his to kiss her soundly.

It was practiced fingers turned to trembling with anticipation as they danced thirstily over bare sweat sheened skin. Actions that they knew all so well, forced to have done time and time again, but destined still to crumble with nerves like it was always to be their first time together, always and forever.

Terra feared the day that she found herself feeling any different whenever she was with him, that her love wained even so slightly that she didn't get flustered by his smile. But as he held her, kissing each mark he came across as he did each time he was with her, Terra knew she would always love him more than anything in her life.

°°°

Vote,

Comment,

& follow me on wattpad

Unedited

2019-03-17